Jeremy Corbyn no longer scheduled to address Jewish audience

Jewish Museum not prepared to host speech after breakdown in talks over who would be invited, as the UK Labour leader looks to address charges of widespread anti-Semitism

Talks between Jeremy Corbyn and the Jewish Museum in London on a speech by the leader of the British Labour Party, meant to address allegations of rampant anti-Semitism, have broken down.

The party approached the Jewish Museum with a plan to host a speech on the issue, the London-based Jewish Chronicle first reported on Thursday. Corbyn also has been fighting accusations of harboring anti-Semitic sentiments.

But on Friday the Chronicle reported the speech was off following a disagreement over who would be invited to attend.

Last month, the party’s ruling body and leadership endorsed a code of conduct that is based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, but excluded several of the definition’s examples concerning Israel.

The party has come under fire from Jewish members of Labour and the British Jewish community for not adopting the full definition.

The museum had been cautious about hosting the event.

“We are still trying to work out what [Mr. Corbyn’s office] is asking from us — whether it is a discussion, a statement or a speech,” Museum head Abigail Morris told the JC on Thursday.

Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and anti-Semitism in the party, outside the British Houses of Parliament in central London on March 26, 2018. (AFP/Tolga Akmen)

“We would want to be part of a healing process — not something that will make things worse. We are very proud of being a cross-communal space and we want to be a place where positive dialogue can take place.”

Morris said the proposal indicated that the British Jewish Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council would be invited to the event, but that neither organization had been informed about it by the party.

Many in the Jewish community were, however, unhappy with the move.

JC editor Stephen Pollard said he had received several messages from community members who said they would boycott the museum if Corbyn were allowed to speak there.

The proposed speech comes as rumors have spread that Labour is preparing to announce it will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism in full.

Labour under Corbyn, a hard-left politician who has called Hezbollah and Hamas his “friends,” has come under intense scrutiny in the media over anti-Semitic rhetoric by party members as well as its leader’s own anti-Israel rhetoric. In 2016, an interparliamentary committee accused Labour of creating a “safe space for those with vile attitudes towards Jewish people.”

Corbyn has maintained that Labour will not tolerate racist rhetoric by its members. Dozens were kicked out over anti-Semitic statements. However, the party has kept on many Labour members whom Jewish community leaders said engaged in anti-Semitic hate speech.