Vigilance is needed on anti-Semitism
THE furore over alleged antiSemitism in the Labour party only adds to the sense that a troubling toxicity has infected UK politics.
Great champions of Labour, who fought Nazis and saw friends die in combat against Hitler’s forces, would be horrified to see the party they love stand accused of failing to get to grips with anti-Jewish attitudes.
Mr Corbyn has issued various apologies, explanations and statements, but the likes of Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock consider their party to be in a “full-blown crisis”.
Many people will be puzzled by the leadership’s reluctance to fully incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism into its new code of conduct. At a time when different organisations with a far-right agenda are looking for recruits across Britain, Europe and the United States, Labour needs to ensure that prejudice against Jews is not allowed to gain a foothold in our culture.
This requires vigilance. AntiSemitism has manifested itself in radically diverse forms in different societies over the centuries and it is both arrogant and foolish to think it will not resurface again.
Social media gives conspiracy theorists a dangerous weapon. Anti-Semites no longer need to print and distribute pamphlets to stir up anti-Jewish animosity; they can spread foul falsehoods with a tap on a mobile phone.
There is no shortage of people within the Labour movement who are concerned at the company Mr Corbyn has kept in his long career as a campaigner on the hard left. He may not have a shred of antiSemitism in his own psyche but it is his job to ensure that the party he leads never provides a platform or a base for people who would give Jews cause to fear for their future in the UK.
Any leader of intelligence, sensitivity and integrity will know how to challenge policies and military acts by the Israeli government – and push for justice for Palestinians – without feeding prejudice against Jews anywhere in the world. In fact, Mr Corbyn has a responsibility to show how this can be done.
His supporters handed him a mighty megaphone when they gave him the leadership of one of the most important parties in Western democracy. He has a duty to ensure that the anti-Semitism that has shamed so many cultures and cost the lives of millions does not gain a new incarnation.