The alleged description of Dame Louise Ellman, a Jewish MP, as “Member for Tel Aviv” would be recognised as a classic piece antisemitism almost anywhere – except, tellingly, in the Labour Party.
When Labour refused to adopt the full IHRA definition of antisemitism it left out four examples – one of which was this very lie, that Jews put their loyalty to Israel above their loyalty to their own country.
Now we know why – because Jeremy Corbyn is himself guilty of that same antisemitic lie.
They say that a fish rots from the head: so now does the Labour Party.
Is it any wonder that so many Corbyn supporters feel free to spew out antisemitic bile when their own leader speaks in such disgusting terms of a widely respected MP, who happens to be Jewish?
It’s all very well for Mr Corbyn to say that these supporters do not speak in his name – a phrase he repeated in his Guardian article on Friday – but that is all he ever does: speak.
He says one thing and does another – or, to be precise, does nothing. And that’s the whole point about the past nearly three years since he became leader. When it comes to action, there is next to nothing from the Labour leader.
Dame Louise was honoured with her title for her decades of public service. But for Jeremy Corbyn, she is above all a Jew – and as such to be dismissed as a member of the Israel lobby.
As this latest revelation shows, it is simply ludicrous of Mr Corbyn to claim to be a “militant opponent” of antisemitism. Far from opposing it, he practices it.
On Friday, the Labour leader published a newspaper article that was spun as his attempt to build a bridge with the Jewish community.
But as the Jewish Labour Movement put it: “Other than another article bemoaning a situation of the party’s own making, nothing has changed. There is no trust left. We find ourselves asking once again for action, not words.”
If this wasn’t so serious, it would comical. Large chunks of Mr Corbyn’s article are lifted – word for word, comma comma for comma – from another piece of his in April, which was also followed by actions which made the situation even worse.
In his latest excuse, he attacks me and the other two Jewish newspaper editors who joined together a few days ago to call out our fears of what a government led by this man would mean for us and our community. He calls this “overheated rhetoric”.
But if his behaviour in opposition is any guide to government, we have every reason to be afraid. Those like Ian Austin and Margaret Hodge who call our antisemitism are disciplined by their party. And the antisemites are left alone.
And for the final – surely deliberate – insult, Mr Corbyn’s article was published at 5pm on a Friday night, when observant Jews are preparing for the Sabbath, meaning not a single communal leader could even respond to it until today.
Shameless indeed.
