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Jon Lansman faces sceptical audience at Limmud

Momentum founder says Labour’s biggest obstacle in dealing with antisemitism is ‘denial’

December 24, 2018 11:44
Jon Lansman, pictured in 2016 (Photo: PA Images)
1 min read

Jon Lansman, the founder of the pro-Corbyn Labour group Momentum, said the biggest problem in dealing with antisemitism in the party was those who were “in denial” about it.

He told the Limmud Festival on Monday that it was important to draw party members away from those who denied antisemitism but that “the most influential antisemitism-deniers, unfortunately, are Jewish anti-Zionists”.

The Momentum leader, appearing at Limmud for the third year in succession, attempted to convince a largely sceptical audience that Labour was trying to tackle its antisemitism problem. While it was trying to speed up disciplinary investigations, he conceded the pace had been to slow.

He said Mr Corbyn had been “very hurt by accusations that he is an antisemite, which I do not believe are true” and rejected suggestions the Labour leader was obsessed with the issue of Palestine.