He knows the difference alright, he just doesn’t want to be the one to open the debate as it‘d blow up in his face.
It's not as conspiratorial as that HIAG. It's simply Israel and it's backers that try and label any criticism of Israel and their illegal activities as anti-semitic.
Oh do **** off! It has sfa to with backbone, so don’t be so bloody stupid! I have more backbone than you’ll ever know about! Imo, the mural has clear anti Semitic connotations. I believe the artist knew that. It is now fairly widely accepted as such, including as rcl pointed out, by Corbyn himself
Still, I’ve never heard the BBC, Fox or CNN attempt to explain the difference. Indeed, they’ve gone out of their way to avoid doing so.
Our Party was founded on the principles of solidarity and equality. We are proudly anti-racist, and at our best when we work together, uniting people in hope and against fear and division. This week, Jewish leaders wrote to me to express their anger and upset about antisemitism in the Labour Party. I want to assure you that prejudice against, and harassment of, Jewish people have no place whatsoever in our Party. It's important to develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes antisemitism. Often it takes familiar forms, but newer forms of antisemitism have also appeared, sometimes woven into criticisms of the actions of Israeli governments. Criticism of Israel, and support for the rights of the Palestinians, is entirely legitimate. Support for justice for the Palestinian people should provide no one with the excuse to insult, harass or encourage hatred of Jewish people. And abuse and personal attacks of any kind, on social media or in person, are never acceptable. I am committed to ensuring our Party is a welcoming and secure place for everyone. I offer all Jewish members my assurance that this applies equally to them. I want all of us to hear Jewish voices and listen. If you are not Jewish, I want you to better understand the importance of this issue and what we can do together to ensure our Party remains true to our values. Zero tolerance for antisemitism means what it says. We will not accept it. We have to get this right, all of us. Because divided societies cannot achieve justice. As we head into elections in May and look towards the next General Election whenever it might come, let's take the lead in building a society free from prejudice. One that enables everyone to realise their full potential, and cares for all. Thank you for supporting Labour. Jeremy Corbyn Leader of the Labour Party
Translation: I've been exposed yet again Please swallow my crocodile tears and words just like you do all the other insincere populist soundbites I spout.
Don't ****ing think so mate. Whatever his failings, JC is a man of principle. Which is why neither Parliament nor the press quite know how to take him.
Today, leaders of British Jewry tell Jeremy Corbyn that enough is enough. We have had enough of hearing that Jeremy Corbyn "opposes anti-Semitism", whilst the mainstream majority of British Jews, and their concerns, are ignored by him and those he leads. There is a repeated institutional failure to properly address Jewish concerns and to tackle anti-Semitism, with the Chakrabarti Report being the most glaring example of this. Jeremy Corbyn did not invent this form of politics, but he has had a lifetime within it, and now personifies its problems and dangers. He issues empty statements about opposing anti-Semitism, but does nothing to understand or address it. We conclude that he cannot seriously contemplate anti-Semitism, because he is so ideologically fixed within a far left worldview that is instinctively hostile to mainstream Jewish communities. When Jews complain about an obviously anti-Semitic mural in Tower Hamlets, Corbyn of course supports the artist. Hizbollah commits terrorist atrocities against Jews, but Corbyn calls them his friends and attends pro-Hizbollah rallies in London. Exactly the same goes for Hamas. Raed Salah says Jews kill Christian children to drink their blood. Corbyn opposes his extradition and invites him for tea at the House of Commons. These are not the only cases. He is repeatedly found alongside people with blatantly anti-Semitic views, but claims never to hear or read them. Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews. At best, this derives from the far left's obsessive hatred of Zionism, Zionists and Israel. At worst, it suggests a conspiratorial worldview in which mainstream Jewish communities are believed to be a hostile entity, a class enemy. When Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour Party, Jews expressed sincere and profound fears as to how such politics would impact upon their wellbeing. Our concerns were never taken seriously. Three years on, the party and British Jews are reaping the consequences. Routine statements against anti-Semitism "and all forms of racism" get nowhere near dealing with the problem, because what distinguishes anti-Semitism from other forms of racism is the power that Jews are alleged to hold, and how they are charged with conspiring together against what is good. This is not only historic, or about what Jeremy Corbyn did before being party leader. It is also utterly contemporary. There is literally not a single day in which Labour Party spaces, either online or in meetings, do not repeat the same fundamental anti-Semitic slanders against Jews. We are told that our concerns are faked, and done at the command of Israel and/or Zionism (whatever that means); that anti-Semitism is merely "criticism of Israel"; that we call any and all criticism of Israel "anti-Semitic"; that the Rothschilds run the world; that Isis terrorism is a fake front for Israel; that Zionists are the new Nazis; and that Zionists collaborate with Nazis. Rightly or wrongly, Jeremy Corbyn is now the figurehead for an anti-Semitic political culture, based on obsessive hatred of Israel, conspiracy theories and fake news that is doing dreadful harm to British Jews and to the British Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn is the only person with the power to demand that it stops. Enough is enough. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council. A non semite claiming Corbyn isn't an anti semite is like me telling black people that racism doesn't exist.
If Corbyn actually believes in what he’s just said, then it’s time he backs it up with action. That means dismissing people from the party who display blatant anti Semitic views. Whether they’re his ‘mates’ or not! It means not just condemning Israel for any violence and keeping quiet when it’s Hamas committing it. Neither Jewry, nor many others will take his words seriously unless they start to see something positive.
