Jeremy Corbyn defiantly dodged apologising over Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis today after Britain’s chief rabbi warned he is not fit to be PM.
The veteran left-winger faced protests outside the launch of the party’s ‘race and faith’ manifesto in London.
And when he finally took to the stage he showed no regret for his handling of the wave of abuse wracking Labour – avoiding directly addressing the stinging criticism from the Jewish community and merely insisting anti-Semitism is ‘vile and wrong’.
Answering questions from reporters, Mr Corbyn was pressed on whether he had ‘failed’ and said he had toughened up the party’s complaints process.
He said there was an ‘open door’ to faith leaders, suggesting that Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis had not ‘engaged’ on the issue. ‘I am very happy to engage with anybody,’ he said.
But he was immediately contradicted by one of his own peers, Lord Falconer, who said it was a ‘failure of leadership’ that ‘a lot of cases’ have not been properly investigated – adding that the rabbi’s condemnation was ‘justified’.
The event started 45 minutes late and Mr Corbyn did not arrive until well after it began, with speakers including shadow home secretary Diane Abbott going first.
Corbynistas have been making vile attacks on Rabbi Mirvis after he delivered a devastating verdict on the Labour leadership – and was backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Making an unprecedented intervention, Rabbi Mirvis said the vast majority of British Jews were ‘gripped by anxiety’ at the idea of Mr Corbyn in No 10.
He accused Mr Corbyn of allowing the ‘poison’ of anti-Semitism to take root in Labour, saying it could no longer claim to be the party of diversity, equality and anti-racism.
Urging voters to examine their consciences in the polling booth, he warned: ‘The very soul of our nation is at stake.’
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, waded into the row today by saying the rabbi’s intervention should ‘alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews’.
But both religious leaders were subjected to a vicious backlash on social media, with Rabbi Mirvis branded a ‘sewer rat’ and complaints of ‘Israeli interference’.
Jeremy Corbyn tried to deflect anger by saying there is ‘absolutely no place whatsoever in any shape or form’ for anti-Semitism in Britain
Jeremy Corbyn was forced to dodge protests outside the launch of the party’s ‘race and faith’ manifesto in north London
Mr Corbyn did not arrive at the ‘race and faith’ launch until well after it began today, with including shadow home secretary Diane Abbott (pictured) taking to the stage
Protesters had gathered (pictured) outside the manifesto event in London today
Posters outside the venue in north London bore the message: ‘Keep anti-Semitism out of Downing Street.’
Ephraim Mirvis (pictured) said the vast majority of British Jews were ‘gripped by anxiety’ at the idea of Jeremy Corbyn in No 10
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, waded into the row today by saying the rabbi’s intervention should ‘alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews’
Mr Corbyn arrived through the back door to the race and faith manifesto launch about 50 minutes after it was due to start amid cries of ‘racist’ and ‘oh Jeremy Corbyn’ between critics and supporters.
The Labour leader hurried into the venue from his van and through a media pack.
‘It is an evil within our society. It is an evil that grew in Europe in the 1920s and onwards and ultimately led to the Holocaust,’ he said.
Mr Corbyn said there was ‘absolutely no place whatsoever in any shape or form’ for anti-Semitism.
‘Under a Labour government it will not be tolerated in any form whatsoever.’ He said the Chief Rabbi was welcome to come ’round the table’ and talk about how to stamp out racism.
Mr Corbyn said Labour had a ‘rapid process’ for dealing with complaints about anti-Semitism – although whistleblowers have claimed that dozens of cases have been effectively swept under the carpet.
Mr Corbyn left the stage after his speech – but later returned to face questions from reporters.
‘I invite the chief rabbi, I invite the archbishop of Canterbury, I invite all the other faith leaders to come talk to us about what their concerns are,’ he said.
‘But be absolutely sure of this assurance from me: no community will be at risk because of their identity, their faith, their ethnicity, or their language.’
Earlier, the Chief Rabbi took aim at Mr Corbyn for supporting a racist mural and for describing terrorists who endorse the murder of Jews as ‘friends’.
Mr Welby said: ‘That the Chief Rabbi should be compelled to make such an unprecedented statement at this time ought to alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews.’
The warnings came as Mr Corbyn prepared to launch his party’s ‘race and faith manifesto’, which includes a plan to hold an inquiry into far-Right extremism.
It also proposes to teach all schoolchildren about the ‘injustice’ of the British empire.
