Your guide to Labour's long weekend of antisemitism-related woe

For the second weekend in a row, the story of Labour antisemitism continued to unfold bit by bit in a way that must have confused people who don’t obsessively follow the news. So if you’re wondering how we went from ‘Jeremy Corbyn is giving a speech at the Jewish Museum’ to ‘a Labour Party member used an antisemitic trope to attack Tom Watson’ in the space of two days, this easy-to-follow guide is for you.

Friday afternoon

Jeremy Corbyn’s team had approached the Jewish Museum in North London about the possibility of using the venue for a speech on antisemitism but the proposed event is cancelled. Reportedly, Labour officials initially suggested to the museum the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Community Security Trust and a number of prominent rabbis would be present. It later emerges no contact had actually been made with the communal groups, although Labour sources indicated the party had been intending to invite them.

In lieu of a speech, an article in Mr Corbyn’s name is published on the Guardian’s website at 5:30pm on the subject of antisemitism, appearing in the print version of the paper on Saturday. The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council subsequently say that Mr Corbyn’s office contacted them to ask whether late Friday afternoon was an insensitive time to release the statement. They said it would be. They were then ignored.

Saturday

Tom Watson, deputy leader of the Labour party, calls on Jeremy Corbyn to adopt the full IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism, and to drop internal probes into two Labour MPs, Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin, both of whom had responded furiously to Labour’s muted reaction to the issue of Jew-hate. Mr Corbyn’s Guardian article did not indicate that Labour would adopt the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Jew-hate. Mr Watson warns that, unless the party took clear steps on the issue, it would “disappear into a vortex of eternal shame and embarrassment”.

Mr Corbyn is forced to “entirely disassociate” himself from an organisation which had listed him as a member of its international advisory panel while openly supporting a French writer – Roger Garaudy – who was convicted of Holocaust denial. The president of the organisation – the Just World Trust – claims Mr Corbyn had been a member of its advisory panel “since 1994”. A spokesperson for Mr Corbyn says he is not aware he was listed on this organisation’s website and has asked to be removed.”

Sunday

Two sources, including a “former aide to Jeremy Corbyn” allege that they overheard Mr Corbyn and other members of his staff describe Jewish Labour MP Dame Louise Ellman as "the Honourable Member for Tel Aviv". Accusing Jews of loyalty to Israel over their own country is an example of contemporary antisemitism, according to the IHRA definition – but not Labour’s definition. A spokesperson for Mr Corbyn describes the claim as “a fabrication.” Dame Louise responds by saying: "If this is correct, I am appalled that a potential Prime Minister would use language of this sort against one of his own MPs. To refer to me as the 'MP for Tel Aviv' is to challenge my loyalty to this country. A key part of the internationally accepted code on antisemitism which the Labour Party wants to dilute specifically states it is antisemitic to accuse Jews of being more loyal to Israel than to their own country."

Mr Corbyn releases a video on the subject of antisemitism, making many of the same points as his article, while continuing to avoid taking any personal responsibility for the Labour party’s predicament. He says: "We have been too slow in processing disciplinary cases of mostly online antisemitic abuse by party members. We're acting to speed the process up."

Labour is accused of dismissing accusations of antisemitism against Jeremy Corbyn supporters by claiming that it can find no record of such people being party members – even when the people in question actually hold senior position within their local parties.

Tom Watson is targeted by supporters of Mr Corbyn. They call on him to quit after his comments the previous day. Tweets under the #ResignWatson hashtag noted that one of his political donors was Jewish philanthropist Sir Trevor Chinn and accused him of “acting on behalf of the Israeli lobbies to attempt to undermine Jeremy Corbyn.” George McManus, a Momentum-backed National Policy Forum candidate, posted on Facebook saying “Apparently Electoral Commission states that Watson received £50 000 + from Jewish donors. At least Judas only got 30 pieces of silver.” Mr McManus is subsequently suspended from the party. Mr Corbyn makes no comment about his supporter’s attacks on his own deputy leader.