Jeremy Corbyn, the head of the opposition U.K. Labor Party, has said grudgingly that the Left occasionally dips into anti-Semitism.
“People in politics do sometimes cross the line, and confuse issues, and can dip into anti-Semitic tropes and language,” Corbyn, who has expressed support for Middle East terrorist groups dedicated to the destruction of Israel, told Sky News after being asked about the Left and anti-Semitism.
He said that his message to his party was: “Just be careful on your use of language. It is not acceptable. Look at the history of the growth of racism in this continent over the last century.”
Corbyn, 70, announced the creation website titled “No Place for anti-Semitism.” He said in an email to party members last week: “The evidence is clear enough. The worst cases of anti-Semitism in our party have included Holocaust denial, crude Jewish-banker stereotypes, conspiracy theories blaming Israel for 9/11 or every war on the Rothschild family, and even one member who appeared to believe that Hitler had been misunderstood.”
The website states: “Antisemitism has no place in our Party. Hatred towards Jewish people has no place in our society.”
Anti-Semitism in the Labor Party has been viewed by critics as on the rise since the election of Corbyn in 2015. The party has issued suspensions over anti-Semitic comments including for major figures like MP Naz Shah, MP Chris Williamson, and ex London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
A veteran left-winger, Corbyn himself has a long history of supporting anti-Semitic groups and individuals while criticizing Israel and denouncing “imperialism.” In 2009, he called terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah “friends,” apologizing for this in 2016.
In 2012, Corbyn defended an anti-Semitic mural he later admitted in 2018 was “offensive” and “anti-Semitic.” The mural showed Jewish bankers playing Monopoly on the naked backs of workers. The labor party leader claimed he had backed the mural “on the grounds of freedom of speech.”
The response from the Spokesperson is wholly inadequate. It fails to understand on any level the hurt and anguish felt about Antisemitism. I will be raising this further.
— Luciana Berger (@lucianaberger) March 23, 2018
In 2014, Corbyn sparked controversy when he attended a ceremony he said was to honor those killed in a 1985 Israeli airstrike but photos from the showed him holding a wreath next to the graves of terrorist leaders who were a part of the 1972 Munich massacre.
