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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/25/senior-labour-figures-defend-corbyn-row-antisemitic-mural
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| Jewish leaders plan protest in Corbyn antisemitism row | Jewish leaders plan protest in Corbyn antisemitism row |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jewish leaders have called for a show of solidarity outside parliament on Monday evening to warn the Labour leadership that “enough is enough”, after Jeremy Corbyn was engulfed in a fresh antisemitism row. | Jewish leaders have called for a show of solidarity outside parliament on Monday evening to warn the Labour leadership that “enough is enough”, after Jeremy Corbyn was engulfed in a fresh antisemitism row. |
| The Jewish Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council issued what they described as a “call to action” on Sunday, announcing they would be delivering a letter to the parliamentary Labour party before its regular weekly meeting on Monday. | The Jewish Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council issued what they described as a “call to action” on Sunday, announcing they would be delivering a letter to the parliamentary Labour party before its regular weekly meeting on Monday. |
| #EnoughIsEnough We call on members of our community and all those who oppose antisemitism to join us in Parliament Square at 5:30pm to show solidarity. https://t.co/S2nHp2a971 pic.twitter.com/lApuawcNrw | #EnoughIsEnough We call on members of our community and all those who oppose antisemitism to join us in Parliament Square at 5:30pm to show solidarity. https://t.co/S2nHp2a971 pic.twitter.com/lApuawcNrw |
| “Day in, day out, we the Jewish community face increasing antisemitism. Enough is enough,” they said, calling on “members of our community and all those who oppose antisemitism” to gather in Parliament Square as Labour MPs meet. | “Day in, day out, we the Jewish community face increasing antisemitism. Enough is enough,” they said, calling on “members of our community and all those who oppose antisemitism” to gather in Parliament Square as Labour MPs meet. |
| Several Labour MPs have said they would like to hear an explanation from Corbyn directly, after Facebook posts emerged in which he appeared to show his support for an antisemitic mural in 2012. | Several Labour MPs have said they would like to hear an explanation from Corbyn directly, after Facebook posts emerged in which he appeared to show his support for an antisemitic mural in 2012. |
| But it is unclear whether he will appear in person at the PLP’s regular Monday evening meeting, the last before parliament rises for Easter recess. | But it is unclear whether he will appear in person at the PLP’s regular Monday evening meeting, the last before parliament rises for Easter recess. |
| The deputy leader, Tom Watson, and Labour’s Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, both appeared on the Sunday morning politics TV programmes to condemn the mural that Corbyn backed on free speech grounds in 2012. | The deputy leader, Tom Watson, and Labour’s Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, both appeared on the Sunday morning politics TV programmes to condemn the mural that Corbyn backed on free speech grounds in 2012. |
| “I’m very, very sorry that people feel hurt by this and that’s why I think it’s right that Jeremy has expressed regret for it,” Watson told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. Starmer told ITV’s Peston on Sunday that the image, which was painted on a wall in east London and used noted antisemitic tropes, was “grotesque and disgusting”. | “I’m very, very sorry that people feel hurt by this and that’s why I think it’s right that Jeremy has expressed regret for it,” Watson told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. Starmer told ITV’s Peston on Sunday that the image, which was painted on a wall in east London and used noted antisemitic tropes, was “grotesque and disgusting”. |
| In 2012 Corbyn defended Mear One, the artist who painted the mural, after he posted on Facebook that it was to be scrubbed. Corbyn wrote: “Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller [sic] destroyed Diego Viera’s [sic] mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.” | In 2012 Corbyn defended Mear One, the artist who painted the mural, after he posted on Facebook that it was to be scrubbed. Corbyn wrote: “Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller [sic] destroyed Diego Viera’s [sic] mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.” |
| Corbyn was criticised after an image of the exchange surfaced, and on Friday his office put out a statement saying he had reacted to “concerns about the removal of public art on the grounds of freedom of speech”. | Corbyn was criticised after an image of the exchange surfaced, and on Friday his office put out a statement saying he had reacted to “concerns about the removal of public art on the grounds of freedom of speech”. |
| The statement said the mural was “offensive, used antisemitic imagery, which has no place in our society, and it is right that it was removed”. | |
| A later statement from Corbyn added: “I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on.” | A later statement from Corbyn added: “I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on.” |
| But Sunday’s statement from Jewish leaders condemned Corbyn’s response as “far too little, far too late”. | But Sunday’s statement from Jewish leaders condemned Corbyn’s response as “far too little, far too late”. |
| It said: “The Jewish community has had enough of repeatedly witnessing and condemning instances of antisemitism in and around the Labour party.” | It said: “The Jewish community has had enough of repeatedly witnessing and condemning instances of antisemitism in and around the Labour party.” |
| Luciana Berger, a Labour MP who had demanded an explanation from Corbyn, said his response was wholly inadequate. She said: “It fails to understand on any level the hurt and anguish felt about antisemitism.” | Luciana Berger, a Labour MP who had demanded an explanation from Corbyn, said his response was wholly inadequate. She said: “It fails to understand on any level the hurt and anguish felt about antisemitism.” |
| But Watson defended Corbyn on Sunday, saying he had expressed deep regret and apologised. Corbyn’s statements voiced regret but offered no apology. | But Watson defended Corbyn on Sunday, saying he had expressed deep regret and apologised. Corbyn’s statements voiced regret but offered no apology. |
| Watson said: “I’m very, very sorry that people feel hurt by this and that’s why I think it’s right that Jeremy has expressed regret for it. He said that he didn’t see the mural, he was talking about free expression and I think now that he has seen the mural, he’s right to say that it was right not just to be removed but that he expresses deep regret for the offence caused by the mural.” | Watson said: “I’m very, very sorry that people feel hurt by this and that’s why I think it’s right that Jeremy has expressed regret for it. He said that he didn’t see the mural, he was talking about free expression and I think now that he has seen the mural, he’s right to say that it was right not just to be removed but that he expresses deep regret for the offence caused by the mural.” |
| Starmer said the image was “antisemitic and we need to be absolutely clear about that”. | Starmer said the image was “antisemitic and we need to be absolutely clear about that”. |
| He said: “The most important thing is that the Labour party keeps on saying that antisemitism has no place in our party, in our communities or in our society, and we’ve got to have zero tolerance. And ‘zero tolerance’ has got to be more than two words. It’s got to dictate everything the Labour party does in relation to antisemitism.” | He said: “The most important thing is that the Labour party keeps on saying that antisemitism has no place in our party, in our communities or in our society, and we’ve got to have zero tolerance. And ‘zero tolerance’ has got to be more than two words. It’s got to dictate everything the Labour party does in relation to antisemitism.” |
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