Furious ultra-Corbynites blast Rebecca Long-Bailey after Labour leadership contender backs plan to fight anti-Semitism organised by ‘pro-Israel’ Board of Deputies of British Jews
- She backed action plan from Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD)
- It is also being supported by the other four leadership candidates
- But 3,500 people have signed open letter begging her to reconsider support
- Says plan is ‘political interference’ by group ‘overtly hostile’ to Corbyn’s Labour
Rebecca Long-Bailey came under fire from hard-Left activists today after pledging to take action to fight anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
Furious Corbynistas lashed out at the shadow business secretary because she joined other candidates in backing a serious of pledges organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD).
More than 3,500 have signed an open letter to Ms Long-Bailey, the choice of Mr Corbyn and his top team to succeed her, denouncing the BOD as a ‘pro-Israel organisation’.
The letter, being circulated online, shows the struggle any new party leader will have in scouring anti-Semitism from its ranks.
It urges Ms Long-Bailey to pull her support for the BOD plan, saying: ‘The Board of Deputies (BoD) is not the representative body for the majority of Jews in Britain, many of whom are very critical of the actions of the state of Israel – unlike the BoD.
‘The BoD is a pro-Israel organisation… we believe that the BoD’s ”10 Pledges” are an outrageous political interference by an organisation that is overtly hostile to today’s Labour Party and everything it stands for.’
Furious Corbynistas lashed out at the shadow business secretary because she joined other candidates in backing a serious of pledges organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD).
It has been signed by regular Jeremy Corbyn supporters including comic Alexei Sayle and Jackie Walker – who was kicked out of Labour over anti-Semitism – who are both Jewish.
It has been organised by fringe group Labour Against the Witchhunt, which believes claims of anti-Semitism in Labour are politically motivated smears.
The BOD’s pledges were launched last week, including swiftly settling all outstanding investigations and making Labour’s disciplinary process independent of the party.
President Marie van der Zyl said: ‘We will be frank.
‘The relationship between Labour and the Jewish community, once rock solid, has been all but destroyed.
‘Rebuilding will take more than mild expressions of regret. It will take a firm public commitment to agree to a specific course of action.
‘Our Ten Pledges identify the key points we believe Labour needs to sign up to in order to begin healing its relationship with our community.
‘All of these points, in one form or another, have previously been put to Jeremy Corbyn and his leadership team. Regrettably, action on any of these issues was limited at best, non-existent at worst.’
While all five leadership candidates have signed up to support them, two candidates for the deputy position has refused to – Richard Burgon and Dawn Butler.
At a weekend hustings in Liverpool, Mr Burgon said: ‘I will support the leader in fighting anti-Semitism in our party and fighting anti-Semitism in society.
‘I do believe, obviously, in working with the Board of Deputies in the fight against anti-Semitism. I have not signed and won’t be signing the 10 pledges however, because of some concerns I have.
While all five leadership candidates have signed up to support them, two candidates for the deputy position has refused to – Richard Burgon (left) and Dawn Butler (second from right)
‘Firstly, I’m concerned about outsourcing our complaints procedure and how that would work in practice, so I think that needs clarfiying.
‘But secondly I want to work with the Board of Deputies and all Jewish organisations against discrimination.
‘I’m concerned that the minorities within a minority, whether it be LGBT Jewish people, black Jewish people, Jewish people who are religious minority within that minority, their voices need to be heard as well. We need to listen and act with the whole Jewish community.’