'Once a close friend of Israel and an unwavering ally of British Jews, it has been taken over by the far left'
March 25, 2019 11:18
Ex-Labour MP Joan Ryan has delivered a stark warning to America’s biggest pro-Israel conference about how Jeremy Corbyn’s party “sunk so low, so fast” thanks to antisemitism.
In a speech at this year’s Aipac conference in Washington DC that was repeatedly applauded by the 18,000 delegates, Ms Ryan said she would “never have believed three years ago” how Labour had been “taken over by the far left” and was now “riddled with antisemitism”.
Saying she was a “proud Zionist”, the Labour Friends of Israel chair said subsequent threats she had been sent by pro-Corbyn supporters after she announced her decision to join the Independent Group of MPs last month would only “strengthen my resolve” and would not “stop me doing my job.”
MUST WATCH!
To a standing ovation, @joanryanEnfield explains to @Aipac why she and others felt the need to 'walk away from @Uklabour' and from its leader who "proudly declares Hamas and Hezbollah to be his friends!"
Bravo Joan, bravo pic.twitter.com/Uz1XgpvBVd
Ms Ryan said: "I would never have believed just three years ago that the party which backed a Jewish homeland even before the Balfour Declaration would have sunk so low so fast.
“And so along with eight other members of parliament we made a choice, we decided words were simply not enough. We walked away from the Labour Party.”
She mourned how “over the past four years Labour of which I’ve been a member for 40 years has been transformed. Once a close friend of Israel and an unwavering ally of British Jews it has been taken over by the far left.
“It is now – despite the best efforts of some decent members riddled with antisemitism.
“It seeks to demonise and delegitimise Israel. And now it’s led by a man who proudly declares Hames and Hezbollah to be his friends.”
Reflecting on her decision to speak at the Aipac conference, Ms Ryan said: "I did to remind you how quickly things can change.
“To remind you that we must stay on guard and to remind you we must stand our ground.
“We must condemn antisemitism and anti-Zionism unequivocally wherever we find it, whenever we find it.”
She apepared to criticise Mr Corbyn and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who has been accused of antisemitism for how she criticised Aipac's influence in Washington.
She said: "We must always call out politicians from whatever side of the aisle who question Israel’s right to exist and engage in vile antisemitic tropes about the loyalties of British or American Jews to their countries.”
Speaking of her decision to join TIG alongside Labour colleagues such as Luciana Berger, Mike Gapes and Angela Smith, she added: "When I announced my decision to leave the Labour Party I received an unprecedented torrent of abuse and hate mail.
"So too have many of my Jewish friends and colleagues. But these threats only strengthen my resolve. Threats won’t stop me doing my job.”
She received threatening letters including death and rape threats.
One letter writer, declaring support for Corbyn, reportedly wrote that Ryan should be “thrown in the ovens.” The police are now investigating.
