Jeremy Corbyn finally backs down saying he regrets calling terrorist groups his ‘friends’
Apologetic Corbyn also calls Ken Livingstone's Hitler remarks 'wrong' when questioned by MPs on select committee
JEREMY Corbyn last night finally admitted he regrets calling terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah “friends” – as he was savaged by MPs for his record on anti-Semitism.
The Labour leader also condemned close pal Ken Livingstone for his repeated Hitler rants, branding them “wholly unacceptable and wrong”.
But he was repeatedly attacked by MPs for associating with people with anti-Semitic views, ordering a “whitewash” inquiry into race hate in Labour, failing to stand up for Jewish colleague Ruth Smeeth as she was verbally abused last week, and allowing members of hard-left supporters’ group Momentum to spread hate.
Mr Corbyn has faced widespread criticism for welcoming members of Islamic militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah to Parliament as “friends” in 2009 – but has refused to apologise or withdraw the remarks.
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During a grilling by the Home Affairs Select Committee he finally changed tack when asked if he still regarded them as “friends”.
The Labour leader replied: “No. It was inclusive language I used which with hindsight I would rather not have used. I regret using those words, of course.”
But he was blasted by Labour MP Chuka Umunna for failing to defend Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth at the launch of an inquiry into anti-Semitism last week.
Mr Corbyn also claimed he had not compared Israel to Islamic State terrorists at the event – despite Jewish groups across the world insisting his clumsy comments did so.
And he risked further fury by defending a series of past meetings with dodgy characters, and saying he was “content” at the reinstatement as a Labour member of the vice-chair of the left-wing Momentum pressure group, Jackie Walker, who was suspended earlier this year after saying Jews were the “chief financiers of the slave trade”.
Labour London Assembly member Tom Copley branded his performance “shocking” as he hesitated over calling the Hamas Charter anti-Semitic.
Committee chairman and Labour MP Keith Vaz, asked Mr Corbyn if he accepted that Jewish groups were “fearful” that he was “fostering a period in the party where anti-Semitism exists”.
But Mr Corbyn said: “I think that is deeply unfair and deeply wrong. It’s absolutely the last thing I would want to do.”
He faced further embarrassment when it emerged the star of a Labour party political broadcast once tweeted: “Anyone else see the similarities between Israel and the Nazis?”
Jawad Khan issues a grovelling apology last night, saying he was 16 years old at the time he made the “completely unacceptable” comment.