Jewish Labour veteran voices ‘concern’ over Jeremy Corbyn’s views

By Naomi Firsht, JC

Labour MP Ivan Lewis

A veteran Jewish Labour MP has called party leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn’s views a “cause for concern”.

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Ivan Lewis spoke out against Mr Corbyn for his alleged association with people with antisemitic views.

Mr Lewis wrote in the New Statesman that party members should not vote for the leadership contest frontrunner.

“Some of his stated political views are a cause for serious concern,” Mr Lewis wrote. “At the very least he has shown very poor judgment in expressing support for and failing to speak out against people who have engaged not in legitimate criticism of Israeli governments but in antisemitic rhetoric.”

Following the JC’s front page story demanding answers to questions over Mr Corbyn’s association with Holocaust deniers and antisemites, a spokesperson for Mr Corbyn said: “Jeremy is proud to represent a multicultural constituency of people from all over the world and to speak at every opportunity of understanding between Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and other faiths.

“He has delivered this message in all places of worship. No place of worship should ever be attacked and nobody's right to practise their faith in peace should ever be prevented.”

Mr Corbyn also pulled out of a conference at which he was due to appear alongside antisemitic cartoonist Carlos Latuff.
Senior Labour figures including Tony Blair and Alan Johnson have also warned that a win for Mr Corbyn could split the party.