Board of Deputies attacks Jeremy Corbyn’s response to ‘clear-cut antisemitism’ in Labour

The Board of Deputies has described as “deeply disturbing” Jeremy Corbyn’s defence of his brother’s criticism of a Jewish Labour MP’s fears about antisemitism in the party.

Earlier this week Piers Corbyn tweeted that it was “absurd” for Louise Ellman, MP for Liverpool Riverside, to say the some activists were allowed to “get away” with Jew-hate comments online.

Jeremy Corbyn defended his sibling’s remarks, saying he was “not wrong”.

He said: “My brother has his point of view, I have mine. We actually fundamentally agree.

“We are a family that has been fighting racism from the day we were born. My mother was at Cable Street."

He denied that the party was facing a “crisis” over antisemitism.

In a statement on Thursday, Board president Jonathan Arkush said that it would be hard to imagine any other minority’s concerns "would be dismissed off-hand in this way".

He noted that Labour’s supporters, Jewish and non-Jewish, were desparate for Mr Corbyn to act against Jew-hate in the party.

Mr Arkush said: "In the last few weeks we have witnessed a stream of clear-cut cases of antisemitism in the Labour Party, which can't just be fobbed off as differences over Israel.

“Most of the Jewish community, numerous Labour MPs, Labour peers, and Labour's London mayoral candidate are crying out for the leader to take action on antisemitism.

“It would be incomprehensible for Mr Corbyn to remain inert and refuse to take this form of racism in his party seriously."