As Jewish and non-Jewish members and supporters of the Labour party, we reject the call for the expulsion of Ken Livingstone (Letters, 7 April). Those who call for a new disciplinary hearing simply because they didn’t like the conclusions of the previous one demonstrate contempt for democracy and due process.

A year ago Livingstone, responding to a question from Vanessa Feltz on BBC Radio London, said: “Let’s remember when Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism.” There is nothing whatsoever antisemitic about this. Francis Nicosia, the Raul Hilberg professor of Holocaust studies at Vermont University, wrote in his book Zionism and Anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany (p79) that: “Throughout the 1930s, as part of the regime’s determination to force Jews to leave Germany, there was almost unanimous support in German government and Nazi party circles for promoting Zionism among German Jews.”

Is telling the truth also antisemitic? Support for Zionism can go hand in hand with antisemitism. What the campaign against Livingstone is really about is his longstanding support for the Palestinians and his opposition to Zionism and the policies of the Israeli state. Those who hope to throw Livingstone overboard today are preparing the way for Jeremy Corbyn’s removal tomorrow.

Miriam Margolyes Lambeth & Vauxhall constituency labour party

Oliver Gaggs Cambridge CLP

Rita Gaggs Cambridge CLP

Professor Richard Seaford Exeter CLP

Professor emeritus Moshé Machover Hampstead & Kilburn CLP

Philip Wagstaff On behalf of South West Norfolk CLP executive

Professor Bill Bowring School of Law, Birkbeck College

Professor emeritus Jonathan Rosenhead Hackney South and Shoreditch CLP

Professor Haim Bresheeth School of Oriental and African Studies

Dr Tanzil Chowdhury School of Law, University of Manchester

Professor emeritus Wade Mansell Thanet North CLP

Professor Chris Knight Streatham CLP

Tony Greenstein Brighton Kemptown CLP

Jackie Walker South Thanet CLP

And 533 others

Full list of signatories at http://freespeechonisrael.org.uk/letter-guardian-reject-call-expulsion-ken-livingstone/#more-3000