UK Labour leader: We are washing away the 'stain of antisemitism'
"We are beginning to wash clean the stain of antisemitism from our party."
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERINew Labour Party leader Keir Starmer (photo credit: REUTERS/SIMON DAWSON)
UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer told Jewish community leaders from the UK that he plans on washing clean "the stain of antisemitism" from the party."I am in no doubt that it will take time to rebuild trust between the Jewish community and the Labour party," Starmer said, according to the Algemeiner. "Some of the problems will not be fixed overnight. But I was pleased to update the meeting today on the work which has already taken place since we last met."We are beginning to wash clean the stain of antisemitism from our party," he concluded.Starmer replaced Jeremy Corbyn as party leader in April. Corbyn was accused of being antisemitic for a number of acts, including laying a wreath at the memorial for the terrorists who killed Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.Starmer, since taking the position, has made it his mission publicly to fix the antisemitism situation within the party. "At today's meeting, I also emphasized that it is not enough for the Labour party to have an effective system for dealing with antisemitism," he said during the call. "I also emphasized that it is not enough for the Labour party to have an effective system for dealing with antisemitism. I want to lead a party without any antisemitism, full stop."A number of Jewish community leaders called on Starmer to "take a tough line with MPs, senior Labour figures and other members who still trade in the tropes and behaviours of the last few years; continue to make strenuous efforts to detoxify the culture of the party in relation to the Jewish community, including the accusation that antisemitism was falsely used by Jews to smear the former leadership; publish the documents relevant to EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) inquiry at the earliest opportunity that he is able after it is released; and proceed with all due haste to the implementation of his pledge to implement an independent disciplinary process, beyond the reach of factional considerations."The message came from Chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council Jonathan Goldstein, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Marie van der Zyl, Chair of the Community Security Trust Gerald Ronson CBE, and Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement Mike Katz.“Overall, we give credit where credit is due and thank Sir Keir for the progress made so far, and hope to be able to reflect on further advances in the fight against antisemitism in the Labour party at our next meeting in October,” the group said.The discussion came in the wake of three Jewish politicians re-joining the Labour Party after having left during Corbyn's leadership due to the antisemitism problem within the party. David Triesman, Leslie Turnberg and Parry Mitchell all left due to the ongoing issues within the party in relation to antisemitism.
