The co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement has told a packed Labour Party fringe meeting that "Israel and its lobby groups have been weaponising false claims of antisemitism" against his movement.
Speaking at Sunday's Palestine Solidarity Campaign event, Omar Barghouti also attacked Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick's pledge to crack down on local authorities imposing BDS policy in the UK.
He accused the Tory minister of pursuing a "desperate" Israeli-influenced attempt to introduce an "anti-Palestinian definition of antisemitism".
#BDS movement co-founder Omar Barghouti explains why our appeal to the cover legal costs of challenging the government in court is vital to the Palestine solidarity movement in the UK. Donate what you can here https://t.co/au9QB9ABR8 pic.twitter.com/OWoKrCwKlm
— PSC (@PSCupdates) July 2, 2018
Speaking to the audience of around 500 Labour activists, many wearing Palestinian badges and T-shirts, Mr Barghouti also claimed "there's nothing Jewish about Israel's regime of occupation, ethic cleansing and apartheid.
He added: "There is nothing inherently anti-Jewish then about a non-violent human rights struggle to end this system of injustice."
The BDS campaigner was forced to address the meeting - which was attended by Labour's Diane Abbott and Lisa Nandy - via a Skype link from Ramallah.
He was cheered as he said: "Their repression has failed to silence me."
Earlier, PSC chair Kamel Hawwash had hinted that Israel was behind the alleged involvement of Home Secretary Priti Patel in delays to Mr Barghouti's travel visa which left him unable to attend the event.
Mr Hawwash said: "Unfortunately Omar isn't able to be here in person because the British government didn't issue his visa in time for him to be with us.
"Now I have to tell you the current Home Secretary is one Priti Patel - can you remember what she was doing a couple of years ago in the summer? OK I'm not going to say any more."
This was reference to Ms Patel's unauthorised meetings with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu which led to her resignation as International Development Secretary in November 2017.
Speaking at Sunday's PSC meeting, Ms Nandy, who chairs the Labour Friends of Palestine group, emphasised her commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East.
But reacting to criticism of her decision to appear at an event with the BDS founder, she said she did not have to share the views of people she appears on panels with.
Ms Nandy also made a point of leaving the meeting before Mr Barghouti appeared on stage.
The shadow Home Secretary praised Jeremy Corbyn's support of the Palestinian cause but said Labour was for a two-state solution.
She also left the room in advance of the BDS founder's speech.
The PSC meeting was one of three events advertised in Labour's official fringe programme on Sunday that discussed Israel/Palestine.
But there are at least 17 fringe events being held on the similar theme throughout the Brighton Conference.
Labour claim they are powerless to stop unofficial fringe events taking place close to the conference.
