Jewish leaders released an open letter to Jeremy Corbyn, in which they accused the Labour leader of “siding with antisemites”.
Following the letter, Corbyn said he was “sincerely sorry” for the pain caused and he plans to meet with Jewish representatives in order to “rebuild” confidence.
In the open letter, Jewish leaders said that the Labour leader “cannot seriously contemplate antisemitism, because he is so ideologically fixed within a far-left worldview that is instinctively hostile to mainstream Jewish communities”.
“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,” it continued.
Responding to the letter, Corbyn said: “Our party has deep roots in the Jewish community and is actively engaged with Jewish organisations across the country. We are campaigning to increase support and confidence in Labour among Jewish people in the UK”.
However, the apology did not appear to suffice for Karen Pollock, the chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, who said: “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’ … was that not enough to make the leader of a Labour party say it’s disgusting and this has to stop?”
“I spend time with Jewish people who are concerned about this sort of rhetoric and our leaders shouldn’t have to be put into a corner to say sorry and to say it has to stop,” she added, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s The Westminster Hour.
As well as anger expressed with the letter, a protest is planned outside of the Houses of Parliament.