And it accuses the Equality and Human Rights Commission watchdog – which is investigating Labour over institutional anti-Semitism – of not being ‘truly independent’.
Lord Falconer of Thoroton contradicted Mr Corbyn over the complaints process, saying ‘a lot of cases that have not been properly investigated’.
He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: ‘We deserved an attack that strong, we need to deal with anti-Semitism properly. We are not dealing with the cases within the party.
‘Still not, there are 130 cases that have been referred to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party… there are 130 cases of anti-Semitism that have been pending, some of them for years.
‘Separately from those cases, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of cases that need to be investigated.’
He said: ‘It is a failure of leadership on the part of the Labour Party to say this has to be dealt with properly.’
He said he would vote Labour, but added: ‘Labour has got to deal with its anti-Semitism problem.’
He added he hoped the Chief Rabbi’s ‘absolutely extraordinary but justified intervention will be listened to by my party’.
Crossbench peer and Rabbi Julia Neuberger said there had been an ‘insidious anti-Semitic tone’ since Mr Corbyn became Labour leader.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Baroness Neuberger said: ‘I think it’s been quite a gradual process.
‘So, since Jeremy Corbyn has been leader of the Labour Party there has been this insidious anti-Semitic tone to quite a lot of what’s happened and an unwillingness to really face it.
‘There’s been an unwillingness at the top and people of the Jewish community have seen that unwillingness and thought ‘what’s going on? A major political party – what is going on here? Why are they not gripping it?”
Lady Neuberger warned that Jews would have to consider leaving the county if Mr Corbyn ended up in power.
‘People will look for ways of moving or having a place somewhere else, or whatever they can possibly do to mitigate what feels oppressive, uncomfortable, dangerous,’ she said.
Current and former Labour politicians also weighed in behind Rabbi Mirvis.
Jess Philips, who is defending her Birmingham Yardley seat, said: ‘The only response to the chief Rabbi that is moral is, ‘I’m sorry and I’ll do whatever I possibly can to win back your community’s trust.’ So that’s what I will say.’
Luciana Berger, who quit Labour in protest at anti-Semitism and joined the Lib Dems, said the comments were ‘devastating’.
Former minister Ian Austin said: ‘It is unprecedented for the Chief Rabbi to have to do this.
‘It is heartbreaking to see a party so many of us joined to fight racism and which had such a proud record of fighting for equality reduced to this. Utterly shameful. A complete disgrace. Corbyn & co should be so ashamed.’
Twitter users claiming to by Corbyn supporters vented fury at the Chief Rabbi, branding him a ‘sewer rat’ and also turned their fire on Mr Welby
Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was ‘staggering’ that Labour would ‘lecture people about race and faith’ while the party was under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission for anti-Semitism.
In his attack, the Chief Rabbi wrote: ‘The way in which the leadership of the Labour Party has dealt with anti-Jewish racism is incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud – of dignity and respect for all people
‘It has left many decent Labour members and parliamentarians, both Jewish and non-Jewish, ashamed.
‘What we do know from history is that what starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews.’
Rabbi Mirvis quoted a claim from the Jewish Labour Movement that 130 cases of anti-Semitism had not been dealt with by party officials.
A Labour spokesman insisted this figure was false, adding: ‘Jeremy Corbyn is a lifelong campaigner against anti-Semitism and has made absolutely clear it has no place in our party and society and that no one who engages in it does so in his name.’ The storm came as:
Mr Corbyn has been blamed for Labour’s anti-Semitism problem because he has spent his political life fraternising with the hard Left.
On one occasion in Parliament he even greeted representatives of the Islamist terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah as ‘friends’.
In 2012, Mr Corbyn offered his backing online to Los Angeles-based street artist Mear One, whose mural, featuring several known anti-Semitic tropes, was due to be removed after complaints.
Later, he was pictured holding a wreath yards from the graves of terror leaders linked to the 1972 Munich Olympics killings.
Since he became Labour leader in 2015, two female Jewish MPs have been driven out of the party by the anti-Semitic abuse they have faced and one of them even needed a bodyguard at the party conference.
Now Labour is under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission over its racism problem – only the second party after the BNP to face such a probe.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was ‘staggering’ that Labour would ‘lecture people about race and faith’ while the party was under investigation
Two rabbis have already come out to urge voters not to back Mr Corbyn’s party.
But last night’s intervention of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, at the height of an election campaign, is utterly unprecedented.
