Ditching Jeremy Corbyn Britain’s Labour Party tries to draw a line against anti-Semitism.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ditching-jeremy-corbyn-11604098252?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
“The new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, is working hard to purge left-wing anti-Semitism, and Mr. Corbyn’s suspension is a clear and overdue statement of what sort of party Labour wants to be. It’s also an example to parties such as America’s Democrats that also have struggled with creeping anti-Semitism among elected officials.”
Plenty of politicians have led their parties to electoral defeats, but few then have their party membership challenged. Few deserve this unique dishonor more than Jeremy Corbyn, who was suspended on Thursday by the British Labour Party he formerly led over anti-Semitism on his watch.
Mr. Corbyn was elected to lead the party in 2015, and his tenure revealed the anti-Semitic underside of far-left politics. Mr. Corbyn frequently drew the wrong kind of attention for commenting approvingly of anti-Semitic artwork on social media or, earlier in his career, writing a foreword for a book laden with anti-Jewish stereotypes. His office allegedly suppressed investigations into Labour members accused of anti-Semitism—accusations that increased as Mr. Corbyn’s left wing of the party crept into greater leadership roles.
This scandalized British voters, including many Labour members who take pride in their party’s history of opposition to racism. It contributed to Labour’s historic rout in December’s election, and it exposed the party to legal problems.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission, a government body that enforces antidiscrimination laws, on Thursday released a report finding Mr. Corbyn’s Labour was “responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination” under a 2010 law. It’s debatable whether a government body should insert itself into a political party’s management this way—the voters’ judgment was more damning—but the commission offers a helpful summary of facts.
Mr. Corbyn responded with a Facebook post saying Labour’s anti-Semitism “was dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media.” This comment earned him the suspension. While he continues to occupy his seat in Parliament, Labour also has removed its whip, a form of suspension from the legislative party.
The new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, is working hard to purge left-wing anti-Semitism, and Mr. Corbyn’s suspension is a clear and overdue statement of what sort of party Labour wants to be. It’s also an example to parties such as America’s Democrats that also have struggled with creeping anti-Semitism among elected officials.
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