Jeremy Corbyn pays tribute to CST at local election campaign launch

Jeremy Corbyn paid tribute to the Community Security Trust’s role in tackling anti-Semitism at the official launch of Labour’s local election campaign.

The Labour leader bemoaned the need for Jewish schools’ increased security and rising anti-Semitism year-on-year as his speech in Westminster.

His remarks came as the party has been beset by criticism over its handling of anti-Semitism within its ranks. Several recent revelations involving party members, including Corbyn’s own apparent support of a mural with anti-Semitic undertones, have led to protests against his leadership from sections of the Jewish community.

In his speech, Corbyn addressed the issue of anti-Semitism in the party, before paying tribute to the CST’s work monitoring hatred.

He said: “I know my party, the party I have been a member of for 50 years and I know that the overwhelming majority of members are united, determined to root out any anti-semitism, and to make our party the welcoming movement that is has always been.

“Prejudice and hatred of Jewish people has no place whatsoever in society and every one of us has a responsibility to ensure it is never allowed to fester again.

“I want to pay tribute to the work of the Community Security Trust in monitoring and combating anti-Semitic attacks for 30 years.

“But their reporting shows that anti-semitism is on the rise and last year they reported that there were 22 attacks on Jewish schools in the previous year and it is a mark of shame on our society that many of our Jewish schools now need security guards.”

“The rise in racially-motivated hate crime should alarm us all and reminds us that we can never be complacent”.

This comes after leaders of the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council wrote to Jeremy Corbyn accepting his offer of a meeting to discuss anti-Semitism within the Labour Party.