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Israel’s Labor Party Cuts Ties with UK Labour Leader Corbyn over “Hostility” Towards Jews

Israel’s Labor Party announced on Tuesday that it had cut all formal ties with the leader of the British Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, over his “hostility” towards the Jewish community, Reuters reported.

Corbyn is facing allegations of turning a blind eye to rampant anti-Semitism and has failed to take adequate actions to combat rising anti-Jewish sentiments in his party.

“It is my responsibility to acknowledge the hostility you have shown to the Jewish community and the anti-Semitic statements and actions you have allowed as leader of the Labour Party UK,” Israeli Labor Party leader, Avi Gabbay, wrote in a letter to Corbyn.

Last month, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies organized a rally in front of Parliament, accusing Corbyn of failing to tackle anti-Semitism in party ranks because of his long-standing ties to enemies of the Jewish people.

Corbyn had previously described member of the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah as his “friends”, invited a Palestinian hate preacher for tea in parliament, and entertained Holocaust deniers. He also took roughly $30,000 from the Iranian regime to appear on state-owned Press TV.

Mr Gabbay observed that the policies of Israel’s opposition party and the ruling coalition government were “aligned” when it came to the “security of our citizens and the actions of our soldiers” and charged Corbyn had shown “hatred” of the government’s policies in these areas.

He further noted in his letter that Israel was reminded of the horrors of anti-Semitism in Europe as it approached Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day this week. “As such, I write to inform you of the temporary suspension of all formal relations between the Israel Labour Party and the leader of the Labour Party UK.”

Israeli Labour is part of the “Zionist Union” faction in Israel’s Knesset, which holds 24 of the legislature’s 120 seats. In his letter, Gabbay praised the party’s “long history of friendship” with UK Labour under Prime Ministers Harold Wilson, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

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