One of the newly elected members of Labour’s National Executive Committee has aggressively criticised both the party’s decision to adopt the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and its caveat inserting a “free speech” clause regarding Israel.

Huda Elmi, who was elected on Monday as part on the “JC9” slate of far-left candidates, called the NEC's adoption of the IHRA definition “incredibly disappointing.”

In a further statement, she elaborated, claiming that the IHRA definition has “dubious legal grounding according to several high profile QCs… doesn’t work to effectively combat antisemitism… and even the author of the IHRA has criticised its current use.”

Labour was criticised for saying it would accept the full IHRA definition but adding a caveat saying it will not "in any way undermine freedom of expression on Israel or the rights of the Palestinians.” This was criticised by some Jewish groups, as having “totally undermined the other examples the party has supposedly just adopted”.

However, Ms Elmi felt that “even the caveats put out today do nothing to address the issue of silencing Palestinian history, Palestinian voices.”

The IHRA definition of antisemitism is used by over 130 local councils in the UK, as well as the police, the judiciary and the CPS. The key representative Jewish communal groups had urged Labour to adopt the full definition, with a cross-communal coalition of UK Rabbis urging the party to do the same.

Ms Elmi’s claim that “the author of the IHRA has criticised its current use”, follows on from far-left blogs citing comments by Kenneth Stern, one of a number of different authors of a the EUMC definition, which preceded the IHRA.

However Dave Rich, deputy communications director of the Community Security Trust (CST), has said Mr Stern’s “only caveat is that he says it is inappropriate for universities to use it for certain types of anti-Israel speech, because he sees campuses as a special 'free speech' environment. But for everyone else, his message is clear: the definition should be used more than it is.

“Stern also says that in his view accusing Israel of apartheid and boycotting it are linked to antisemitism. So maybe he's not the best champion for your cause.”