Corbyn disappoints Jewish leadership
Jeremy Corbyn’s attempts to build bridges with Jewish community leaders over anti-semitism in the Labour party hit another set back last night when they declared their face-to-face meeting had been a “disappointing missed opportunity”.
The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council said the leader had failed to take any “concrete” action over anti-semites in his party.
‘We are disappointed that Mr Corbyn’s proposals fell short of the minimum level of action suggested’
JEREMY CORBYN is failing to take any “concrete” action over Ken Livingstone and anti-semites within his party, Jewish leaders said last night as they claimed a face-to-face meeting with the Labour leader had been a “disappointing missed opportunity”.
The Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) said “words in letters and newspaper articles will never be enough” after Mr Corbyn issued an apology in the Evening Standard.
They warned that the Jewish community will not be able to trust Mr Corbyn until he turns his “strong words against anti-semitism into equally strong actions”.
After a meeting that lasted more than two hours, Jonathan Arkush and Jonathan Goldstein, the respective presidents of the Board of Deputies and JLC, issued a damning statement in which they said they would hold Mr Corbyn to account for his alleged lack of action.
Their statement said: “We are disappointed that Mr Corbyn’s proposals fell short of the minimum level of action which our letter suggested. They did not agree in the meeting with our proposals … that they should expedite long-standing cases involving Ken Livingstone and Jackie Walker; that no MP should share a platform with somebody expelled or suspended for antisemitism; that they adopt the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism with all its examples … that there should be transparent oversight of their disciplinary process.”
In a statement, Mr Corbyn described it as a “positive and constructive meeting”, and Labour sources suggested the characterisation of the meeting by the Jewish leaders had been unfair, adding that Mr Livingstone and Ms Walker’s cases would be concluded by July.
However, speaking to The Daily Telegraph, a source present said that Mr Corbyn had “failed to grasp” the “symbolic importance” of the investigations into Ken Livingstone and Jackie Walker, both of whom have been suspended for more than a year over allegations of anti-semitism. The source added that Mr Corbyn’s team had “tried to throw procedure at them” as an explanation for the delay, while another said: “Every excuse given by Mr Corbyn and his team was wrapped up in process.
“Here we have a Labour leader who has undoubted strength and control over his party, so we feel these are just excuses for inactivity.”
The Jewish leaders last night said: “We welcome the fact that Mr Corbyn’s words have changed, but it is action by which the Jewish community will judge him and the Labour Party.”