UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn ‘sorry’ for tolerating anti-Semitism in his party

Statement comes as about 500 Jewish protesters gathered outside Britain’s parliament accusing Corbyn of allowing anti-Semitism to spread in his party

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Jeremy Corbyn responded on Monday with an open letter in which he recognised that anti-Semitism had surfaced within his party. Photo: EPA

Published: 3:22am, 27 Mar 2018Updated: 10:11pm, 27 Mar 2018

Britain’s opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has issued his strongest condemnation of anti-Semitism so far as he came under intense pressure from his own backbenchers and the wider Jewish community over his failure to tackle anti-Semitism in the party.

He was forced to step up his response after an extraordinary open letter was published on Sunday by the two leading Jewish organisations, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), accusing him of “siding with anti-Semites” and calling for supporters to stage a show of solidarity outside Britain’s parliament.

As hundreds gathered at Westminster Monday, including dozens of Labour MPs and peers, and a small group of rival demonstrators from Jewish Votes for Labour, Corbyn issued a “sincere apology” that acknowledged that his previous responses had been inadequate.

“I recognise that anti-Semitism has surfaced within the Labour Party, and has too often been dismissed as simply a matter of a few bad apples,” he said.

“This has caused pain and hurt to Jewish members of our party and to the wider Jewish community in Britain. I am sincerely sorry for the pain which has been caused, and pledge to redouble my efforts to bring this anxiety to an end.”

Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Britain's opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and anti-semitism in the Labour party, outside the British Houses of Parliament. Photo: AFP

Corbyn’s previous apology merely recognised that there were “pockets” of anti-Semitism in the party. That was rejected as inadequate by Jonathan Goldstein of the JLC, who said the Labour leader had become a figurehead for anti-Semitism.