Peers report anti-Semitic posts on pro-Corbyn Facebook groups to police

A cross-party group of 11 peers including Lord Sugar and Baroness Altmann, have written to the police to report anti-Semitic content in Facebook groups that support Jeremy Corbyn.

They ask authorities to consider “serious concerns” about “examples of hate speech on social media platforms” publicised by The Sunday Times over the Easter Holiday.

Signatories to the letter include the Conservatives’ Lord Polak, honourary president of Conservative Friends of Israel and minister Baroness Altmann, Labour politicians Lord Beecham and Lord Turnberg, as well as Lord Palmer Monroe, Vice President of Lib Dem Friends of Israel, as well as cross-bench peers.

They cite  the ‘Supporting Jeremy Corbyn & John McDonnell’ Facebook group, which features a post saying: “Adolph (sic), you should have finished the job”, as a “clear and unambiguous example of hate speech.”

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The letter, which was drafted by Lord Polak, honorary president of the Conservative Friends of Israel, also references the ‘Jeremy Corbyn Leads Us to Victory’ group, on which which pictures feature journalists with the Star of David pasted onto them.

The letter, says “many of the messages may be a breach under the Public Order Act (1986), and would ask that the Metropolitan Police investigate.”

“These messages seem to go well beyond what can reasonably be considered as free-speech, and we believe those which incite violence should urgently be investigated to establish whether they were made with serious intent.”

“It is our strongly held belief that this Anti-Semitic rhetoric not only stirs up racial hatred which threatens the very fabric of community cohesion throughout London and the UK, but also poses a possible physical threat to the Jewish community.

Lord Sugar, who quit Labour three years ago, said Mr Corbyn was “dangerous” and insisted it was the Opposition leader’s job “to stop inciting this type of rubbish”.

He told the Daily Express: “I am happy to put my name to this letter. If I didn’t know better, I would say Corbyn has deliberately aggravated the situation by associating himself with known haters.

“If you didn’t condone it, you would keep away from it. If this was about Muslims there would be merry hell to pay, there would be riots in the streets.”

Lord Sugar also posted an “ode to Jeremy Corbyn” on Twitter and called on MPs and peers to “grow a pair and get him OUT”.

Signatories include: Lord Polak, Baroness Altmann, Lord Beecham, Lord Carlile, Baroness Deech, Lord Leigh of Hurley, Lord Mitchell, Lord Pannick, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, Lord Sugar and Lord Turnberg

A Met spokesman said: “The Metropolitan Police received correspondence addressed to the Commissioner’s office on Wednesday 4 April and it will be reviewed.”