Jewish papers unite over Corbyn

Pressure is growing on Jeremy Corbyn to reconsider his position on anti-semitism, after two senior members of his shadow cabinet suggested Labour’s new code of conduct should be rewritten.

The comments came after the UK’S three leading Jewish newspapers took the unprecedented step of publishing a joint front page message warning that a Corbyn-led government would pose an “existential threat to Jewish life in this country”.

Under the headline “United We Stand”, the Jewish Chronicle, Jewish Telegraph and Jewish News described Labour’s refusal to adopt in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-semitism as “sinister”.

They said that “the stain and shame of anti-semitism has coursed through Her Majesty’s Opposition since Jeremy Corbyn became leader in 2015”.

And they urged Labour MPS to back a motion to be debated in September to accept the IHRA definition in full, including a list of examples of anti-semitic behaviour.

The party says that the missing examples, mostly relating to criticism of the state of Israel, are dealt with elsewhere in the document.

Meanwhile, Labour peer Lord Melvyn Bragg said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s feebleness on this matter is a disgrace to the Labour Party and shames its traditional creed of tolerance, as well as grossly insulting some of our fellow citizens.”