After a weekend of horrid headlines for Labour over anti-Semitism, Jeremy Corbyn is keen to be seen to be talking tough on the issue. The Labour leader has told Channel 4 news that his party will not be ‘tolerating anti-Semitism in any form’ and Momentum – the pro-Corbyn grassroots group – has acknowledged that ‘accusations of anti-Semitism should not and cannot be dismissed simply as right-wing smears’.
Only, despite this, Corbyn appears to have gone one step forward and two steps back. Guido reports that the Labour leader tonight attended a Seder in Islington held by ‘Jewdas’. Jewdas are a ‘radical Jewish diaspora group’ who sit on the fringes of the Jewish community. Jewdas have previously said Israel ‘needs to be properly disposed of’. In a blog just last week, the group criticised the Parliament Square rally to demonstrate against Corbyn’s handling of anti-Semitism allegations as a ‘cynical manipulation’. The comments appeared to be directed at the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council.
‘What has happened over the last week is anything but an attempt to address antisemitism. It is the work of cynical manipulations by people whose express loyalty is to the Conservative Party and the right wing of the Labour Party. It is a malicious ploy to remove the leader of the Opposition and put a stop to the possibility of a socialist government.’
It’s reported that guests at tonight’s event booed the mention of Board of Deputies president Jonathan Arkush.
Of course, Corbyn can – and should – speak to many groups within the Jewish community. But his decision to attend this event this week following a string of concerns and complaints from the Board of Deputies suggests an error of judgment. Given the group’s apparent dismissal of concerns raised by other members of the Jewish community, his attendance sends a confused message at a time when Corbyn is at pains to prove he takes those allegations seriously. Several Labour MPs have already taken to social media to voice their disdain:
Corbyn’s attendance at the Jewdas seber reads as a blatant dismissal of the case made for tackling anti-Semitism in Labour. #EnoughisEnough
— Angela Smith (@angelasmithxmp) April 2, 2018
This is deliberately baiting the mainstream Jewish community days after they pleaded with him to tackle antisemitism. And he must know that meeting them now will give his members the message that the group’s extreme views are ok. Irresponsible and dangerous https://t.co/NORQQiFq8J
— Lord Walney (@LordWalney) April 2, 2018
Whether it’s down to naivety, stubbornness or something more sinister, Corbyn has given his critics yet another reason to believe that he is not taking the concerns raised by the Jewish community last week as seriously as he should be.
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