JEWISH groups held rival protests outside Parliament last night, as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn apologised for supporting an anti-Semitic mural.
A letter sent by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council to Labour MPs and Lords, described the party chief as unable to “seriously contemplate anti-Semitism, because he is so ideologically fixed within a far-left world view that is instinctively hostile to mainstream Jewish communities”.
That accusation was rebutted by the the Jewish Voice for Labour group who said they were “appalled” by the Board of Deputies’ letter.
READ MORE: SNP back repeal of Confession of Faith Ratification Act
“They do not represent us or the great majority of Jews in the party who share Jeremy Corbyn’s vision for social justice and fairness. Jeremy’s consistent commitment to anti-racism is all the more needed now.”
The row follows Corbyn’s defence of a mural in East London ordered to be removed in 2012.
The image, by street artist Mear One, shows a group of “Jewish and white anglo” bankers, underneath the eye-of-providence, playing a game of monopoly, with the board, which is balanced on the back of workers, covered in cash, skulls and the nuclear button.
At the time Lutfur Rahman, the Tower Hamlets mayor, said the image “perpetuated anti-Semitic propaganda about conspiratorial Jewish domination of financial and political institutions”.
Local councillor Peter Golds even asked police to consider prosecuting Mear One under race hate laws. “When I saw the mural I was shocked. It’s horribly similar to the propaganda used by the Third Reich in Nazi Germany,” said Golds. “It’s intensely racist and has caused a great deal of offence.”
When the council ordered the painting to be scrubbed, the artist wrote on Facebook: “Tomorrow they want to buff my mural. Freedom of expression. London calling. Public Art.”
Corbyn, who was then a backbencher, replied: “Why? You are in good company. Rockefeller destroyed Diego [Rivera’s] mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.”
Last week, the Labour leader said he regretted not looking more closely at the image, which he called “deeply disturbing”.
Jonathan Goldstein, the chair of the Jewish Council told the BBC that wasn’t good enough: “Wherever we go we are told that we act on the instructions of Israel, that Rothschilds run the world, that Isis is a fake front for Israel, that Zionists are the new Nazis. And I’m afraid it is the time for action rather than words.”
Yesterday, in a letter back to the Board of Deputies and Jewish Council, Corbyn apologised, promising action.
“The idea of Jewish bankers and capitalists exploiting the workers of the world is an old anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. This was long ago, and rightly, described as ‘the socialism of fools.’
“I am sorry for not having studied the content of the mural more closely before wrongly questioning its removal in 2012.”
Corbyn also acknowledged that “anti-Semitic attitudes” had recently surfaced among Labour members.
He then promised he would “never be anything other than a militant opponent of antisemitism,” telling the groups: “In this fight, I am your ally and always will be.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here