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Peace campaigners reject Arkush's latest anti-semitism smears

PEACE campaigners have rejected another set of anti-semitism allegations against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn from outgoing Jewish Board of Deputies chief Jonathan Arkush as “an attempt to close down any criticism of Israel.”

Mr Arkush told the Daily Telegraph that Mr Corbyn’s “associations” with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and the Stop the War Coalition were evidence of anti-semitism, even accusing the PSC of having an anti-semitic logo which “has no room for Israel.”

The PSC logo consists of a circle comprised of two curved arrows in the colours of the Palestinian flag, though Mr Arkush might have been referring to an older logo depicting historic Palestine as it existed before the establishment of Israel in 1948, which saw 700,000 Palestinians driven from their homes.

A spokesman for the Labour leader rejected the “unfounded and outrageous personal attack” by Mr Arkush, who said that sharing an unspecified “prevalent discourse about Israel” was “unquestionably anti-semitic” and claimed that Mr Corbyn had remained silent when asked why he never said anything nice about Israel.

Stop the War Coalition vice-chair Chris Nineham told the Morning Star that the campaign “totally denies” Mr Arkush’s insinuation that it is anti-semitic.

“To say attacking the Israeli government’s aggression against Palestine is anti-semitic is like saying criticising Donald Trump is anti-American,” he said.

David Rosenberg of the Jewish Socialist Group said: “Not content with describing the Labour Party’s most anti-racist leader in its history as an anti-semite, Jonathan Arkush tries to pin that label on the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

“The Jewish Socialist Group has always been proud to work with PSC to end the occupation and enable Palestinians to live in freedom.

“Arkush, a strong supporter of both Trump and [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu does a disservice to the struggle against real anti-semitism with these ridiculous and defamatory charges.”

In a statement, the PSC said: “Jonathan Arkush’s comments in his interview with the Daily Telegraph that conflate criticism of Israel with anti-semitism are deeply concerning.

“This conflation undermines both the cause of justice for the Palestinian people and the fight against anti-semitism in which all should be engaged.”

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign today welcomed Lord Bracadale’s report on hate crime legislation which concluded that “hate crime legislation should not extend to political entities” (such as states or governments).

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