British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is calling anti-Semitism an evil that must be wiped out, hitting back against claims that he has allowed prejudice to spread in the party. Corbyn told a Labour conference on Wednesday that anti-Semitism "led to the worst crimes of the 20th century. Every one of us has a responsibility to ensure that it is never allowed to fester in our society again." Labour has been riven by conflict since veteran socialist Corbyn was elected leader in 2015. Some critics of the strongly pro-Palestinian politician say anti-Semitic abuse has gone unchecked during his tenure. Corbyn acknowledged that "robust debate has at times spilled over into abuse and hate ... including misogyny and anti-Semitism, especially on social media." He called that "utterly unacceptable." Meanwhile, a new poll has found that most British Jews believe Labour is "too tolerant" of anti-Semitism in general and anti-Semites within its ranks. According to British daily The Independent, the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism's Barometer study, which surveyed 1,864 British Jewish adults, found that nine in 10 British Jews believe Labour is soft on anti-Semitism. "All other political parties scored far lower in the poll, which asked whether Jews believed they were guilty of leniency towards anti-Semitism amongst MPs, members and supporters," the report said. The poll found that 87% of British Jews say the Labour Party is "too tolerant" of anti-Semites in its ranks. Only 49% said the same of Britain's Green Party, 43% said this of the U.K. Independence Party, 37% believe this is the case for the Liberal Democrats, and 13% said it of the Conservatives. Joe Glasman, head of Political Investigations and Liaison at the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, said, "Jews are the canaries in the coal mine, and in large numbers are falling silent in Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party." Glasman urged all political parties to take action, saying, "The whole nation should listen to that silence and shudder. The Jews of Britain understand both historically and intuitively what they are witnessing, and every accusation that they are concealing a hidden agenda confirms their fears that Britain's Left is now descending into darkness." Every party has strong policies against racism, but "the Jewish community does not believe that those policies are implemented firmly when it comes to anti-Semitism," he said. Earlier this week, Corbyn sought to assure Jewish Labour supporters of his commitment to fight anti-Semitism in his party. "Let me be clear: I stand against all forms of prejudice and discrimination and will not tolerate any forms of it in our party. Anyone who is found to have been involved in anti-Semitic abuse or instances will be dealt with through our party structures," he said in a statement. Over the past year, Labour has suspended 18 members over anti-Semitism allegations.