Sajid Javid said he was ‘saddened’ by the Chief Rabbi’s comments, calling for a period of reflection in a post on Twitter.
The Chancellor wrote: ‘Very saddened to read this. To think the Chief Rabbi of a European nation has to say this about a contender for high office in 2019.
‘We should all reflect on the state of our politics.’
The Labour spokesman said the party was taking robust action to root out anti-Semitism, with swift suspensions, processes for rapid expulsions and an education programme for members.
‘Anti-Semitism complaints account for about 0.1 per cent of the Labour Party membership, while polls show anti-Semitism is more prevalent among Conservative than Labour supporters,’ he added. ‘In the past week it’s been revealed Conservative candidates said events in the Holocaust were ‘fabricated’ and called British Jews ‘extremists’.
‘A Labour government will guarantee the security of the Jewish community, defend and support the Jewish way of life, and combat rising anti-Semitism in our country and across Europe.’
‘We known from history, what starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews’: Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis’s message in full
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said Labour’s inaction on anti-Semitism has left many ‘ashamed’
The overwhelming majority of British Jews are gripped by anxiety. The question I am most frequently asked is: What will become of Jews and Judaism in Britain if the Labour Party forms the next government?
The Jewish community has… learned the hard way that speaking out means that we will be demonised… and accused of being partisan or acting in bad faith by those who still think of this as an orchestrated political smear. Yet, I ask myself: should the victims of racism be silenced by the fear of yet further vilification?
The way in which the leadership of the Labour Party has dealt with anti-Jewish racism is incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud. It has left many decent Labour members and parliamentarians, both Jewish and non-Jewish, ashamed.
It is a failure to see this as a human problem rather than a political one. It is a failure of leadership. A new poison – sanctioned from the very top – has taken root in the Labour Party.
Many members of the Jewish community can hardly believe this is the same party that they proudly called their political home for more than a century.
How complicit in prejudice would a leader of Her Majesty’s opposition have to be in order to be considered unfit for high office? Would associations with those who have openly incited hatred against Jews be enough? Would describing as ‘friends’ those who endorse and even perpetrate the murder of Jews be enough? It seems not. What we do know from history is that what starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews.
It is not my place to tell any person how they should vote. I simply pose the following question: What will the result of this election say about the moral compass of our country? I ask every person to vote with their conscience. Be in no doubt – the very soul of our nation is at stake.
Raised under apartheid, he’s seen evils of prejudice
Born in South Africa in 1956, Rabbi Mirvis said growing up under apartheid gave him an early understanding of the dangers of division and inequality.
His father Lionel, also a rabbi, preached against the apartheid system and visited political prisoners held on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed.
His mother led the country’s only training college for black pre-school teachers.
Since his own appointment as Britain’s Chief Rabbi, he has appealed for greater unity within the Jewish community and between different faiths.
He was the first United Synagogue rabbi to host an address by a Muslim imam, and has addressed meetings at the Church of England synod.
Rabbi Mirvis’s father, also a rabbi, preached against the apartheid system and visited political prisoners held on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela (pictured) was jailed
He has also welcomed moves to give women a greater role in Orthodox synagogues and said he wanted greater inclusion for gay Jewish people. Rabbi Mirvis took over from his predecessor Lord Sacks in 2013, when he became the 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the UK and the Commonwealth in its 300-year history.
One of his first acts was to tweet good wishes to his football team, Tottenham Hotspur, ahead of a London derby game with north London rivals Arsenal.
He chose not to live in the £10million grace and favour home used by Lord Sacks but moved into a six-bedroom home in Hendon, north London, with his wife Valerie, a social worker.
He was previously rabbi at the Finchley Synagogue in north London and was Ireland’s chief rabbi from 1985 to 1992, after taking on the role when he was just 28.
Rabbi Mirvis took over from his predecessor Lord Sacks (pictured) in 2013, when he became the 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the UK and the Commonwealth
Now 63, he and wife Valerie have four sons and seven grandchildren. Their oldest child, Liora Graham, died in 2011 after a long battle with cancer.
He has long been a vocal critic of anti-Semitism within the Labour. He accused party officials of sending ‘an unprecedented message of contempt to the Jewish community’ last year, over new guidelines for its members on how to deal with racism.
Labour’s national executive committee overrode the concerns of more than 65 senior British rabbis to wave through the new rules on anti-Semitic behaviour in its ranks, and was widely criticised for failing to do enough to tackle the problem.
By Vanessa Allen for the Daily Mail