There is a certain dissonance between the official statements from the Labour Party and the Board of Deputies after this week's meeting between the Board's President and CEO and Jeremy Corbyn, and what one might call the real world. The meeting was described as "positive and constructive" by the president and a "constructive dialogue" by Mr Corbyn. But look at the reality.

The best message that the Board could take away was that the Labour leader gave a "solid commitment to the right of Israel to live within secure and recognised boundaries". Big deal. Does he also give such solid commitments to the right of France to live within secure and recognised boundaries? Or Australia? Or any other nation? Of course not. On the substance, where Mr Corbyn's views cause such concern, he is the same fellow traveller with extremists that he has always been. He refuses to acknowledge that he has done anything wrong in associating with a series of antisemites.

Nor will he reject cementing antisemitism into Labour's own foreign policy through possible future support for a boycott of Israel. This is not dialogue - it is contempt. Contempt for a community that asks only to be treated with fairness, and contempt for a nation that wishes to be treated only as any other nation. It is good that the Board is not pretending there is some sort of consensus between the community and Mr Corbyn. The issues are too important for courtesy to be allowed to mask reality.