Labour bosses criticised over anti-Semitism definition 'compromise'
3 min read
Labour bosses have been criticised amid claims the party is preparing to finally adopt the globally-recognised definition of anti-Semitism.
A meeting of its ruling national executive committee is expected to fully incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's guidelines on tackling anti-Jewish abuse into its new code of conduct on the issue.
However, the NEC is also set to include additions which will protect the freedom of pro-Palestine campaigners to criticise Israel.
The move follows a summer-long row over the party's decision not to fully adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, along with all 11 of its accompanying illustrative examples.
A Labour working group is still examining the issue, and is set to finish its deliberations ahead of a fresh NEC vote next week.
Labour MP Ian Austin said: “The leadership has got itself into a terrible hole and they need to stop digging.
“First, the IHRA definition explicitly allows the criticism of Israel so it does not need rewriting or changing and the Labour leadership would probably be the last people the Jewish community would ask if it did.
“But second, I think we’ve gone a long way beyond this now and people are questioning whether Jeremy can sort it out.
“He’s got to make this his number one priority and he’s got to address his own responsibility for this crisis.
“Adopting the full IHRA definition and all the examples is just the first step to repairing the damage.
“He’s got to listen carefully to the reasonable requests the Jewish representative bodies - the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies - made months ago, respond to them properly, boot the racists out without further delay and really show there is no place for antisemitism in our party.”
Jennifer Gerber, director of Labour Friends of Israel, hit out at the party leadership's latest attempts to draw a line under the row.
She said: "This apparent partial climbdown by the Labour party remains unacceptable. The Jewish community has made its view clearly and repeatedly: that the party adopt the full IHRA definition as the UK government, 31 other countries, 130 local councils, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the judiciary have done.
"We fail to understand why Labour wishes to place the right of anti-Semites to describe Israel as a racist state above the expressed and totally justifiable wishes of British Jews."
Euan Philipps of Labour Against Anti-Semitism, said: “For the Labour party to claim that it has re-adopted of the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism then the party would need to ensure that the definition has a functional place within the organisation’s disciplinary process.
"If it is watered down by caveats and addendums then the party cannot claim that it has been fully adopted. It is a false compromise that will only make it harder identify and tackle racism in the party.”
Richard Angell, director of the centre-left campaign group Progress, said: “An anti-racist party would not find a ‘compromise’ on tackling racism. Labour should adopt the IHRA in full now - no more delays or caveats."
Earlier this month, Jeremy Corbyn apologised to Jewish people over the "hurt that’s been caused" by anti-Semitism in the Labour party and said it is his responsibility to root it out.
He said: "Driving anti-Semitism out of the party for good and working with the Jewish community to rebuild trust are vital priorities."
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