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Corbyn's office 'ignored advice' not to publish antisemitism article on Friday, claim Board and JLC

The Board and JLC suggest the Labour leader 'deliberately' picked time 'mainstream Jewish organisations were closed for our holy day' to release message

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Jeremy Corbyn's office ignored advice from the two leading Jewish communal organisations not to release his article on antisemitism last Friday afternoon, it has been claimed.

In an article written jointly by Jewish Leadership Council chair Jonathan Goldstein and Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl on Sunday it was claimed the Labour leader's office "asked us whether it would be insensitive to release a statement on Friday afternoon, before the Jewish Sabbath. We said it would be an act of tremendous bad faith. He clearly ignored us."

The article for the New Statesman added:"He deliberately picked a time that he knew all the mainstream Jewish organisations were closed for our holy day. 

"This tells you as much as you need to know about him and the contempt with which many of those around him regard the Jewish community."

Sources told the JC on Sunday: "There was a sense that there were those in Mr Corbyn's office who were not keen (to publish the article) - but they were overruled.

"There was an effort to prevent this happening,  but someone clearly thought it a good idea despite the advice they were given."

The New Statesman article also attacked Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby over her failure to take action against disgraced NEC member Peter Willsman.

And it also noted that Mr Corbyn had sat through his outburst at the July 17th NEC meeting in silence.

This, it is suggested, was in stark contrast to speedy move  by Mr Corbyn's Party to take disciplinary action against Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin MP.

Mr Corbyn article was published by the Guardian's website at around 5.30 pm on Friday.

Most communal organisations had already closed to allow staff to prepare for Shabbat.

In a further bizarre move Mr Corbyn's office released a new video message at noon on Sunday in which he said "sorry for the hurt"  that the on-going antisemitism crisis has "caused to many Jewish people."

The JC has contacted the Labour Party for comment.

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