Members can ‘get away’ with anti-Semitism says Jewish Labour MP
Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised by a senior Labour MP for failing to stamp out anti-Semitism within the party.
Louise Ellman, who is herself Jewish, said that while Mr Corbyn had spoken out about the issue, not enough was being done to actually tackle the problem.
She said that party members were being allowed to “get away” with posting anti-Semitic comments online.
“I am very concerned about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. Most members of the Labour Party are not anti-Semitic but some are,” she told Sky News’s Murnaghan programme.
“Some are being allowed to get away with posting anti-Semitic comments in their tweets and on their websites. I have raised this in parliamentary meetings.
“The leader has spoken out clearly that he is against anti-Semitism but it is not just about words, there has got to be some action, and we haven’t seen enough of that.”
Her comments came after a series of incidents involving anti-Semitic comments by Labour activists including one who was suspended after posting a series of tweets referring to Jews with “big noses” and describing Hitler as a “Zionist God”.
The chairman of the Oxford University Labour Club recently resigned, saying a “large proportion” of its members had “some kind of problem with Jews”, while the shadow leader of the Commons, Chris Bryant, has also raised concerns.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, insisted they were committed to dealing with the issue.
“You can be a critic of the Israeli state and its role, but you mustn’t allow that to in any way be used by anti-Semites. We’ve got to root that out and we will do,” he told BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show.
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.
