Board President: 'It's like Jeremy Corbyn has declared war on the Jews'

Asked about the recent flurry of revelations about the Labour leader’s visits to the Middle East to meet with senior Hamas figures, while he was still a backbencher, the Board President said: “Every day you think surely it cannot get any worse – but every day it does.

“We are learning he is spending more and more time with terrorists, with extremists. His credibility surely is blown, but the ratings at home are quite alarming. Despite his dramatic personal drop in the opinion polls Labour are still ahead if there was an election tomorrow.”

Mrs van der Zyl said she could not explain why “good people” did not recognise that Mr Corbyn’s meetings with “terrorists and extremists”  ultimately “threaten the security of Britain – not just Jews.”

She said she feared that his “cult” like status amongst young voters was particular problem.

Asked how the British Jewish community was feeling, she added: “We are feeling nervous, we are feeling anxious – it’s like Jeremy Corbyn has declared war on the Jews at home.

“We’ve never been in this situation, it’s unprecedented.

“We are fighting this – we are insisting on the international definition of antisemitism being implemented in full with all examples.

“We want the show trial with Ian Austin stopped and we want the numerous disciplinary actions that have been pending for years to be completed in a transparent way

“His hatred of Israel and Zionism runs so deep he cannot separate that from antisemitism.”

Mrs van der Zyl was asked why Prime Minister Theresa May had not done more to intervene but insisted: “The Tories have always shown themselves to be friends of the Jewish community.”

Asked about the threat to Israel/UK relations posed by a Corbyn government she said: “This could be threat to world security because the relationship between UK and Israeli intelligence  is probably quite deep.

“ This is going to have major implications – not just for Jews.”