Jeremy Corbyn has ‘no regrets’ over attending Seder with radical group
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has defended his decision to attend a Seder with a radical Jewish group, saying he had “no regrets” about going.
Mainstream Jewish leaders have criticised Mr Corbyn’s involvement at a Passover dinneron monday night hosted in his Islington constituency that was organised by Jewdas.
His attendance was reported by the Guido Fawkes website and comes amid protests over alleged anti-semitism within the Labour party.
Speaking during a visit to Swindon yesterday, Mr Corbyn said: “It wasn’t a meeting last night, it was a Seder event, which is a celebration of Passover, which I celebrate with young Jewish people from my own community and my own constituency.
“It was very interesting talking to a lot of young people about their experiences of modern Britain and I learnt a lot. Isn’t that a good thing?
“Anti-semitism is a vile and evil thing within our society at any level, anywhere, at any time. It has got to be eradicated wherever it arises.
“If it arises in my party then we have a process for dealing with it. We examine each case and, if someone has committed any anti-semitic act, they are suspended and could be expelled as a result of it.”
Asked if he had any regrets about being at the Jewdas event, the Labour leader said: “Not in the slightest.”
Jewdas, which describes itself as a “radical” and “alternative” Jewish collective, is at odds with mainstream Jewish groups over allegations of anti-semitism in Labour.
In a statement last week, Jewdas accused the Board of Deputies, Jewish Leadership Council and the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) of “playing a dangerous game with people’s lives”.
Jonathan Arkush, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, asked how Mr Corbyn’s commitment to be “an ally against anti-semitism” could be taken seriously after attending the event.
His comments came as Labour’s new general secretary Jennie Formby used her first day in the job to tell members “the stain of anti-semitic attitudes must be completely eradicated” within the party.
Ms Formby has promised to introduce new procedures to deal with complaints and disciplinary cases
Jon Lansman, founder of the Corbyn-supporting Momentum group, said the Labour leader had not told his own office he was going to the event. Mr Lansman, who is Jewish, said: “It was his night off. He had nothing in his official diary ... so I don’t think this is as significant as it’s being made out.”