UK Chief Rabbi: ‘Poison has taken root in Labour,’ ‘very soul’ of country at stake

Jeremy Corbyn has been dogged with accusations of anti-Semitism ever since he took over as Labour leader in 2015.

By World Israel News Staff

The United Kingdom’s chief rabbi has slammed anti-Semitic Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for failing to stem anti-Semitism within his party.

“A new poison – sanctioned from the top – has taken root in the Labour Party,” Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote in an op-ed published by The New York Times on Monday.

“The way in which the leadership 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,” he wrote.

With the Dec. 12 general elections looming, Mirvis has called on everyone to “vote with their conscience,” adding that the “very soul” of the country is “at stake.”

“It is not my place to tell any person how they should vote. I regret being in this situation at all. I simply pose the question: What will the result of this election say about the moral compass of our country?” he wrote. “How complicit in prejudice would a leader of Her Majesty’s opposition have to be to be considered unfit for office?”

“Would associations with those who have incited hatred against Jews be enough? Would describing as ‘friends’ those who endorse the murder of Jews be enough?”

Corbyn has been dogged with accusations of anti-Semitism ever since he took over as Labour leader in 2015.

He has often shown sympathy to Hamas, and constantly refers to Israel as an illegal occupation that abuses the rights of the Palestinians.

Corbyn praised Marwan Barghouti, a former leader of the Palestinian Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, as an “ambassador for peace.” Barghouti is serving five life sentences in Israeli prison in connection with multiple terrorist attacks that killed six Israelis.

He also wrote the forward of a book that asserts that Jews control the worldwide financial system and that they are “men of a single and peculiar race.”

Despite all of the evidence, Corbyn still denies that he is an anti-Semite.

A public spokesman for the Labour party has audaciously asserted that Corbyn has been doing everything in his power to fight anti-Semitism.

“A Labour government will guarantee the security of the Jewish community, defend and support the Jewish way of life, and combat rising anti-Semitism in our country and across Europe,” said the spokesman as quoted by Reuters.

“We are taking robust action to root out anti-Semitism in the party, with swift suspensions, processes for rapid expulsions and an education programme for members.”