NEW YORK – The World Jewish Congress fully supports the British Jewish community in its response to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to agree to the concrete actions demanded of him for fighting anti-Semitism within the party, and calls on the Labour leader to “internalize the severity of this issue and make every active effort necessary to weed out all expressions of hatred once and for all.”
“The World Jewish Congress stands firmly with our affiliate the Board of Deputies, with the Jewish Leadership Council, and with all other voices of reason across society in urging Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to undertake the minimal levels of action required in combating the virus of anti-Semitism that has taken hold within the party,” said World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer.
“We appreciate Jeremy Corbyn’s good intentions in recognizing and apologizing for the wave of hatred that has become all too commonplace within his movement, and believe that continued dialogue is essential in reaching a solution to this untenable situation. However, we echo the British Jewish community’s position that it is incumbent upon the Labour leader and his party to engage in action, not just words, as a foundation for future cooperation. The fight against anti-Semitism in Labour affects not just Jews, but also British society as one,” Singer said.
Board of Deputies President and WJC Vice President Jonathan Arkush said in a statement released following the meeting: “Words in letters and newspaper articles will never be enough. We welcome the fact that Mr. Corbyn’s words have changed but it is action by which the Jewish community will judge him and the Labour Party. Our sole objective from this meeting was to build trust with Mr. Corbyn, but this will not be possible until and unless he and the party turn their many strong words against antisemitism into equally strong actions in order to bring about a deep cultural change in his supporters’ attitude to Jews.”
“Thousands of British Jews did not demonstrate outside Parliament just for a few lawyers and another newspaper article; they demanded action and so do we. We will hold the Labour Party to account for any future failures and continue to represent the interests of British Jews with clarity and resolve. We also commit to do our utmost to work with all those within Labour who want to help make it a safe and equal space for all of its members,” the statement said.
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