NZ First MP now doing anti-semitism

The Herald reports:

Two National MPs are up in arms over New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell’s references to fellow National MP Paul Goldsmith as “Goldstein” pushing a bagel franchise.

Wellington National MP Nicola Willis raised a point of order in Parliament this week after Mitchell referred to Goldsmith as Goldstein a number of times during a debate on a bill.

“That was the most befuddled contribution I think I’ve ever heard from the member ‘Goldstein’. He’s been pushing his bagel franchise for some time,” Mitchell said during his speech.

The combination of Goldstein and bagels (the most iconic Jewish food) was clearly designed to try and portray Goldsmith as having Jewish traits, as in he was stingy and not caring. Here’s the Hansard:

That was the most befuddled contribution I think I’ve ever heard from the member “Goldstein“. He’s been pushing his bagel franchise for some time. In fact, the member should be probably more likely referred to as a member from the “Neo-liberal Free-market Trickle-down Party“, as opposed to a National Party, which it was once set up to be.

Mitchel may say he was referring at the ASB “Goldstein” but that is patently untrue. The reference to bagel franchise and neo-liberalism was definitely playing to antisemitism.

And if you think bagel is not a coded reference to being Jewish, I quote this Jewish website:

The crusty ring‑shaped bagel — the word means “bracelet” in German — which was the everyday bread of the Jews in Eastern Europe, has become the most famous Jewish food in America and a standard American bread.

Wikipedia also notes:

Common objects, phrases and traditions used to emphasize or ridicule Jewishness include bagels, playing violin, klezmer, undergoing circumcision, kvetching, haggling and uttering various Yiddish phrases like mazel tov, shalom, and oy vey. 

Now don’t get me wrong. This is definitely at the lower end of the antisemitism scale. But I would hope Members of Parliament could do better than trying to use Jewish traits as a slur against other MPs.