UK Labour launches antisemitism website to “educate” members

Labour has launched a website dedicated to educating its members about antisemitism so they are better able to “confront bigotry”.

The launch of the website was accompanied by a video from Jeremy Corbyn in which he acknowledged that the party had a problem with anti-Jewish racism.

The site, titled “No Place For Antisemitism”, was sent out to party members alongside an email from Corbyn in which he said: “We must face up to the unsettling truth that a small number of Labour members hold antisemitic views and a larger number don’t recognise antisemitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories.”

The Jewish Labour Movement said the attempt by the Labour to produce a resource to tackle hate was “too little, far too late.”

It comes following an explosive BBC Panorama documentary that accused key aides to Corbyn of intervening in antisemitism disciplinary cases against members. And as Corbyn and his shadow cabinet have been warned that the “bunker mentality around the leader is causing immense damage to the Labour Party,” in a new letter sent to Mr Corbyn and his shadow cabinet ahead of an emergency debate on antisemitism.

Before the BBC’s Panorama was broadcast and after it had aired, the party hit out at the programme describing it as misleading and inaccurate.

The party also called whistleblower former staffers of having “axes to grind.”

The move to attack former staffers and whistleblowers was met with criticism from more than 200 current and former members of staff who condemned Corbyn’s office for trying to “smear” the ex-staff.

Labour staff who are members of the GMB Union called on Mr Corbyn to apologise for the attacks on whistleblowers, while 67 peers took out a national newspaper advert attacking the handling of the crisis.

Corbyn faces an emergency meeting with shadow cabinet ministers over the crisis.

A JLM spokesperson said: “After countless examples over the past four years of Labour failing to tackle anti-Jewish racism, a minisite simply isn’t going to be enough to heal the deep divides between the Party and the Jewish community.”

The Labour leader called on members to make use of the website and “engage with the materials we are producing, which will be placed on a page on our website, along with other resources, so our movement can be the strongest anti-racist force in our country.
Speaking to camera he said he was “sorry for the hurt that has been caused to many Jewish people.

“We have been too slow in processing disciplinary cases of mostly online antisemitic abuse by party members.

“We are acting to speed this process up”.

“People who hold antisemitic views have no place in the Labour Party”.

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