Labour leadership contest frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn has spoken in detail for the first time about his links to a charity run by a Holocaust denier.
He told Channel 4 News he had previously met self-confessed Shoah denier Paul Eisen, who had claimed Mr Corbyn had “put his chequebook on the table” to support him.
Mr Corbyn denied making substantial donations to Eisen or his Deir Yassin Remembered charity and said denying the Holocaust was “vile and wrong”.
He said: “I have no contact now whatsoever with Paul Eisen. I did attend a number of events concerning DYR a number of years ago.
“I think it’s reasonable we should remember all those people who have suffered in the Middle East on whatever side.
“I have no recollection of a chequebook on the table. Fifteen years ago he was not a Holocaust denier; if he had been I would have had nothing to do with him.
“The Holocaust was the most vile part of our history. The Jewish people killed were the ones who suffered the most in the 21st century. Whatever happened to that memorial fund I don’t know, it was a long time ago.
“Many of us are very concerned about the situation in Palestine.”
WATCH: Channel 4 News interviews Jeremy Corbyn on antisemitic ties
Mr Corbyn suggested he may have donated to Eisen’s Deir Yassin Remembered charity years ago by throwing cash into a bucket, but said he could not remember giving a donation by cheque.
The JC highlighted seven key questions for Mr Corbyn to answer last week regarding his alleged links to Eisen, defence of controversial Anglican vicar Stephen Sizer, and support for blood libel cleric Raed Salah. He has also previously called Hamas and Hezbollah “friends”.
Mr Corbyn did not respond to the questions directly, but in an interview with Channel 4's Cathy Newman he did refer to one of his meetings with Salah in London.
He explained: “Raed Salah is an Israeli citizen who travelled to this country in a completely normal way. The issue was objected to by one Conservative MP, Mike Freer, he was detained, challenged it and returned to Israel.
“We had quite a long conversation and I made my views very clear. He did not at any stage utter any antisemitic remarks to me. Had he been convicted at that time then I’m surprised the Israeli government allowed him to travel.”
Pushed to admit he had made a series of “misjudgements”, Mr Corbyn said: “You’re putting a lot of words into my mouth about misjudgements. Any form of racism is wrong, the need to talk to people to bring about a peace process is absolutely right.”
The programme showed the views of Jewish community members interviewed at the JW3 centre in north west London. They expressed their concerns about the potential leadership of Labour if Mr Corbyn were to win the contest.
