Jewish leaders in fresh call for Jeremy Corbyn to tackle Labour’s anti-Semitism scourge
The Board of Deputies of British Jews have hit out again after the party struggled to tackle more than 2,000 separate complaints of anti-Semitism
JEWISH leaders issued a fresh set of demands to Jeremy Corbyn last night to tackle Labour’s anti-Semitism scourge as they insisted his grovelling apology isn’t enough.
Board of Deputies of British Jews hit out again as the party struggled to tackle more than 2,000 separate complaints of anti-Semitism.
Together with the Jewish Leadership Council they demanded the Labour leader denounce his supporters who attacked demonstrators protesting against anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
It came amid reports suggesting senior Corbyn aides toned down a statement on his 2012 complaint about an anti-Semitic mural last weekend.
In a joint letter to the Labour leader, Jewish leaders said it was a “disgrace” that people who joined an anti-Semitism protest outside the Houses of Parliament on Monday - including Labour MPs - had been subjected to “abuse and insults”.
They said: “Those Labour Party members and Labour-supporting blogs pushing the abuse are largely doing so in your name.
“They need to hear you say, publicly and in your own voice, that we had every right to protest about anti-Semitism, and that Labour MPs had every right to support us; that our concerns about anti-Semitism are sincere and not a ‘smear’ as has been widely alleged (including on your own Facebook page); and that anyone directing abuse, intimidation or threats at those of us who oppose anti-Semitism is damaging your efforts to eliminate it and to start rebuilding trust.”
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They also called for the issue to be dealt with before they were prepared to take up his offer to meet.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also said the party needed to do much more to tackle anti-Semitism within party ranks.
He told BBC Radio 4’s The World at One: “I’m appalled and heartbroken that Londoners of Jewish faith don’t feel the Labour Party’s for them.
“I think the Labour Party needs to do much more. It’s the Labour Party’s responsibility.”