The ruling body of Britain's main opposition Labour party agreed Tuesday to adopt in full an international definition of anti-Semitism for its code of conduct, after a bitter row that reignited
internal criticism of leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) agreed that in dealing with anti-Jewish abuse, it would use the definition and examples drawn up by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
The NEC meeting at Labour's London headquarters lasted several hours, while outside, noisy demonstrators gathered from both sides of the debate.
"The NEC has today adopted all of the IHRA examples of anti-Semitism, in addition to the IHRA definition which Labour adopted in 2016," a Labour spokesman said.
They were adopted "alongside a statement which ensures this will not in any way undermine freedom of expression on Israel or the rights of Palestinians".
However, this statement drew immediate criticism.
Long-serving Labour MP Margaret Hodge, one of Corbyn's most strident critics on the issue, tweeted that the decision was "two steps forward and one step back".
"Why dilute the welcome adoption IN FULL of the #IHRA definition of #Antisemitism with an unnecessary qualification?" she wrote.
The group Labour Against Anti-Semitism added that the clarifying statement "risks giving racists in the party a get out of jail card."
Corbyn, who has, in the past called Hamas and Hezbollah his “friends”, continues to be plagued by incidents of anti-Semtism and anti-Israel statements.
The Daily Mail recently published photos of the Labour leader at a cemetery in Tunisia holding a wreath near the graves of some of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) terrorists who were responsible for the massacre of the 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Days later, a picture emerged of Corbyn apparently making a salute linked to the Muslim Brotherhood organization.
That week, the Times of Londonpublished a picture of Corbyn meeting with the leader-in-exile of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization, only weeks before its members carried out an attack on a Jerusalem synagogue in which six people were murdered.
Later, it was revealed that Corbyn attended a conference with a convicted Hamas leader who was jailed in Israel for his role in orchestrating a string of terrorist attacks that killed more than 100 people between 2001 and 2002.
Last week, the Daily Mailexposed remarks made by Corbyn in 2010 in which he hinted that Israeli officials were controlling the speeches made by British MPs.
Moreover, dozens of Labour members have been suspended over their anti-Semitic statements in recent years, and the party has been criticized for its failure to deal with the anti-Semitism within it.
Last week, Britain's former Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, accused Corbyn of being an anti-Semite.
“Now, within living memory of the Holocaust, and while Jews are being murdered elsewhere in Europe for being Jews, we have an anti-Semite as the leader of the Labour Party and her majesty’s opposition. That is why Jews feel so threatened by Mr Corbyn and those who support him," Rabbi Sacks told the New Statesman.