Senior British Labour MPs slam Corbyn for lax stance on anti-Semitism

Members of the British Labour Party are taking its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to task for failing to tackle anti-Semitism within party ranks.

By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A motion to accept an internationally recognized definition of anti-Semitism will be introduced on Monday by British Labour MPs in an internal forum to show their displeasure with the watered-down code their party head is backing instead.

Senior officials such as Labour’s Deputy Leader Tom Watson and Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer recognize the importance of adopting the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, according to The JC, a British Jewish paper.

They are therefore supporting a move to force the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to reconsider its adoption of the new 16-point code of conduct, which has been called a “get out of jail free card” for anti-Semites by Jewish MP Luciana Berger.

“I would urge everybody within the Labour Party to listen to the voices that have come out in recent days and get to a position where we are supporting the full definition,” said Sir Keir according to the report. “We have to be very clear about our position on this.”

An unnamed senior Labour figure was also quoted as saying, “There is deep, deep anger over what is in reality an attempt by Jeremy Corbyn’s ultra-left backers on the NEC to enforce Labour’s own version of what constitutes anti-Semitism as party policy — when in truth the vast majority of our MPs don’t support it. It’s an insult to the Jewish community as well as an insult to the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party].”

Since his election to serve as Labour Party chief in 2015, Corbyn has been accused of tolerating anti-Semitic views in the party and of being anti-Semitic himself.

These charges stem from Corbyn’s public reference to Hamas terror group representatives as his “friends,” his donation to a Holocaust denier, his active presence on private anti-Semitic social media groups before his election, and his strong and consistent criticism of Israel over the years.

Displeasure with Corbyn’s positions can be seen in an unprecedented March rally in front of Parliament organized by the Anglo-British leadership protesting his lack of decisive action to eliminate anti-Jewish elements within the part.

After Corbyn sat down with Jewish leadership after the rally, a participant in the meeting commented disappointedly, “When it came to proposals for concrete action there was absolutely nothing. Nothing.”