Corbyn refuses invite to Holocaust memorial

UK’s Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused an invitation by Israeli Labor party leader Isaac Herzog to visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, citing schedule constraints, while finding time to share a stage with a supporter of a terror organization.

UK’s Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is slated to take the stage alongside Hamas supporter Anas Altikriti at the Stop the War Coalition’s conference next month, Israel Radio reported over the weekend.

The UK’s Daily Telegraph reported last year that Altikrti is a key spokesman and lobbyist for the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK, though he denies being a member himself.

The Muslim Brotherhood is Hamas’ parent organization, and Altikriti has openly admitted that “the Brotherhood supports Hamas. I believe that if you are occupied you need to fight back.”

Altikriti also co-founded the British Muslim Initiative with senior Hamas operative and terrorist Mohammed Sawalha and Hamas “special envoy” Azzam Tamimi, who has called for Israel’s destruction.

Corbyn’s involvement in the conference comes after a July statement in which he expressed regret for previous comments in which he called Hamas and Hezbollah representatives “friends.”

In the meantime, The Guardian reported on Saturday that Corbyn had cited existing commitments for turning down Herzog’s invitation, which was made in April, and offered to send in his stead Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson or its general secretary, Iain McNicol.

“I’m very disappointed Jeremy turned down the invitation to visit Israel from our sister party,” Labour MP Joan Ryan, head of Labour Friends of Israel, was quoted as saying.

“Given the deep concerns about his commitment to a two-state solution, his labeling of terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as ‘friends,’ and the allegations of anti-Semitism which have occurred on his watch, such a visit should have been a priority,” she added.

“It is not surprising that Jeremy Corbyn is not viewed as a potential prime minister by the public when he cannot handle diplomatic issues like this Labour MP, Wes Streeting told The Guardian. “This shows why so many people think he is not fit to be prime minister and why many Labour voters would prefer Theresa May.”

Herzog’s invite was made in the wake of several scandals involving Labour MP’s who made anti-Semitic statements and broadening public criticism of anti-Jewish stances seemingly held by several of the party’s members.

By: World Israel News Staff

anti-SemitismCorbynHamasHerzogUnited KingdomYad Vashem