Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to tackle the “social cancer” of anti-Semitism in the UK and beyond, while admitting that it is a difficult time for the country’s Jewish community.
In his Rosh Hashanah message, issued on Sunday, Corbyn extended his “warmest greetings” to Britain’s Jews and said, “I would like to reiterate that the Labour Party stands in solidarity with the Jewish community in the fight against antisemitism.”
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“We will work to eradicate the social cancer of antisemitism wherever is surfaces, including in our own party.”
Moreover, he stressed the need for change and urged everyone to work together in the name of social justice.
Despite the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) adopting the IHRA’s full definition of anti-Semitism earlier this month, the everlasting scandal has continued, with MP Chuka Umunna saying the party is “institutionally” anti-Semitic.
Umunna is yet the latest MP to publicly speak out against Labour, calling for tough disciplinary action and a more robust approach to tackling anti-Semitism.
The scandal has divided public opinion, with some siding with a number of Jewish rights groups and accusing Labour of being anti-Semitic, while others have dismissed the claims as an attempt to smear Corbyn’s party, which has been gaining on the Tories in recent months according to some polls.
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