However, Corbyn’s promise to “root out anti-Semites” was dismissed as a stunt by some leading figures in the Jewish community, who scorned the fact that his article was “cynically” published late on a Friday afternoon, meaning many observant Jews could not engage with it.
They also criticised the fact that part of the piece appeared to have been cut and pasted from an earlier article.
“I do not for one moment accept that a Labour government would represent any kind of threat, let alone an ‘existential threat,’ to Jewish life in Britain, as three Jewish newspapers recently claimed,” wrote Corbyn. “That is the kind of overheated rhetoric that can surface during emotional political debates.”
The new guidelines were being drawn up by the party’s executive committee in response to long-running concerns of anti-Semitism.
In his article, titled “I will root anti-Semites out of Labour–they do not speak for me,” Corbyn defended Labour’s decision not to accept the IHRA’s definition.
“It is unfortunately the case that this particular example, dealing with Israel and racism, has sometimes been used by those wanting to restrict criticism of Israel that is not anti-Semitic,” Corbyn said.
But the timing of Corbyn’s article, just ahead of the Sabbath, quickly drew ire from the leaders in the Jewish community.
MP Threatens to ‘Prove’ Corbyn is an Anti-Semite in Court
Gideon Falter, head of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, described Corbyn’s article as “vague and meaningless” saying that they remained convinced Corbyn is an anti-Semite.“He has tried to shift attention to the far-right. And crucially, he has tried to make this about Israel when this is about anti-Semitism in his British Labour Party.”
Labour has been wrestling with accusations that it has been tolerant of anti-Semitism among some of its members, and in April, leaders of Britain’s 270,000 Jews organized a protest accusing Corbyn of failing to address their concerns.
On July 23 lawmaker Dame Margaret Hodge threatened to take Labour to the High Court to prove that Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite, after the party launched an investigation into her behaviour when she berated Corbyn over the anti-Semitic claims.
Hodge, a veteran Jewish MP said that the investigation was“punishing” her for “fair criticism,” which her lawyers claim is a breach of “natural justice.”