A letter from 12 Holocaust survivors, defending Jeremy Corbyn

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is launching an investigation into whether the Labour Party’s handling of anti-semitism within its ranks complies with equalities law. We British Jewish Holocaust survivors do not believe that any prejudice against or hostility towards Jews is being perpetrated by Labour; and if any exists within the party, it is minimal and no more prevalent than in any other political party.

Jeremy Corbyn has in fact bent over backwards to help Jewish people. Media attention on the Labour Party in general, and on Corbyn in particular, is being generated by anti-Labour and anti-Corbyn mischief makers, who unfortunately are overrepresented within the so-called Anglo-Jewish leadership — a leadership whose legitimacy is not recognised by the mainstream Haredi (strictly Orthodox) Jews.

The real current threat to Jewish life in the UK is the anti-religious education policies being relentlessly pursued by Ofsted. To our chagrin, they receive full backing and support from these so-called Anglo-Jewish leadership organisations, together with certain secularist groups, which display no compunction in discriminating against people with religious beliefs.

Jacob Ostreicher, Avigdor Langberg, Leah Stern, Minia Meisels, London E5; Mendel Glausiusz, Eli Schreiber, Kurt Winter, Tauba Posen, Roslie Kornbluh, Abraham Just, Hushi Schreiber, London N16; Hyman Bindinger, Tyne and Wear

Adam Samuels