UK’s Corbyn condemned for ‘Israel-Daesh comparison’

LONDON

Britain’s embattled opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn came under fresh pressure to resign Thursday after being accused of comparing Israel to Daesh.

The Labour leader was condemned by the U.K.’s former chief rabbi for making the supposed comparison at a press conference to announce the results of an investigation into alleged anti-Semitic attitudes within the party.

In a scripted speech in London Thursday, Corbyn said: “Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu government than our Muslim friends are for those of various self-styled Islamic states or organizations.

“Nor should Muslims be regarded as sexist, anti-Semitic or otherwise suspect, as has become an ugly Islamophobic norm. We judge people on their individual values and actions, not en masse.”

A Labour spokesman later clarified Corbyn was referring to states of an Islamic character, such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or Iran, The Guardian reported.

But Jonathan Sacks, the former British chief rabbi, said the remarks were an “outrage”.

Sacks wrote in a statement on his website: “Jeremy Corbyn’s comparison of the state of Israel to ISIS [Daesh] is demonization of the highest order, an outrage and unacceptable. That this occurred at the launch of the report into the Labour Party’s recent troubles with anti-Semitism shows how deep the sickness is in parts of the left of British politics today.

“Israel is a democratic state with an independent judiciary, a free press and a diverse population of many cultures, religions and creeds. ISIS [Daesh] is a terrorist entity whose barbarities have been condemned by all those who value our common humanity.”

Labour lawmaker Ruth Smeeth also attacked Corbyn for failing to intervene after an activist accused her at the press conference of being part of “media conspiracy”.

Smeeth, who is Jewish, said she walked out of the meeting after being targeted with “traditional anti-Semitic slurs”, and added: “The leader of my own party stood by and did absolutely nothing.”

Corbyn has faced widespread calls to resign for failing to convince voters to back a vote to remain in the European Union.