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Corbyn 'English irony' video reignites antisemitism row Corbyn says he used Zionist term in 'accurate political sense'
(about 2 hours later)
Jeremy Corbyn has become embroiled in a fresh row about his attitude towards Jews after footage emerged of him accusing some Zionists of having “no sense of English irony” despite having lived in the UK for perhaps all their lives. Jeremy Corbyn has sought to clarify remarks he made in 2013, accusing a group of Zionists of having “no sense of English irony”, despite “having lived in this country for a very long time”.
Some Labour MPs said the comment, which was recorded five years ago, was “inexcusable” and clearly antisemitic, but the party insisted Corbyn had been quoted out of context and that he had been referring to Jewish and non-Jewish activists. With more than a dozen Labour MPs and a number of supporters expressing concerns about the leader’s remarks at a conference five years ago, which re-emerged on Thursday, Corbyn had been under increasing pressure to apologise.
In a statement issued on Friday night, he said he had used the term Zionist “in the accurate political sense and not as a euphemism for Jewish people”.
Corbyn said: “I am now more careful with how I might use the term ‘Zionist’ because a once self-identifying political term has been increasingly hijacked by antisemites as code for Jews.”
He also insisted he had “defended the Palestinian ambassador in the face of what I thought were deliberate misrepresentations by people for whom English was a first language, when it isn’t for the ambassador”.
In a speech to a meeting convened by the Palestinian Return Centre in 2013, Corbyn spoke about the importance of history, and of how necessary it was for people to understand the origins of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.In a speech to a meeting convened by the Palestinian Return Centre in 2013, Corbyn spoke about the importance of history, and of how necessary it was for people to understand the origins of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
He then praised a speech he had recently heard by Manuel Hassassian at a meeting in parliament in which the Palestinian ambassador to the UK gave an “incredibly powerful” account of the history of Palestine.He then praised a speech he had recently heard by Manuel Hassassian at a meeting in parliament in which the Palestinian ambassador to the UK gave an “incredibly powerful” account of the history of Palestine.
Corbyn went on: “This was dutifully recorded by the, thankfully silent, Zionists who were in the audience on that occasion, and then came up and berated him afterwards for what he had said. Corbyn added: “This was dutifully recorded by the, thankfully silent, Zionists who were in the audience on that occasion, and then came up and berated him afterwards for what he had said.
“They clearly have two problems. One is that they don’t want to study history, and secondly, having lived in this country for a very long time, probably all their lives, don’t understand English irony either.“They clearly have two problems. One is that they don’t want to study history, and secondly, having lived in this country for a very long time, probably all their lives, don’t understand English irony either.
“Manuel does understand English irony, and uses it very effectively. So I think they needed two lessons, which we can perhaps help them with.”“Manuel does understand English irony, and uses it very effectively. So I think they needed two lessons, which we can perhaps help them with.”
After the video was posted on MailOnline, Corbyn was condemned by some of the Labour MPs who have been particularly critical of his record on antisemitism. After the video was posted on MailOnline on Thursday, Corbyn was condemned by some of the Labour MPs who have been particularly critical of his record on antisemitism.
Luciana Berger, the parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, tweeted: “The video released today of the leader of @UKLabour making inexcusable comments - defended by a party spokesman - makes me as a proud British Jew feel unwelcome in my own party. I’ve lived in Britain all my life and I don’t need any lessons in history/irony.” Luciana Berger, the parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, tweeted: “The video released today of the leader of @UKLabour making inexcusable comments – defended by a party spokesman – makes me as a proud British Jew feel unwelcome in my own party. I’ve lived in Britain all my life and I don’t need any lessons in history/irony.”
The Labour MP Mike Gapes said he was in “total solidarity” with Berger and that he was “sickened by the racism and antisemitism at the top of our party”.The Labour MP Mike Gapes said he was in “total solidarity” with Berger and that he was “sickened by the racism and antisemitism at the top of our party”.
Another Labour MP, Wes Streeting, said Corbyn’s language was “inexcusable and abhorrent”. He added: “I wasn’t silent when Boris Johnson insulted my Muslim constituents and I won’t remain silent when Labour’s leader insults my Jewish constituents. This is plain wrong.”Another Labour MP, Wes Streeting, said Corbyn’s language was “inexcusable and abhorrent”. He added: “I wasn’t silent when Boris Johnson insulted my Muslim constituents and I won’t remain silent when Labour’s leader insults my Jewish constituents. This is plain wrong.”
The Chakrabarti report into antisemitism in the Labour party, written by Corbyn’s close ally, Shami Chakrabarti, detailed, “the way in which the word ‘Zionist’ has been used personally, abusively, or as a euphemism for ‘Jew’.”
Corbyn’s statement, directly addressing criticisms of his remarks, contrasted with Labour’s approach to a recent row over his attendance at a wreath-laying ceremony in Tunis in 2014, which resulted in the party complaining to the press regulator about a number of newspapers.
The new video has reginited a row Labour hoped it had left behind, after Corbyn captured headlines earlier this week with a series of radical policies for reforming the media.
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday about the row, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor and a close ally of Corbyn, said the words had been taken out of context. “In certain contexts certain phrases are appropriate. To take them out of context is unacceptable and I think is not helping the issue, it’s exacerbating the issue,” he added.Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday about the row, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor and a close ally of Corbyn, said the words had been taken out of context. “In certain contexts certain phrases are appropriate. To take them out of context is unacceptable and I think is not helping the issue, it’s exacerbating the issue,” he added.
“I do not want to live in a society where Jewish pupils have to have security when they go to school or when Jewish cemeteries are daubed with swastikas. Let’s talk about how we tackle that now as a community as a whole, and the Labour party will play its full role in leading that campaign against antisemitism.”
A Labour source said that, when Corbyn was referring to particular Zionists at the meeting in 2013, he was referring to a group that included Jews and non-Jews.
A spokesperson for the Labour leader said: “Jeremy is totally opposed to all forms of antisemitism and is determined to drive it out from society. At this event, he was referring to a group of pro-Israel activists misunderstanding and then criticising the Palestinian ambassador for a speech at a separate event about the occupation of the West Bank.”A spokesperson for the Labour leader said: “Jeremy is totally opposed to all forms of antisemitism and is determined to drive it out from society. At this event, he was referring to a group of pro-Israel activists misunderstanding and then criticising the Palestinian ambassador for a speech at a separate event about the occupation of the West Bank.”
Jeremy CorbynJeremy Corbyn
AntisemitismAntisemitism
LabourLabour
John McDonnellJohn McDonnell
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