Top Jewish leader demands Jeremy Corbyn explain endorsement of 'anti-semitic' book
3 min read
A top Jewish leader has demanded Jeremy Corbyn provide an explanation for endorsing a book which contained "obvious anti-semitism".
Marie van der Zyl - President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews - said the public were "entitled to know" why he had described an early 20th century text which included anti-semitic tropes as a "great tome".
In 2011 the then-Labour backbencher wrote a foreword to a reissue of JA Hobson's 'Imperialism: A Study', which argues that finance in Europe was controlled "by men of a single and peculiar race, who have behind them many centuries of financial experience".
In a letter to the party's leader, Ms van der Zyl described the passages as "pure and unequivocal racism".
"We write to express grave concern about the foreword you wrote for Spokesman Books' 2011 republication of John Hobson's book Imperialism," she said.
"According to media reports, you endorsed it as a 'great tome', even though the book has an obvious antisemitic message."
Her comments come as the Labour leader faced calls to "consider his position" by members of the Jewish Labour Movement.
In a statement, the group said they would be submitting a formal complaint to the party after they claimed Mr Corbyn had "endorsed anti-semitic propoganda".
“Given how much he says he abhors anti-Jewish racism, Jeremy Corbyn must be the unluckiest anti-racist in history," they said.
“But in truth, it’s no accident that he’s praised an author who peddled what we would recognise today as left anti-Semitic tropes.
“Labour’s statement goes nowhere near enough explaining, let alone apologising. Any other Labour member would have been suspended after this. He should consider his position.”
But a Labour spokesperson fired back at the allegations, saying it was "fine to write the foreword to Hobson's Imperialism and the issues it has raised".
They added: “It’s no surprise, given the way some of these things are reported, that people reading that think Jeremy or other people are saying things that they are clearly not.
"Of course Jeremy condemns and would have nothing whatsoever to do with the kind of views Hobson was expressing in relation to the Jewish role in finance.
“There is racially offensive language in the book, not just in relation to anti-semitism, but more broadly and he doesn’t talk about either because it’s obviously a book of its time.
"It’s not an introduction, it’s a foreword talking about wider issues the book raises.”
'FULL EXPLANATION'
Ms van der Zyl also used her letter to urge Mr Corbyn to provide a "full explanation" for a series of other controversies.
She wrote: "In just over a year, we have learned you opposed the removal of a mural by Mear One that contained obvious antisemitic tropes; that you described a group of British Jews as having 'no sense of irony' despite 'having lived in this country for a very long time'; that you were present - but apparently not involved - in a wreath-laying ceremony for terrorists who murdered Israeli Jews; and that you unsuccessfully attemped to dilute the international definition of anti-semitism that was adopted by the Labour Party."
She also criticised Mr Corbyn for "offering support" to groups who in some cases had "endorsed terrorism against Jews".
But Labour frontbenchers defended Mr Corbyn this morning, with Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey telling the BBC that he would "vigorously not support" any anti-semitic comments.
She said: "He was looking at the political thought within the whole text itself not the comments that were antisemitic...Jeremy vigorously would not support antisemitic statements made by this writer or any writer..."
"Jeremy is not unlike other politicians who have quoted Hobson in speeches and written pieces about them."
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