Emily Thornbery today angrily demanded that ‘sickening individuals’ who voice a ‘despicable hatred’ for Jews are kicked out of Labour amid the anti-Semitism crisis.
The shadow foreign secretary used her speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to lash activists who use the issue of Palestine as a ‘cloak’ to hide their racist views.
And she said the anti-Semites lurking in Labour party branches must be booted out just as Oswald Mosley was in the past.
Her outspoken intervention on stage came after her party has been plunged into a protracted and bitter civil war over the anti-Semitism crisis.
Jeremy Corbyn – who sat on stage as Ms Thornberry spoke – has been accused of being an anti-Semite and allowing the racism to fester among his supporters.
In a sign of how poisonous the issue has become for the party, the conference chairwoman took the highly unusual step of warning activists not to use anti-Semitic language when debating the topic of Palestine.
And hundreds of party activists unfurled Palestinian flags and waved them in the conference hall in a protest viewed as inflammatory.
Emily Thornbery (pictured today at the Labour Party conference) angrily demanded that ‘sickening individuals’ who voice a ‘despicable hatred’ for Jews are kicked out of Labour amid the anti-Semitism crisis
The shadow foreign secretary (pictured at Labour conference today) used her speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to lash activists who the issue of Palestine as a ‘cloak’ to peddle their racist views
In a fiery speech to the conference hall, Ms Thornberry said: ‘We all support the Palestinian cause, we are all committed to recognise the Palestinian State, and I stand here with no hesitation when I condemn the Netanyahu government for its racist policies and its criminal actions against the Palestinian people.
‘But I know as well, and we must all acknowledge, that there are sickening individuals on the fringes of our movement, who use our legitimate support for Palestine as a cloak and a cover for their despicable hatred of Jewish people, and their desire to see Israel destroyed.
‘Those people stand for everything that we have always stood against and they must be kicked out of our party the same way Oswald Mosley was kicked out of Liverpool.’
Her punchy intervention came immediately after an incendiary stunt which saw hundreds of activists wave Palestinian flags in the middle of the conference hall.
They staged the protest as the conference debated a motion about palestinian rights.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey was among those seen to be holding one of the flags, which have been handed out at conference today.
And the party has been wracked by in-fighting over the anti-Semitism crisis.
Rhea Wolfson, who chaired the debate in the conference hall, took the highly unusual step of warning speakers not to use racist language.
She said: ‘The party is totally and completely committed to protecting the freedom of our members to discuss and debate and condemn the actions of the Israeli government and the situation of the Palestinians.
‘We’re also committed to our conference being a safe, welcoming space for all religions and ethnic minority groups.’
She added: ‘Please think carefully about the language you use and how you express yourself, and please ensure that every speaker is made to feel welcome and nobody is booed and heckled for having a view you may disagree with.’
Mr Corbyn has been accused by the ex chief rabbi Lord Sacks of being an anti-Semite, while one of his own MPs has said that under him Labour has become an institutionally racists party.
Jewish Labour MPs who have spoken out against his inaction, have faced abuse and threats.
Luciana Berger, a Jewish Labour MP, has been forced to have police protection accompanying her at her own party conference after she received abuse after speaking out on anti-Semitism.
She joined half a dozen other Labour MPs at a highly charged fringe meeting this week to speak out about the fear which many British Jews now experience.
She said: ‘This year, more than ever, we have experienced attacks from the left – from people who claim they share our values, who wear the same rosette as us.’
She added: ‘What maters now is draining the swamp. We need to see the Labour Party step up the investigations into complaints of anti-Semitism and get a faster, fairer, more transparent system of internal party justice.
‘The party’s new general secretary said this is her top priority and it would be dealt with by July. We are now in September and there is still that backlog.’
Mr Corbyn has faced mounting pressure to apologise over the anti-Semitism scandal – but invited to do so in a TV interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show on Sunday, he refused.
He said: ‘I’ll simply say this – I am an anti-racist and will die an anti-racist.
‘Anti-Semitism is a scourge in any society and I will oppose it all my life and I will continue to oppose it all my life.’
Unite leader Len McCluskey was among the hundreds of activists who waved a Palestinian flag in the conference centre