Labour launches website to combat antisemitism
Corbyn: Our party is not immune from that poison
The British Labour Party has launched a website aimed at combating antisemitism within the party.
The homepage includes a video from party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaking in August, in which he acknowledges that while the party has suffered from antisemitic incidents, it amounts to a very small number of Labour members and supporters.
The website, “No Place For Antisemitism,” states that its aim is to provide “Labour members and supporters with some basic tools” to overcome antisemitism.
Along with the website’s launch, an email was also sent out to all members of the party, in which Corbyn wrote: “We must face up to the unsettling truth that a small number of Labour members hold antisemitic views.”
British daily The Guardian quoted Corbyn in the email as saying members of the Labour movement need to “educate ourselves and each other to better stand in solidarity with and unite all those facing oppression and discrimination. That’s why we are launching education materials for our members and supporters to help them confront bigotry, wherever it arises.
“Over the coming months, the party will produce educational materials on a number of specific forms of racism and bigotry. Our first materials are on antisemitism, recognizing that anti-Jewish bigotry has reared its head in our movement. Hatred towards Jewish people is rising in many parts of the world. Our party is not immune from that poison – and we must drive it out from our movement.
“Today I’m launching the first in a series of education materials for our members to help them confront racism.”
The website launch followed a BBC Panorama documentary in which several whistle-blowers accused Labour senior officials of interfering with the party’s antisemitism investigations and grossly misleading the public about their handling of mounting complaints.
It also followed calls from several Jewish groups for Labour to confront the problem and for independent investigations into Labour’s handling of the antisemitism crisis plaguing the party.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews wrote that Labour was “letting off” people accused of antisemitism, after a leaked draft of its disciplinary process showed that some members could avoid punishment in serious cases where they had apologized and agreed to undergo education.
Corbyn was set to meet with his shadow cabinet on Monday to discuss the issue.
Ilanit Chernick contributed to this report.