Jeremy Corbyn celebrates Rosh Hashanah with pro-Hamas Jewish activist
In a video posted by Corbyn on Twitter ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the controversial leader goes to buy apple and honey with some Jewish Labor Party members, including Rob Abrams.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFBRITAIN’S OPPOSITION Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in London yesterday. (photo credit: HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS)
UK Labour Secretary Jeremy Corbyn marked Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, by meeting with a group of Jewish activists who included an activist who last year led a public mourning prayer for Hamas members, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported on Sunday. In a video posted by Corbyn on Twitter ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the controversial leader goes to buy apple and honey with some Jewish Labor Party members, including Rob Abrams. Last year, Abrams led a Kaddish in the central Parliament Square in London after 62 Palestinian were killed in clashes at the Gaza border, according to the Jewish Chronicle. At least 50 of them were affiliated to the terror organization that controls the Strip. "The apple is the fruit of the Earth.. and it brings us back to one of the most important elements of Judaism, the guardianship of the Earth," he explained to Corbyn in the video. The video also featured Labour councilor Sue Lukes who in the past shared an article entitled "Jewish 'War against Corbyn' risks bringing real antisemitism to Britain" and expressed appreciation for Malia Bouattia, a former president of the National Union of Students, who called the University of Birmingham a "Zionist outpost."
This episode does not mark the first time that Corbyn highly publicized his meetings with fringe Jewish organizations. Labour has been struggling to revamp their image as strong claims emerged in recent months that the party allegedly suffers from deeply-rooted antisemitic and extremist views – after which multiple Labour politicians resigned from the party – and criticism that "institutional antisemitism" is becoming normalized within the left-wing group. In one of the latest scandals in September, it was discovered that Corbyn signed his name to the 2002 Cairo Declaration which essentially accuses Israel of carrying out a genocide against the Palestinian people as well as backs armed resistance to "the Jewish state." "Learning more about Rosh Hashanah has given me hope that we'll defend our green future," Corbyn said in the video. "We must do everything in our power to combat the climate emergency through a Green Industrial Revolution." "Rosh Hashanah is not about climate change, the bee population or the Green Industrial Revolution," Jewish Labour Movement's Rebecca Filer responded in a tweet. "The Jewish people will continue to have a sweet & happy #RoshHashanah (New Year), notwithstanding the darkness, hate and bitterness YOUR leadership has brought the community!" remarked political analyst Arsen Ostrovsky.
