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Jeremy Corbyn has said that he did not mean to say that anti-Semitism in the Labor Party had been exaggerated, in the first statement issued by the former Labor leader since his suspension from the party.
The Facebook post, which Corbyn said was a copy of the statement he had given to the Labor Party, will be seen as the first step towards rapprochement between him and the party.
It comes after he was suspended for his comments following the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (ECHR) report on anti-Semitism in the party, which rejected the general conclusions and said the problem was “dramatically exaggerated for political reasons. “by opponents and the media.
That statement put the former Labor leader directly at odds with his successor, Keir Starmer, who spoke at a press conference moments after Corbyn’s statement, where he said that those who “deny there is a problem are part of the problem … pretending to be exaggerated or factional is part of the problem. “
Chronology
Labor and anti-Semitism
Jeremy Corbyn is elected Labor leader and the party’s membership rises to more than half a million.
Naz Shah, a Labor MP, is suspended after sharing a post on Facebook suggesting that Israel should be relocated to the United States.
Labor publishes an investigation into Shami Chakrabarti’s anti-Semitism, but the post is overshadowed by a dispute over comments made by Corbyn in which he appeared to make a comparison between the Israeli government and Islamist extremists.
Corbyn laments after it emerged that in 2012 he had supported a street artist accused of producing an anti-Semitic mural in London’s East End.
Three days later, Corbyn issues his strongest condemnation of anti-Semitism yet, declaring that he is “a militant opponent” of anti-Jewish hatred as members of the Jewish community stage a protest outside parliament. Corbyn makes many similar statements in the run-up to the 2019 election.
Veteran Jewish Labor MP Margaret Hodge is subject to disciplinary proceedings after calling Corbyn an anti-Semite during an angry confrontation in the House of Commons, after Labor decided not to adopt the International Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism in its entirety to Holocaust Remembrance (IHRA).
Three Jewish newspapers carry similar front pages, criticizing Labor’s decision not to adopt the IHRA definition. In a joint editorial, they write that a government led by Corbyn would pose an “existential threat to Jewish life in this country.”
Corbyn refuses to apologize after footage from 2013 surfaced of him saying a group of Zionists “had no sense of irony.” Corbyn said he had used the term Zionist “in the exact political sense and not as a euphemism for the Jewish people.”
Seven Labor MPs, including prominent Jewish member Luciana Berger, resigned from the party to found the short-lived ChangeUK, in part accusing party leaders of not doing enough to combat anti-Semitism.
Labor is decisively defeated in the general election, prompting Corbyn to resign.
By And sabbagh
Corbyn said he was sorry for the pain they caused him. “We must never tolerate anti-Semitism or belittle concerns about it. And that was not my intention in anything I said this week, ”he wrote Tuesday. “I am sorry for the pain this problem has caused to the Jewish community and I would not want to do anything that could exacerbate or prolong it.”
Corbyn said he had attempted to “clear up any confusion” about his earlier statement in a broadcast interview and clarifying statement for the day, though he does not directly apologize for the comments.
“The release of the EHRC report should have been a moment for the Labor Party to come together in determination to address the shortcomings of the past and work as one to eradicate anti-Semitism in our own ranks and in society at large,” said.
“To be clear, concerns about anti-Semitism are neither ‘overstated’ nor ‘overstated’. The point I wanted to make was that the vast majority of Labor Party members were and still are committed anti-racists deeply opposed to anti-Semitism. “
Corbyn said he supported Starmer’s decision to accept all of the EHRC’s recommendations in their entirety, “In accordance with my own longtime convictions, I will do what I can to help the party move forward, united against the anti-Semitism that has been responsible for so many of the greatest crimes in history. against humanity ”.
“I hope this matter is resolved as quickly as possible, so that the party can work together to eradicate anti-Semitism and come together to oppose and defeat this deeply damaging conservative government.”
The decision to suspend Corbyn was made by the party’s general secretary, David Evans, instead of Starmer. The party has emphasized that Corbyn must go through the formal disciplinary process, given that political interference in the cases was one of the key criticisms in the EHRC report.
The EHRC report found the Labor Party responsible for illegal acts of anti-Semitism harassment and discrimination. He cites “serious failures in the party leadership to address anti-Semitism and an inadequate process for handling complaints of anti-Semitism.”
