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Corbyn 'forgot' meeting banned pro-Palestinian activist Corbyn 'forgot' meeting banned pro-Palestinian activist
(about 2 hours later)
Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn has told the BBC he had "forgotten" meeting a controversial Lebanese activist. Labour leadership hopeful Jeremy Corbyn has said he had forgotten meeting a controversial Lebanese activist.
Mr Corbyn initially told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme he had no idea who Dyab Abou Jahjah was. He initially told the BBC he had no idea who Dyab Abou Jahjah was. He later said he must have forgotten meeting the activist, banned from the UK over his views on the Middle East, in 2009.
He later said he must have forgotten meeting Mr Abou Jahjah, who is banned from the UK over his views on the Middle East, in 2009. Mr Corbyn said he meets "many thousands of people" as an MP and this "doesn't mean that I share their views".
Mr Corbyn has rejected "disgusting" claims he is anti-Semitic. He also rejected "disgusting" claims that he is anti-Semitic.
Leadership rival Liz Kendall said Mr Corbyn had "questions to answer" about his approach to achieving peace in the Middle East.Leadership rival Liz Kendall said Mr Corbyn had "questions to answer" about his approach to achieving peace in the Middle East.
It comes as the Labour Party says it has made legal checks to ensure its leadership contest is complying with the law and to try to avoid challenges to the result.
'Political friend''Political friend'
Responding on Twitter to Mr Corbyn's claim not to know him, Mr Abou Jahjah said: "Whatever reasons made Mr Corbyn say this are for him to know and for us to guess." Responding on Twitter to Mr Corbyn's claim not to know him, pro-Palestinian activist Mr Abou Jahjah said: "Whatever reasons made Mr Corbyn say this are for him to know and for us to guess."
That they shared a platform was "beyond any doubt and is documented and resulted in my ban to enter the UK".That they shared a platform was "beyond any doubt and is documented and resulted in my ban to enter the UK".
"But maybe he forgot all about it," he said. "Who knows?""But maybe he forgot all about it," he said. "Who knows?"
The pro-Palestinian activist told LBC radio he had also been present at meals with the MP during the 2009 visit.The pro-Palestinian activist told LBC radio he had also been present at meals with the MP during the 2009 visit.
"We had, I think two times, lunch or breakfast together, so I cannot say that Mr Corbyn is a personal friend, but he is absolutely a political friend.""We had, I think two times, lunch or breakfast together, so I cannot say that Mr Corbyn is a personal friend, but he is absolutely a political friend."
Asked whether he had met Mr Abou Jahjah, Mr Corbyn told the BBC: "No. I saw the name this morning and I asked somebody, 'Who is he?"' Who is Dyab Abou Jahjah?
The Lebanese-born activist, who is based in Belgium, founded the Arab European League and is now president of Movement X, which works "for a society of radical equality".
Mr Abou Jahjah reportedly told a Flemish magazine in 2004 that he considered "every dead American, British and Dutch soldier a victory".
Writing on his blog, Mr Abou Jahjah said this was a misrepresentation of his long-held belief that "every soldier taking part in an illegal occupation is a legitimate target for resistance".
He also denied being anti-Semitic, adding: "I am indeed a supporter of a one-state solution in a Palestine in the line of the South African dismantling of the apartheid state."
Mr Corbyn addressed the same meeting anti-war meeting as Mr Abou Jahjah on 3 March 2009.
Asked whether he had met Mr Abou Jahjah, Mr Corbyn initially told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: "No. I saw the name this morning and I asked somebody, 'Who is he?"'
He added: "I'm sorry, I don't know who this person is."He added: "I'm sorry, I don't know who this person is."
'Beyond appalling' But Mr Corbyn later issued a statement saying: "My staff have researched this and tell me that I did meet this man in 2009, but I have no recollection of him."
But he later issued a statement saying: "My staff have researched this and tell me that I did meet this man in 2009, but I have no recollection of him. He was also questioned about alleged anti-Semitic comments by his supporters on social media.
"As an MP, over the years I meet many thousands of people, and just because I meet them it doesn't mean that I share their views or endorse their beliefs." He said the idea he was racist or anti-Semitic was "disgusting" and "deeply offensive".
Mr Corbyn was also questioned about alleged anti-Semitic comments by his supporters on social media. "Until my dying day, I will be opposed to racism in any form," he said.
He said: "The idea that I'm some kind of racist or anti-Semitic person is beyond appalling, disgusting and deeply offensive.
"I have spent my life opposing racism. Until my dying day, I will be opposed to racism in any form."
'Diplomatic language'
Pressed to explain why he had called Palestinian militant group Hamas "friends" during a meeting in Parliament, Mr Corbyn said he had been trying to start a dialogue to help bring about peace in the Middle East.Pressed to explain why he had called Palestinian militant group Hamas "friends" during a meeting in Parliament, Mr Corbyn said he had been trying to start a dialogue to help bring about peace in the Middle East.
He said: "I was in a meeting in the House of Commons for a very serious discussion about the opportunities for peace in the Middle East, and I said to everyone in the room, 'Welcome to all our friends here, let's have a discussion.' He said the remark had been "taken quite seriously out of context by a lot of people".
"I think the remark has been taken quite seriously out of context by a lot of people." He added that he had used the word as "diplomatic language in a meeting."
He added: "I used it as a diplomatic language in a meeting."
Labour leadership contestLabour leadership contest