Board of Deputies reacts to Jeremy Corbyn’s involvement in wreath laying ceremony

Board of Deputies of British Jews President Jonathan Arkush has reacted to reports that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attended a PLO wreath laying ceremony in Tunisia in 2014.

Jonathan said: “Following yesterday’s reports, we have been in touch with Mr Corbyn’s team to express our profound concerns over what he appears to have commemorated.

“The response has been that Jeremy Corbyn condemns the Munich massacre and its perpetrators, and that what he was attending was not anything to do with perpetrator Atef Bseiso, but an event to commemorate the 1985 bombing of the PLO headquarters.

“Whilst of a different order, this would still be a matter of concern to us. The 1 October 1985 bombing was a retaliation against the PLO-inspired murders of 15 Israeli civilians in Palestinian terror attacks the previous month.

“Our concern is that Mr Corbyn has too often in the past been in sympathetic encounters with terrorist individuals and organisations, with the by-product of lending legitimacy to their violence. This new revelation follows part of that disturbing pattern.

“We have called repeatedly for Mr Corbyn to make explicit a clear break with terrorist organisations, to unequivocally condemn their actions and show solidarity with their victims. We repeat that call today.”

Ends