Corbyn was in Facebook group that posted slurs against Jews
LABOUR was engulfed in a new anti- Semitism row last night after it emerged that Jeremy Corbyn was in a Facebook group riddled with prejudice against Jews and Israel.
Screenshots show he was a member of the Palestine Live group until around the time he became Labour leader in 2015.
The secret page included links to matebe rial produced by neo- Nazi groups and messages suggesting Israel was involved in the 9/11 attacks, reports say.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said last night that an investigation into the group had begun and disciplinary action would be taken against any Labour members found to be involved.
Members are said to have included Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Chris Williamson and former Channel 4 reporter and Corbynite Paul Mason.
Mr Corbyn’s son, Seb, chief of staff to Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, and Jack Bond, a member of his team, are also thought to be members.
Among the posts on the group, members discuss whether they prefer the term ‘ZioNazi’ to ‘JewNazi’, according to the Campaign Against AntiSemitism (CAA).
One member said he was reading Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, adding: ‘ Everybody should be forced to read it, especially Jews who have their own agenda as to why they were not liked.’
The Labour logo is also displayed in the group, alongside appeals to join the Party.
Some users are said to have shared articles by conspiracy theorist David Icke, and David Duke, former grand wizard of the KKK. There are also said to links to articles from farRight websites.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said there was no suggestion he had made any anti- Semitic postings, and he had been unaware of the alleged comments.
He is said to have been added to the group, as opposed to joining it himself, but did post on the page. However, the CAA said there was ‘no conceivable justification’ for Mr Corbyn’s involvement in the group and that it would be filing a complaint against him to Labour. Last night, it complained about the page after it was discovered by blogger David Collier.
Mr Corbyn’s spokesman said: ‘Jeremy and the Labour Party are implacably opposed to all forms of anti-Semitism and will take whatever necessary action to stamp it out in the party.
‘I don’t think anyone is suggesting anything that Jeremy has written in any Facebook group or anywhere else constitutes anti-Semitic comments.
‘ There were thousands of members of this group. In social media all sorts of things are posted which often others participating aren’t even aware of.
‘It is repugnant if there are anti-Semitic posts – and I gather there are. If they involve anyone to do with the Labour Party then investigation and disciplinary action will be taken.’
The CAA accuses Mr Corbyn of posting comments in threads that include the term ‘Zio’ – which refers to Zionism.
In a report into anti-Semitism in Labour, Baroness Chakrabarti said ‘Zio’ should have ‘no place’ in party discourse.
Joseph D. Glasman, of the CAA, said: ‘There is no conceivable justification for Jeremy Corbyn’s participation in this group. One of Mr Corbyn’s slogans is “standing up, not standing by”, but in this case he has not stood up ,but instead he actively joined in.’
Last night, the Government pledged £13.4million for security at Jewish schools, synagogues and community buildings amid fears over anti- Semitic hate crime and terrorist threats. Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced the cash, which follows £38.5million since 2015.
‘Stamp it out in the party’