Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to apologise for his failure to act on anti-semitism shames Britain
sir – Jeremy Corbyn’s outright refusal to apologise to the Jewish community for the scourge of anti-semitism that afflicts his party shames not only Labour, but the entire country.
For Britain’s main opposition party – a party polling at about 30 per cent – to be so poisoned with the oldest hatred brings Britain into disrepute. The sooner the hard-left is removed from a once-honourable party, the better. Sebastian Monblat
Sutton, Surrey
sir – Jeremy Corbyn was asked four times by the BBC’S Andrew Neil to apologise to the Jewish community for his party’s failure to deal with antisemitism (report, November 27), yet four times he refused.
This behaviour by a man who could hold the highest office in the land in two weeks is shameful and totally unacceptable. The Jewish community has been let down time and time again by Mr Corbyn; it is for this reason that our Chief Rabbi has taken the unprecedented step of speaking out at this critical time.
We cannot remain quiet and allow Mr Corbyn to slip into Downing Street unchecked and unchallenged.
Pressure on Mr Corbyn and his allies at the top of the Labour Party must not be softened. Only when he apologises and the expulsion of all anti-semitic elements from Labour is complete will the party begin the slow journey back towards a leadership fit to govern. Graham Marks
Chester
sir – The Labour Party has massively expanded its membership since Mr Corbyn gave a political home to all the old Trots, Left-wing conspirators, anti-capitalists, communists, republicans and anarchists.
These people openly support Hezbollah, Hamas, the Palestine Liberation Organisation and radical Islamists in the Stop the War movement. Most British Jews support the existence of the state of Israel, and so the Labour Left sees all Jews as potential political foes engaged in some global Zionist conspiracy. Such feeling is too deep-rooted for Labour to resolve without an internal counterrevolution to get rid of the far Left’s malevolent influence. Les Spencer
Saughall Massie, Wirral
sir – Mr Corbyn would not and could not apologise for the anti-semitism that seems to have gripped the Labour party, because throughout his life he has given his support to oppressive regimes and terrorist organisations.
If he were now to make such an apology it would be hollow and meaningless. David Vetch
Horley, Surrey
sir – When anti-semitism first came to light in the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn asked Shami Chakrabarti, the former director of the civil liberties group Liberty, to carry out an inquiry. She quite quickly reported back that the party was “not overrun by anti-semitism, Islamophobia or other forms of racism”. Mr Corbyn then awarded her a peerage and she now sits in the House of Lords: a quite outrageous decision. John Drew
Budleigh Salterton, Devon
sir – I don’t think Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-semite. I think he is anti-british. Hugh Wiseman
Saffron Walden, Essex
sir – According to the opinion polls, support for Labour is in fact rising.
It seems quite likely to me that this recovery is not in spite of Labour anti-semitism, but because of it. If so, this is as disgraceful as it is disturbing.
I live in the constituency in which Luciana Berger is the Liberal Democrats’ candidate. Agreeable though she is, I simply cannot contemplate taking the risk of voting for her and allowing Labour’s candidate to win.
London NW11