Corbyn sued over ‘irony’ comment about ‘Zionists’

JEREMY CORBYN is facing legal action over his claim that “Zionists”… “don’t understand English irony”.

Richard Millett is seeking damages for libel from the Labour leader, after he defended his remarks on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show. The incident took place in 2013 when Mr Corbyn, during a speech to the Palestinian Return Centre, described an “incredibly powerful and passionate” speech given “the other evening” by Manuel Hassassian, then Palestinian envoy to Britain.

Mr Corbyn said the speech “was dutifully recorded by the – thankfully silent – Zionists who were in the audience on that occasion and then came up and berated him afterwards for what he’d said”. He added: “They [British Zionists] clearly have two problems: one is they don’t want to study history; and secondly, having lived in this country for a very long time, probably all their lives, they don’t understand English irony either.”

When the comments emerged last year, Mr Corbyn was accused of antisemitism. He later said he had been specifically referring to “two people” who had previously been disruptive.

Mr Millett, who is Jewish, had previously been identified in the media as one of the pro-israel activists present for Mr Hassassian’s speech, The Jewish Chronicle reported.

Court documents sent to Mr Corbyn’s lawyers describe his comments on the Marr show as “serious allegations … likely to cause serious harm” to Mr Millett’s reputation.

A Labour spokesman described the case as “absurd” and said it would be “robustly challenged.”