Corbyn has ‘let himself become a poster boy for anti-semitism’
15 Labour MPS join Jewish protest against party leader, pledging to ‘drain the cesspit’ of prejudice
JEREMY CORBYN was yesterday accused of becoming a “poster-boy” for anti-semitism as more than 15 of his MPS joined a Jewish protest against his leadership.
The Labour MPS said that they wanted to “drain the cesspit” of antisemitism within their party as they joined an extraordinary 600-strong protest organised by Jewish leaders in Parliament Square.
They said that the protest and Mr Corbyn’s failure to tackle anti-semitism was a “stain on the conscience” of the Labour Party as they accused him of making “mealy-mouthed” statements.
The Jewish Labour Movement, which includes MPS, officials, and peers, accused Mr Corbyn of allowing anti-semitism in the party to go “unnoticed and unchallenged”. The unprecedented protest was organised by the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies under the banner “enough is enough”.
Jonathan Goldstein, the chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, told the crowd that the Labour leader must do more to stamp out the “cancer” of anti-semitism from within the party.
He said that there was “no safe space” for Jews inside the Labour Party as they were told that “Rothschilds run the world, Isis is a fake front for Israel and Zionists are the new Nazis”.
Protestors shouted “it is time for Jeremy Corbyn to go” and there were angry calls of “shame” and “vile” as anti-semitism examples were read out.
There were some verbal clashes with a rival group of Jews who support Jeremy Corbyn.
Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP for Barking and a former minister, said: “I am deeply offended by what appears to be persistent and pervasive anti-semitism in and around the Labour Party. While Jeremy is not himself anti-semitic, he has allowed himself to be- come the poster boy of anti-semites everywhere. This is not the new politics.”
Wes Streeting, the Labour MP for Ilford North, said: “The fact that inaction on the part of our party and its leadership made this event necessary is a stain on the conscience of the Labour party.
“We know what needs to be done, we don’t need any more mealymouthed statements from the leader of the Labour Party.” The protests were triggered after it emerged that Mr Corbyn had opposed the removal of an anti-semitic mural.
He yesterday finally apologised for defending the artist behind the mural and admitted that the problem of antisemitism within the Labour Party extended to more than just a “few bad apples”.
He said: “I am sincerely sorry for the pain which has been caused, and pledge to redouble my efforts to bring this anxiety to an end.”
The protests took place ahead of a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Mr Corbyn faced a furious backlash after failing to attend the meeting despite being in the Commons.
At the meeting last night John Mann, a Labour MP, said: “What kind of Labour Party is this? If we don’t get our act together we won’t be elected, and deservedly so.”
Yvette Cooper, a Labour MP and the chairman of the home affairs select committee, won a round of applause after saying that the party needed to root out anti-semitism.