Israeli diplomat wades into Labour anti-Semitism row
Gideon Behar of Israeli foreign ministry hit out at Labour's leadership for failing to adequately deal with the crisis
A senior Israeli government official has waded into the debate about anti-Semitism in the Labour party, saying Britain’s opposition MPs had not yet done enough.
Gideon Behar, director of the Israeli foreign ministry’s Department for Combating Antisemitism, said Labour’s “internal probe is not yet complete,” in reference to the Chakrabarti Inquiry into anti-Semitism, which reported two months ago.
The inquiry, led by human rights activist Shami Chakrabarti, was intended to draw a line under the party’s problems, after a series of suspensions following racist comments, but Behar’s intervention will increase calls for a fresh look.
It comes after Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth was inundated with online threats and abuse, after her public criticism of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s “catastrophic” failures, after she was accused of being in cahoots with right-wing media outlets.
Corbyn has been blamed for failing to act quickly or decisively enough to quash anti-Semitic rhetoric, despite ordering the inquiry and backing its recommendations, which received a lukewarm response from Jewish groups in the UK.
Describing the need for “long-term work,” Behar hinted that Corbyn’s pro-Palestinian views may be responsible, saying: “More work is necessary to understand how anti-Semitic speech by various party officials has become widespread and how to stop it.”
Community leaders joined Behar in taking aim at Corbyn, with Simon Johnson, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council arguing that the threats against Smeeth showed that the problem had not yet been dealt with.
“The threats targeted at Ruth Smeeth MP have no place in society,” said Johnson on Sunday. “The Leader of the Labour Party seems to have no control over his ‘so-called’ supporters and his repeated condemnations have not begun to tackle anti-Semitism within his party.”
Johnson added: “Where individuals are known to Mr Corbyn, he must act to protect his MPs. His calls for a ‘kinder, gentler politics,’ are proving to be at best a cover-up for his lack of decisive action and at worse something far more sinister.”
Smeeth has suffered several online threats, including one post calling her a “Yid” and suggesting she be hanged. It comes after she said Corbyn was “not fit” to lead the Labour Party, in the immediate aftermath of the Inquiry’s report.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
