Corbyn urged to ‘disavow’ links to Al-Quds Day protest organisers

A community leader has called on Jeremy Corbyn to “immediately disavow” links to a controversial anti-Israel group, after being pictured at one of their events on Thursday.

The Labour leader has been criticised for attending a book reading hosted by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, dubbed a “disgraceful organisation” by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

IHRC, who have previously said the party Corbyn leads is “indebted to Jewish financiers with Zionist leanings“, also organises the annual anti-Israel Al-Quds Day demonstration in London. The demonstration regularly features the flags of terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

The book that was being read is by anti-Israel activist Hatem Bazian, who Corbyn is seen with at the event.  It calls Zionism “settler colonialism” and argues for a “theoretical basis for approaching Palestine as a subject without falling into pitfalls of an internationally supported ‘peace process”.

Board of Deputies Vice President Marie van der Zyl said it was ‘profoundly disappointing’ that Corbyn had attended the meeting.

She adds, that IHRC “organises Al Quds Day – an Iranian-backed anti-Israel event which every year features the flying of a flag of anti-Semitic movement Hezbollah, which is massacring civilians in Syria and whose military arm is a proscribed terror organisation.”

“This is the same group which gave its ‘Islamophobe of the Year’ award to the murdered staff of Charlie Hebdo – two months after they were butchered – and whose Genocide Memorial Day is deliberately timed to undermine Holocaust Memorial Day.”

“The whole situation rings of one step forward and at least two steps back. We call on Mr Corbyn to immediately disavow this disgraceful organisation.”

Jennifer Gerber, Director of the Party’s Friend’s of Israel group, said: “We find it strange that Jeremy Corbyn would think it’s appropriate to attend an event organised by a group who say the party he leads is “indebted to Jewish financiers with Zionist leanings”. We hope in future Jeremy will think more carefully about the organisations he associates himself with.”