They must be regretting their latest attempt to smear Jeremy

'Any and every condemnation of antisemitism is welcome. But sadly, unless you’re against racism by anyone to anyone, you’re not an anti-racist – you’re an opportunist. This opportunism is highlighted by the reaction of a toxic coalition of the Labour right, the right, and the far right of UK politics over the weekend. When Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sat down for Passover Seder with left-wing Jewish group Jewdas, the far-right Guido Fawkes blog ran a hit piece. The antisemitic rant stripped Jewdas members of their Jewish identity, for the sake of attacking Corbyn. It was truly foul.'

On 2 April, the right-wing media – led by Guido Fawkes – launched an attack on left-wing Jewish group Jewdas. The reason? Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had attended the group’s Seder (a traditional Passover feast) in Islington. But unfortunately for the pro-Conservative media, the attack on Jewdas is now backfiring rather spectacularly.'

'When David Cameron decided to withdraw from Merkel’s centrist grouping in the European Union to team up with Holocaust deniers, white supremacists and unreconstructed fascists, our communal leadership decided that they could work with him. Whatever his faults, they’d influence him. This was not a communal crisis.

When Donald Trump declared to a room full of Jews that they wouldn’t like him because they couldn’t buy him, and hired Steve Bannon as his Chief Strategist, Jonathan Arkush tweeted his warm congratulations. He nearly fell out of his seat celebrating when the same President risked World War Three by declaring Jerusalem the eternal capital of Israel. This was not a problem for the Jews.

But decades ago our communal leadership decided that any criticism of Israel was beyond the pale. People could flirt with Nazis and threaten our communal life all they wanted, as long as they stood up for Israel. Far right evangelical Christians were our friends, while Jewish public figures like Gerald Kauffman, Hugo Gryn and Avi Shlaim were denounced as antisemites. As far as they were concerned, Corbyn was already beyond the pale before he started. They would not have needed any evidence to attack him. The evidence was already there in the fact that he championed the cause of the Palestinians....

Now, in the build-up to local elections where Labour were expected to make significant gains, they have turned rumours and half-truths into a narrative that pretends that another Holocaust is round the corner in Britain. Unfortunately, some fools even believe them.

Enough is enough.'

• Click here to see THE CANARY's coverage of this latest attempt to smear Jeremy.
• Click here to see how JEWDAS has been responding.
• Click here for 'Anti-Semitism, real and counterfeit', by Martin Wicks.