Corbyn Leader Rejects Accusations That British Labour Party Tolerates anti-Semitism
Latest incident involves recent reinstatement of an official suspended two years ago for suggesting in a tweet that Hitler might be 'the Zionist God.'
British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has rejected accusations that his party tolerates anti-Semitism.
- U.K. Jewish weekly highlights concern about anti-Semitism in British Labour Party
- The U.K. Labour Party must decide if it's a political home for anti-Semites or for British Jews
- Leading Jewish figure in U.K. Labour Party threatens to quit over anti-Semitism
Responding to Lord Levy's threats to quit after a string of complaints, Corbyn said, as reported by the Morning Star:
Lord Levy clearly hasn’t been listening to the seven times since I became leader I have absolutely condemned anti-Semitism, I have condemned Islamophobia, I have condemned any form of racism anywhere within our society."
“I’m disappointed that Lord Levy has made these remarks, he knows full well what my views are, he knows full well what the views of the Labour Party are, he knows full well the kind of decent, inclusive society that we all want to live in."
“We do take action in the very, very, very small number of cases where anything happens and if we hear any allegations they are properly and thoroughly investigated.”
In recent controversies Vicki Kirby has been reelected as vice-chair of her local Labor party branch despite her having been suspended in 2014 after a series of tweets, including one in which she suggested Hitler might be “the Zionist God.” Another tweet asked: "What do you know about Jews? They've got big noses and support [London soccer team] Tottenham Spurs lol." She has since been suspended again, and an inquiry is pending.
A week earlier , party activist Gerry Downing, whose Socialist Fight website has published articles on “the Jewish Question” and who himself has been accused of questioning the Holocaust, was thrown out of the Labor party for the second time.