Labour’s anti-Semitism row led to record number of hate incidents in first half of the year
LABOUR’S anti-Semitism scandal led to a record number of hate incidents in the first half of the year.
Reports included racist graffiti left at the home of Holocaust survivors, "Gas the Jews" written on a footbridge in Liverpool and 85 violent assaults.
There were 892 incidents in total with racist internet trolls responsible for more than a third of the vile slurs, a damning report by the Community Security Trust (CST) found.
The document also makes specific reference to the Labour Party, saying that 55 incidents related directly to the Opposition in February and March.
LABOUR'S ANTI-SEMITISM ROW
Jeremy Corbyn's leadership has been dogged by an ongoing row over anti-Semitism among activists and officials.
It culminated in Scotland Yard launching a criminal investigation into alleged hate crimes - and seven MPs quitting in protest at the failure to tackle the problem.
Today Corbyn found himself embroiled in a fresh scandal for going on a protest march that likened Israel to Nazi Germany.
Footage emerged of the Labour leader at the rally where vile signs and posters accused the Jewish state of following in Hitler’s footsteps.
The problem is spreading across the country and online, it reflects deepening divisions in our society and it is causing increasing anxiety in the Jewish community
David Delew
The CST report said: "The highest monthly totals in the first half of 2019 were February and March, with 182 and 169 anti-Semitic incidents respectively.
"These are the joint-fourth and sixth highest monthly totals ever recorded by CST. They occurred when issues relating to Jews and anti-Semitism were prominent in news and politics due to the continuing controversy over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
MPS LEAVE LABOUR
February saw several MPs leave the Labour Party, some of whom cited anti-Semitism as a prominent reason for their decision.
CST recorded 25 anti-Semitic incidents in February and 30 in March that were examples of, or related to arguments over, alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
"These 55 Labour-related incidents from February and March comprised over half of the 100 such incidents recorded by CST during the first six months of 2019."
These 55 Labour-related incidents from February and March comprised over half of the 100 such incidents recorded by CST during the first six months of 2019
CST report
The row over the party’s handling of anti-Semitism grew so fierce that more than 60 Labour peers took out a full page advert in the Guardian to attack Jeremy Corbyn.
The group, including more than a dozen former ministers, said the Labour boss had "failed the test of leadership" over the ongoing anti-Semitism storm swirling around the party.
But last month, Labour's ruling body accepted Corbyn's plans for speeding up the way complaints of anti-Semitism are dealt with.
The National Executive Committee, meeting in London, agreed to endorse the proposal to allow fast-track expulsions in the most serious cases, a party spokesman said.
VILE ABUSE
But while Labour has pledged to tackle racism against Jews within the party's ranks - it remains a problem in wider society.
The CST found that 323 reports of anti-Semitism online compares to 221 in the same period last year.
Among the abuse was one tweet where a user asked people to help "co-ordinate super secret plans to finally get rid of all (Jews)", and another where a comparison was drawn between Nazis and Jews in reference to the Gaza Strip being a "concentration camp".
The report, which has recorded anti-Semitic incidents since 1984, said it was not clear if an increasing number of incidents was a result of better reporting or increased levels of abuse.
"The answer likely lies somewhere in a combination of the two," it said.
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Two-thirds of the 892 anti-Semitic incidents recorded by CST in the first six months of 2019 took place in the UK cities with the largest Jewish populations: Greater London and Greater Manchester.
The charity’s chief executive David Delew said: "The problem is spreading across the country and online, it reflects deepening divisions in our society and it is causing increasing anxiety in the Jewish community."
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