Diane Abbott receives riposte over antisemitism in Labour

       A senior anti-Semitism campaigner shut down Diane Abbott this morning with a scathing jab at her role in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.

       Gideon Falter, the Chief Executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, had been called to give evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee around the policing of recent Palestine protests in London and other major UK cities.

       Mr Falter was arguing in favour of the police banning marches when Ms Abbott asked whether he and the Campaign Against Antisemitism want “marches of this kind completely banned”.

       The prominent Jewish campaigner responded with scathing fury to Ms Abbott, pointing out: “We know very well you didn’t see anti-Semitism at all in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn.”

       In 2016, Ms Abbott told Andrew Marr that it was a “smear against ordinary party members” to suggest “that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism”.

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       READ MORE: Abbott's 'bonkers' defence for Tube driver suspended for 'Free Palestine' chant

       Diane Abbott was brutally shut down by a leading campaigner (Image: Parliament Live)

       In October 2020, the Equality and Human Rights Commission said the Labour Party had breached the equalities act, and there had been “serious failings in the Labour Party leadership in addressing anti-Semitism”.

       Mr Falter's apparent attack on Ms Abbott led to gasps in the committee room before he went on to ask whether she had attended the national march against antisemitism that took place just over a week ago.

       Ms Abbott hit back, asking whether he was able to answer the question.

       He replied: “Yes I am able to answer it.

       “We are very well familiar in the Jewish community with your particular contribution to the fight against antisemitism in this country.

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       Gideon Falter challenged Ms Abbott (Image: Parliament Live)

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       “What I would say in regard to these marches is there have been marches where after four weeks we were asking the police to put in place stronger conditions, and when the police failed to put in place stronger conditions under Section 12 of the Public Order Act we did - with the backing of a number of prominent lawyers - say that we felt the legal threshold had been met for banning these marches, as indeed has happened in many other civilised countries like France.”

       Ms Abbott was suspended as a Labour MP in April pending investigation, after writing a letter in the Observer arguing Jewish people, along with Irish and Traveller people, are not subject to racism “all their lives”.

       She argued that white people like them can suffer prejudice, but they have not suffered the same racism as black people.

       A Labour spokesperson said the party “completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong”.

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       The Committee session also heard evidence from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

       At one point the Home Affairs Committee chairman Diana Johnson slapped down the group's head when he appeared to deny people were feeling unsafe as a result of the repeated marches.

       She said: “It’s been very clear that some of the groups who represent the Jewish community have said there are Jewish people who will not come into the centre of London because of these marches, that’s the issue.”

       Ben Jamal said he believed that claim is “problematic for a number of reasons”, before he was cut off by Dame Diana.

       He said: “Can I just stop you - no Mr Jamal - I am saying to you that a sizeable group of people say they feel uncomfortable and I’m not having you deny that those people have that view.”

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