Jeremy Corbyn ignored an invitation from Israel’s Labour Party to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, the party’s former leader has said.

Isaac Herzog told the JC he wrote to the Labour leader to make the offer in March 2016 but never received a reply.

In an interview to mark his appointment as chairman of the Jewish Agency, Mr Herzog also backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for condemning Mr Corbyn.

“Two years ago, while I was still leader of the opposition and the Israeli Labour Party, I sent a written invitation to Jeremy Corbyn, as leader of Labour’s Israeli sister party, to come to Jerusalem and visit the Yad Vashem museum,” Mr Herzog said. “Sadly, the invitation wasn’t answered.”

He continued: “It’s good that there’s a clear and sharp protest from the Jewish community in Britain and that the political leadership in Israel has echoed them.

“After all, it’s not a fringe party. You ask yourself how come, in Great Britain, with a democratic system so respected around the world, you have such a deep phenomenon at the heart of the political establishment?”

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But the Labour Party denied Mr Corbyn had never sent an answer.

A party spokeswoman said: “Jeremy Corbyn responded in June 2016, and explained he couldn't personally take up the invitation due to existing commitments.

“He sent the General Secretary of the Labour Party on his behalf, who visited Yad Vashem and paid respects on behalf of the Labour Party.”

In a rare condemnation of a British political leader by a foreign head of government, Mr Netanyahu criticised Mr Corbyn earlier this month for laying a wreath at a service in memory of the Black September terrorists behind the 1972 Munich massacre.

Mr Herzog resigned from the Knesset this summer after losing the leadership of his party to Avi Gabbay.

This article was updated at 3pm on 30 August to include the Labour Party's response.