Jeremy Corbyn has defended his decision to attend a Passover dinner organised by the left-wing Jewish group Jewdas, which has previously dismissed allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party as “faux-outrage greased with hypocrisy and opportunism”.
The Labour leader was criticised by several of his own MPs after taking part in the Seder meal in his Islington constituency on Monday night.
Opponents claimed engaging with a fringe Jewish group that has dismissed concerns about antisemitism in the party undermined Mr Corbyn’s claims to be taking the problem seriously.
However, the Labour leader said he had “learnt a lot” at the event, and that this was “a good thing”.
Speaking during a visit to Swindon, he said: “It wasn’t a meeting last night, it was a Seder event, which is a celebration of Passover, which I celebrate with young Jewish people from my own community and my own constituency.
“It was very interesting talking to a lot of young people about their experiences of modern Britain and I learnt a lot. Isn’t that a good thing?”
He continued: “Antisemitism is a vile and evil thing within our society at any level, anywhere, at any time. It has got to be eradicated wherever it arises.
“If it arises in my party then we have a process for dealing with it. We examine each case and if someone has committed any antisemitic act they are suspended and could be expelled as a result of it.
“We are very clear about that and very clear in the whole of our society we cannot accept antisemitism in any form or indeed any other form of racism in our society.
“Communities working together achieve things together, communities divided don’t.”
Jon Lansman, the founder of Momentum and an ally of Mr Corbyn, had earlier said the Labour leader attended the event without the knowledge of his staff.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It was his night off, he had nothing in his official diary, his office didn’t know he was there. So I don’t think this is as significant as it’s being made out.”
The Momentum leader also suggested Mr Corbyn should meet with “mainstream” Jewish organisations and take part in an educational course on antisemitism in order to tackle “unconscious bias”.
He said: “It’s certainly not helpful to Jeremy or the cause of opposing antisemitism in the Labour Party as it happens … and I think the important thing is that Jeremy is seeking to meet with mainstream Jewish organisations.”
Mr Corbyn was criticised by several Labour MPs for attending the event. Backbencher John Woodcock, a vocal critic of his party leader, called the decision to attend the dinner “irresponsible and dangerous”.
“This is deliberately baiting the mainstream Jewish community days after they pleaded with him to tackle antisemitism,” he tweeted. “And he must know that meeting them now will give his members the message that the group’s extreme views are ok.”
And Wes Streeting, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Jews, told the Guido Fawkes website: “What on earth was he thinking? This demonstrates either extraordinarily bad judgement or a deliberate affront to the majority of British Jews. Probably both.
“It calls into serious question the sincerity of every public statement Jeremy Corbyn has made on antisemitism during the past week, just as many of us hoped we had begun to make progress.“
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