Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised for sharing a Passover meal with a radical left-wing Jewish group which is strongly opposed to mainstream Jewish groups and the state of Israel.
It comes amid an ongoing controversy over antisemitism in the Labour party. Corbyn has promised an investigation into the allegations and Momentum, the fringe group backing Corbyn's leadership, admitted the party had 'failed' on antisemitism.
However Jewdas has dismissed the claims of antisemitism against Corbyn as 'faux-outrage greased with hypocrisy and opportunism'. It has also accused the Jewish Board of Deputies, Jewish Leadership Council and Jewish Labour Movement of 'playing a dangerous game with people's lives'.
The group said that last week's demonstration against antisemitism in Labour was 'the work of cynical manipulations by people whose express loyalty is to the Conservative party and the right wing of the Labour party'.
The decision to attend the event, which Corbyn's spokesman said was personal and not on behalf of the party, was branded 'irresponsible and dangerous' by one Labour MP.
John Woodcock, a prominent critic of Corbyn, said the meeting gave the message that 'extreme views are OK'.
This is deliberately baiting the mainstream Jewish community days after they pleaded with him to tackle antisemitism. And he must know that meeting them now will give his members the message that the group’s extreme views are ok. Irresponsible and dangerous https://t.co/NORQQiFq8J
— John Woodcock (@JWoodcockMP) 2 April 2018 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Jewdas is highly critical of the Israeli government and has also published pro-Palestinian pamphlets advising on how to avoid antisemitism in campaigning.
Charlotte Nicols, who attended the Jewdas seder alongside Corbyn, defended his presence.
'Many of last night's attendees are absolutely part of the "mainstream community,"' she wrote in a piece for the pro-Labour website, Labour List. 'It is untrue to say that there is any one narrative, political or otherwise, within Jewdas. It is a collective space where we can have uncomfortable conversations – what unites us all is the fact that we are Jewish.
'It is not for non-Jewish people, in criticising Corbyn's attendance, to determine what is and isn't a legitimate expression of the Jewish faith. For those in the community who want to paint Jeremy's attendance as an act of provocation, rather than an attempt to listen, engage, and share our festival with us, it's actually just alienating many young Jewish people further and validating Jewdas' very existence.'
But the the Campaign Against Antisemitism described his participation as 'a very clear two-fingered salute at mainstream British Jewry'.
'It is hard to imagine how this duplicitous man can claim to be remedying antisemitism within the Labour party. The party must consider the message that is sent to British Jews and other minorities by him remaining as leader.'
