Corbyn still hasn't apologised himself over antisemitism, says HET chief

Jeremy Corbyn has still failed to apologise personally for his role in the escalation of Labour’s antisemitism crisis, the chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust has claimed.

Responding to the latest statement from Mr Corbyn, in which he apologised for antisemitism in “pockets” of the party, Karen Pollock said of the Labour leader: “I wonder if an apology will also come from him.”

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour, Ms Pollock said she recognised that while an apology about the broader problem within Labour was “important”, Mr Corbyn’s statement on Sunday had failed to address his “own issue” over the mural depicting global conspiracy by Jewish bankers.

Ms Pollock also detailed Mr Corbyn’s failure to deal with anti-Jewish hatred within Labour at a much earlier stage.

She said: “When there were Labour Party members saying ‘Jews kill and kidnap their way around the world’ or referring to the Holocaust Educational Trust as the ‘Holocaust Indoctrination Programme’ or ‘Zionist Fairytale’, was that not bad enough?

“Was that not bad enough to make the Leader of the Labour Party say it’s disgusting and this has to stop?

“I think it should have set ringing alarm bells from the very beginning.

“And I say this with emotion because I spend time with Holocaust survivors, and I spend time with Jewish people who are concerned about this sort of rhetoric.

“Our leaders should not have to be pushed into a corner to say ‘sorry this has to stop’. “So yes, I’m glad something has come out saying this is unacceptable, but I wonder whether it might be too late.”

Labour confirmed this morning that Mr Corbyn would not be attending the meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party tonight.

Several Labour MPs – including Liz Kendall, Wes Streeting, Ian Austin and John Woodcock – took to social media and pledged to join demonstrators in solidarity at the Parliament Square protest organised by the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies.

JLC chair Mr Goldstein confirmed this morning that his organisation had not had any request from Mr Corbyn to meet him to discuss the on-going crisis.