“There is very clearly a real issue, a huge piece of work that needs to be done in the Labour party, around modern antisemitism and giving people the tools to recognise when legitimate criticism of Israel crosses the line into antisemitism.”
The previous day Stephen Pound, Labour MP for Ealing North, suggested allegations of antisemitism in the party were being used by opponents of Mr Corbyn to attack his leadership.
Mr Pound, the shadow Northern Ireland minister, said: “I think the Labour party without a doubt has a problem, but on the other hand there are some people who are riding that horse to attack Jeremy Corbyn anyway.”
Meanwhile Momentum, which was established to support Mr Corbyn after his election as Labour leader, warned its members that accusations of antisemitism are not “right-wing smears or conspiracy”.
The statement, issued to members over the weekend, was agreed by the grassroot organisation’s governing body, according to the Guardian.
It read: “(Momentum) acknowledges the anger, upset and despair within the British Jewish community at the numerous cases of antisemitism in the Labour party.
“Current examples of antisemitism within the Labour party are not only a problem of a few, extreme ‘bad apples’, but also of unconscious bias, which manifests itself in varied, nuanced and subtle ways and is more widespread in the Labour party than many of us had understood even a few months ago.”
