Prominent Jewish groups have called on U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to end the "impasse" over rooting out anti-Semitism in the party.
In separate letters to Labour’s general secretary, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), and the Community Security Trust (CST) argued party leaders have not sufficiently dealt with internal anti-Semitism, The Guardian reports.
The organizations cited the "unfathomably vast" amount of abuse Jews have received on social media over the summer.
"The amount of abuse that Jews have received on social media from those purporting to support Jeremy Corbyn is unfathomably vast," wrote Gillian Merron, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. "While Mr. Corbyn has said that such people do not speak in his name, his un-atoned-for actions undoubtedly give the wrong impression about what is permissible."
Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron has written to @UKLabour General Secretary Jennie Formby, informing her of the essential steps the party needs to take in order to deal with the antisemitism crisis pic.twitter.com/YjlWr3gdH1
— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) August 29, 2018
The letter from the Board of Deputies also referenced Corbyn’s association with anti-Semitic individuals and events. "It is now beyond contention that he has repeatedly shared platforms and joined events with antisemites, terrorist sympathizers and other extremists, not to challenge them, but to show solidarity."
Last week, it was reported Corbyn attended a 2012 conference with senior officials from the terrorist group Hamas. In 2014, Corbyn participated in a memorial service for members of the Palestinian terrorist group Black September, which was responsible for killing 11 Israelis at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
"To move forward, Mr. Corbyn must acknowledge his own failings and offer a heartfelt apology to British Jews and to the Israeli victims of terrorists with whom he has shown solidarity," the letter continued.
A joint letter by the JLC and CST described the "antisemitic environment" of Labour circles, arguing no Jew can be an equal member in the party. "[The] obsessive hatred of Israel and Zionism means that no Jew can be an equal member of the Labour party, because even if they pass an initial loyalty/morality test, they still always remain under suspicion, lest they display ‘Zionist’ or ‘pro-Israel’ tendencies," the letter read.
Labour is preparing to amend its anti-Semitism code of conduct to conform with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, albeit with some caveats to permit criticism of Israel.