The full title of Asa Winstanley's book is “Weaponising antisemitism, how the Israel lobby brought down Jeremy Corbyn”, and it is published by O/R Books.
Winstanley is a thorough and meticulous journalist who since 2005 has worked at the Electronic Intifada online news website. It has given him an unrivalled vantage from which to observe and analyse how it all happened. He has written a gripping and authoritative account.
Here is the VIDEO where I discuss the book with Winstanley. You may notice I have edited it slightly to make it shorter - 33 minutes in all. I also suggest you read my most recent article about the book: a landmark book on a seditious project.
The video ranges over some interesting topics.
From minute 1:45, Asa talks about his own background, and what drew him into journalism with Electronic Intifada.
From minute 4:50 to 14:30, we discuss the strategy Israel lobbyists successfully used to bring down Corbyn and his supporters.
From 14:30 to 18:10, we discuss the nature of the Zionist ideology that inspires Israel and its advocates.
From 18:10 to 19:55, Asa discusses the critical role of Jon Lansman, former Chair of Momentum.
From 19:55 to 24:40, we discuss Jeremy Corbyn himself, his beliefs, his public appeal, the tensions he faced, and how some of his own actions contributed to his downfall and undermined his supporters.
From 24:40 to 29:10, we discuss how Labour Party leadership candidates meekly complied with the Jewish Board of Deputies “ten demands”. Asa mentions the climate of fear driving many actors, and there is occasional mention of cowardice.
From 29:10, we discuss the relevance of Asa’s work to the broader movement for media reform in the UK that grew out of the phone hacking scandal.
I should also mention Hil Aked’s book, Friends of Israel, which is complementary to that by Asa Winstanley, and provides a vast amount of interesting information about how Israel and its advocates operate in the UK.
The author of this blog is Jonathan Coulter, Secretary of CAMPAIN. See here for short bio.