The soul of our nation at stake

Chief Rabbi’s devastating intervention over ‘poison’ in Labour

‘Taking robust action’

The Chief Rabbi issued a stark warning last night about the consequences of a Labour election victory.

ephraim Mirvis said the vast majority of British Jews were ‘gripped by anxiety’ at the idea of Jeremy Corbyn in No 10.

he accused Mr Corbyn of allowing the ‘poison’ of anti-Semitism to take root in Labour and said it could no longer claim to be the party of diversity, equality and anti-racism.

Urging voters to examine their consciences in the polling booth, he said the election result would shine a light on the country’s moral compass.

‘The very soul of our nation is at stake,’ Rabbi Mirvis warned.

The Chief Rabbi took aim at Mr Corbyn for supporting a racist mural and for describing terrorists who endorse the murder of Jews as ‘friends’.

his remarks came as Mr Corbyn prepared to launch his party’s ‘race and faith manifesto’ this morning, which includes a plan to hold an inquiry into far-Right extremism. It will also propose to teach all schoolchildren about the ‘injustice’ of the British empire.

In his attack, in an article for The Times, the Chief Rabbi wrote: ‘The way in which the leadership of the Labour Party has dealt with anti-Jewish racism is incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud – of dignity and respect for all people. It has left many decent Labour members and parliamentarians, both Jewish and non-Jewish, ashamed.

‘What we do know from history is that what starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews.’

Rabbi Mirvis quoted a claim from the Jewish Labour Movement that 130 cases of anti-Semitism had not been dealt with by party officials.

A Labour spokesman insisted this figure was false, adding: ‘Jeremy Corbyn is a lifelong campaigner against anti-Semitism and has made absolutely clear it has no place in our party and society and that no one who engages in it does so in his name.’ The storm came as: Two polls suggested Labour was closing the gap;

Labour adviser Lord Kerslake suggested Mr Corbyn’s future and a second Scottish indyref could be ‘part of conversation’ in the event of a hung parliament;

Boris Johnson issued a guarantee that he would ‘never allow another chaotic and divisive independence referendum’;

Tony Blair warned a Labour majority would be a risk to the UK;

A Labour candidate was being probed by police over ‘a potential breach of electoral law’;

Another was forced to apologise for using the word ‘gassed’ when joking about Israel;

The Lib Dems appeared to abandon their policy of revoking Brexit;

Mr Johnson revealed he had drawn up plans for a Queen’s speech on December 19;

Record-breaking numbers of youngsters registered to vote.

On one occasion in Parliament Mr Corbyn greeted representatives of Islamist terror groups hamas and hezbollah as ‘friends’.

In 2012, Mr Corbyn offered his backing online to Los Angelesbased street artist Mear One, whose mural, featuring several known anti-Semitic tropes, was due to be removed after complaints. Later, he was pictured holding a wreath yards from the graves of terror leaders linked to the 1972 Munich Olympics killings.

Since he became Labour leader in 2015, two female Jewish MPs have been driven out of the party by the anti-Semitic abuse.

Now Labour is under investigation by the equality and human Rights Commission over its racism problem – only the second party after the BNP to face such a probe.

The Labour spokesman said the party was ‘taking robust action’ to root out anti-Semitism. he added ‘A Labour government will guarantee the security of the Jewish community, defend and support the Jewish way of life, and combat rising anti-Semitism.’

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