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Board of Deputies' pledges for 'healing' relationship with Labour prompts far-left backlash

One Labour branch passes motion calling the Board a 'Tory organisation' and denying antisemitism exists in the party

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Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Britain's opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and anti-semitism in the Labour party, outside the British Houses of Parliament in central London on March 26, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMEN (Photo credit should read TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Board of Deputies' pledges to "begin healing" Labour's relationship with Britain's Jews have sparked a furious backlash among hard-left party members.

Alex Holmes, a member of Ilford South constituency Labour Party (CLP), said he had been at "the worst meeting I have ever attended" on Monday evening after a motion was passed at a branch meeting which attacked the Board as a "Tory organisation" and denied that antisemitism existed at all in the party.

Mr Holmes added on Twitter: "A member accused me and others of being 'agents of a foreign power' as they proposed a motion attacking the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

"Me and a Jewish member spoke against the motion, the motion passed."

The motion said: "The Board has been consistent in its support for the Conservative Part, fulsomely welcoming the election of Boris Johnson...

"This branch particuarly notes that the pledges breach free speech and human rights and do not include all forms of racism."

The JC contacted Ilford South MP Sam Tarry for comment on the motion, which was passed by around 30 members of his local party.

An article on the website Mondoweiss written by Jonathan Ofir accused the Board of "weaponising the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working-definition of antisemitism" and seeking to make the "Zionist Jewish Labour Movement" an "exclusive trainer" while excluding the "progressive" Jewish Voice For Labour - a fringe, pro-Corbyn group - from the party.

The article accused the Board of "a cynical usage of ‘antisemitism’ in order to eradicate Palestine solidarity and to make the party more centrist and more Zionist."

The JC has also learned of a discussion involving members of Brent Central Labour Party in which one member labelled the left-wing leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey a "Zionist wh**e".

All five Labour leadership candidates - Ms Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips, Emily Thornberry and Sir Keir Starmer - have pledged to back the Board's key proposals in the race to replace Mr Corbyn.

But there has been some criticism from within the community that the Board's pledges make it too easy for candidates to appear to be acting over antisemitism.

Actress and campaigner Tracy-Ann Oberman wrote: "I've now re-read these pledges .... look pretty weak to me. Does anyone agree? Seem to be making it too easy for the candidates.

"Why would a community do that?"

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