UK Media Attempt To Smear Jeremy Corbyn As Anti-Semitic

Labour leader candidate Jeremy Corbyn is being smeared as an ‘antisemite’ by the UK media due to his support of Palestine and the Palestinian people, and his opposition to the Israeli regime. 

However, the general public, Jew and non-Jew alike, are not buying it.

As illustrated in a letter to British newspaper The Guardian on Thursday, a group of Jewish readers expressed their distaste at the obvious smear attempts aimed at the Labour hopeful.

Uprooted Palestinians reports:

Thus, while Tony Blair can meet Hamas with impunity, Corbyn’s discussions with the same organisation are castigated. Though many donated to Deir Yassin Remembered, to honour a Palestinian village destroyed by Israeli forces in 1948, only Corbyn is attacked for failing to have known that DYR had been taken over by Holocaust deniers.

We take no position regarding the Labour Party leadership contest. However, we deduce that the use – and serious abuse – of accusations of antisemitism and the like is evidence of panic that someone who stands up for Palestinian rights might end up leading a major British political party.

Naomi Wayne

Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Letter to Guardian, Tony Greenstein et al

August 20, 2015

You report that the Jewish Chronicle claims to speak for the vast majority of British Jews in opposing Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader (Jewish Chronicle accuses Corbyn of associating with Holocaust deniers, 13 August). The JC certainly doesn’t represent progressive British Jewry. Corbyn has an outstanding record of opposing racism, including antisemitism in all its forms. He was particularly prominent in the campaign against apartheid in South Africa. He has consistently supported oppressed peoples such as the Kurds and the Palestinians.

The allegation that Corbyn supports or associates with Holocaust deniers is malicious and unfounded. It is based on an article in the Daily Mail, which was dependent on the word of a self-confessed Holocaust denier, Paul Eisen. The JC reports him as saying that Corbyn donated to Deir Yassin Remembered. So did many people, before DYR was taken over by antisemites and Holocaust deniers. The JC’s efforts to paint Corbyn as a closet antisemite can only help legitimise those who are antisemitic.

Tony Greenstein

* Graham Bash

* Rica Bird

* Prof Haim Bresheeth

* Mike Cushman

* Tom Eisner

* Deborah Fink

Kenneth Fryde

* Lynda Gilbert

* Abe Hayeem

* Rosamine Hayeem

* Paul Kaufman

* Richard Kuper

* Rachel Lever

Dr Les Levidow

* Deborah Maccoby

* Miriam Margolyes

* Beryl Maizels

* Diana Neslen

* Dr Daniel Ozarow

Prof Ilan Pappe

Roland Rance

Valerie Remy

* Frances Rifkin

* Dr Brian Robinson

* Mike Rosen

* Prof Jonathan Rosenhead

* Brian Rotman

Ben Samuel

* Prof Avi Shlaim

* Glyn Secker

Inbar Tamari

* Naomi Wimborne Idrissi

* Devra Wiseman