Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accepted £5,000 from a donor who believes that Palestinians have a “moral right” to commit acts of terror.

On Wednesday, leading Westminster blog Guido Fawkes revealed Mr Corbyn accepted the donation towards his campaign to become leader of the Labour party from Professor Ted Honderich, a critic of Israel who has equated Palestinian terrorism with “a freedom struggle”.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: “The donation was made but Jeremy does not agree with his statements on terrorism.

“Jeremy is opposed to the use of violence.”

Prof Honderich, who is an emeritus professor of philosophy at University College London, has repeatedly echoed his support of Palestinian terrorism.

In a letter published in the Guardian in 2011, he wrote: “Palestinians have a moral right to their terrorism within historic Palestine against neo-Zionism.”

He added: “Terrorism, as in this case, can as exactly be self-defence, a freedom struggle, martyrdom, the conclusion of an argument based on true humanity.”

Prof Honderich was accused of antisemitism after he expressed his support of Palestinian extremism in his book, After the Terror.

In response to the allegation made by a German academic, he wrote: “In my book I defend the moral right of the Palestinians to their resistance to the state of Israel, as the state of Israel defends its moral right to the killing of Palestinians…

“The charge of antisemitism outrages me. I could not believe my eyes.”

He was later quoted in the Guardian as saying: “To call me an antisemite was just a lie. My first wife was Jewish, I have Jewish children and grandchildren, and I have always gone on record as a supporter of the right of the state of Israel to exist. That's why the Palestinians are opposed to me. What I don't support is Israel's expansionism after the 1967 war."

Prof Honderich has been contacted for comment.