Jeremy Corbyn's anti-Semitism apology has come 'too late' say Jewish leaders

Under fire: Jeremy Corbyn has agreed to meet representatives of the Jewish community, but some say it's 'too late'
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Eleanor Rose26 March 2018
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Jeremy Corbyn's apology in a row over an anti-Semitic mural is not enough, leaders from the Jewish community have said as Labour MPs prepared to rally against him.

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said the Labour leader's apology for "the pain which has been caused" by "pockets of anti-Semitism" may be too little too late.

She told Radio Four's Westminster Hour: "It doesn’t, by the way, mention anything to do with his own issue regarding the mural depicting global conspiracy delivered by Jews and caricatures of Jewish people, but I think there’s something else worth saying.

"When there were examples of Labour party members saying Jews kill and kidnap their way around the world, or referring to the Holocaust Educational Trust as the Holocaust indoctrination programme, or Zionist fairy-tales.

"Was that not bad enough? Was that not enough to make the leader of the Labour party say it’s disgusting and this has to stop? Because I think it should have been ringing alarm bells from the very beginning.

She added of Mr Corbyn's statement issued overnight: "But I wonder, and it’s a personal view, whether this might be too late."

Mr Corbyn's apology came amid a growing backlash in the row over his 2012 comments on Facebook about an east London mural by street artist Mear One which was due to be removed.

His response suggested the artist was "in good company" because the Rockefeller family had covered over a mural featuring Lenin in their New York development.

As the furore grew, the Labour leader said he had made a "general comment about the removal of public art on grounds of freedom of speech" but acknowledged he should have looked more closely at the controversial image.

Sunday night's statement said: "Labour is an anti-racist party and I utterly condemn anti-Semitism, which is why as leader of the Labour party I want to be clear that I will not tolerate any form of anti-Semitism that exists in and around our movement."

It added: "We recognise that anti-Semitism has occurred in pockets within the Labour Party, causing pain and hurt to our Jewish community in the Labour Party and the rest of the country.

"I am sincerely sorry for the pain which has been caused."

'Solidarity': Yvette Cooper said anti-Semitism is 'vile, corrosive and shames us all'
EPA

But Labour politicians on Monday prepared to join an "enough is enough" protest organised by the Jewish Leadership Council and Board of Deputies of British Jews in Parliament Square at 5.30pm.

Stewart Wood, Baron of Anfield, who is a Labour life peer, tweeted: "The anger against Labour for indulging anti-Semitism won't be appeased by telling Britain's Jews that they're wrong to feel it.

"Nor is it only felt by those who want a Blarite restoration. Both are excuses not to confront a cancer in parts of our party that needs to be cut out."

Yvette Cooper MP tweeted: "Solidarity. Appalling it has come to this. Antisemitism is vile, corrosive & shames us all.

"Was asked about this on @Channel4News yesterday & said Jeremy shd now invite @BoardofDeputies in from demonstration & listen to what must be done to tackle all antisemitism & rebuild trust."

Mike Gapes, Labour and Cooperative MP for Ilford South, wrote on Twitter: "As a non Jew I am proud to stand with the Jewish Community #EnoughisEnough.

"Words of understanding or generalised apologies are not enough. Jeremy Corbyn must personally confront this issue and take action to answer the justifiable concerns of our British Jewish Community."

John Mann and Liz Kendall were among other Labour MPs due to march in solidarity.

The march comes after the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council issued an extraordinary open letter criticising the Labour leader for his stance on anti-Semitism, writing that Mr Corbyn "cannot seriously contemplate antisemitism, because he is so ideologically fixed within a far-left worldview that is instinctively hostile to mainstream Jewish communities".

They wrote: "Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with antisemites rather than Jews. At best, this derives from the far left’s obsessive hatred of Zionism, Zionists and Israel. At worst, it suggests a conspiratorial worldview in which mainstream Jewish communities are believed to be a hostile entity, a class enemy."

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