Labour UK chairman Jeremy Corbyn tried to reassure Jewish voters in Britain that they have nothing to fear from a possible Labour government.
Speaking with The Guardian Sunday night, Corbyn condemned anti-Semitism as “evil”, and said British Jews have no reason to fear his possible election as Prime Minister in next month’s general election.
“Anti-Semitism and racism is an evil within our society,” Corbyn told The Guardian. “We want this country to be safe for all people. An attack on a synagogue, an attack on a mosque, an attack on a church – an attack on a person walking down the street because they’re perceived to be different from the rest of us – we simply can’t tolerate it.”
Corbyn, who took control of the Labour Party in 2015, has faced ongoing accusations of anti-Semitism, both over his history of hostility towards Israel and support for anti-Israel terrorist groups, as well as the rise in anti-Jewish rhetoric within the party.
Critics, including the Labour Party’s Jewish Labour Movement, have accused Corbyn of suppressing investigations into Labour members accused of anti-Semitism.
A 2018 poll found that nearly 86% of British Jews believe the Labour leader is anti-Semitic, compared to just 8.3% who believe he is not.
Two weeks ago, a Survation poll conducted for The Jewish Chronicle found that just 7% of British Jews would even consider voting for Labour in this December’s general election.