CORBYN: SORRY FOR LABOUR’S ANTI-SEMITISM
JEREMY Corbyn last night issued a personal apology to Jews for vile anti-Semitic abuse spouted by some Labour members.
The party leader spoke out ahead of a crunch showdown with Jewish leaders following weeks of particularly damaging allegations.
“My party and I are sorry for the hurt and distress caused,” he said, admitting failings. “We have not done enough fully to get to grips with the problem, and for that the Jewish community and our own Jewish members deserve an apology.”
Insisting Labour “has a long and proud record of standing up against anti-Semitism”, he went on: “Jews belong in the Labour Party and we are utterly committed to making it a safe and welcoming place for them.
“But we must also face the uncomfortable fact that a small number of our members and supporters hold anti-Semitic views and attitudes, which need to be confronted and dealt with rapidly and effectively.”
He said that examples included Holocaust denial, crude stereotypes of Jewish bankers, conspiracy theories blaming 9/11 on Israel, and even one member who appeared to believe that Hitler had been “misunderstood”.
Mr Corbyn acknowledged party process had “been simply not fully fit for purpose” and “we did not look closely enough at ourselves” when accusations began to surface. The Labour leader’s admissions came in an article for the London Evening Standard, published just hours before his meeting with the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council. But last night Jewish leaders branded the event a “missed opportunity”. In a damning statement they said hope of “building trust” had been dashed after Mr Corbyn failed to agree to demands. And referring to the recent rally outside Parliament, they continued: “Thousands of British Jews did not demonstrate just for a few lawyers and a newspaper article. They demanded action and so do we.”
20 Labour Party members suspended in past two weeks for anti-Semitism
FOR too long Jeremy Corbyn appeared blind to the problem of anti-Semitism within the Labour ranks.
So we welcome his apology to the Jewish community yesterday and the promise of more robust action to root out the hatred and abuse.
Acknowledging the problem is an important first step. Mr Corbyn must now deliver on his pledge to improve the party’s procedures so the poison of anti-Semitism is eradicated from every section of the movement.
Only then can this stain be removed from a party with a proud reputation for fighting discrimination and bigotry.