Tony Blair accuses Labour under Jeremy Corbyn of still being ‘in denial’ over anti-Semitism
Speaking to the Holocaust Educational Trust on Monday night, Tony Blair said that Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is still 'in denial' over its anti-Semitism crisis
TONY Blair has accused Jeremy Corbyn of being “in denial” about anti-Semitism as figures yesterday revealed a surge of attacks against Jews.
The Home Office said there had been at least 672 of the hate crimes recorded by police in 2017-2018 — a 12 per cent increase.
The real number was likely much higher given the figures don’t include the Met in London or Lancashire Police.
Speaking to the Holocaust Educational Trust, the ex-PM said anti-Semitism was “back in a way I never considered conceivable or possible”.
And the former PM savaged Jeremy Corbyn’s claim that a section of the British Jewry didn’t understand a “British sense of irony”.
He said: “For those of us who know what the Labour Party should really be about there is nothing more abhorrent than the notion that anti-Semitism is alive in the party today.
He added: “Months ago I was saying we must root out (anti-Semitism). Well some action has been taken, but the truth is many people are still in denial.
“It is not enough to challenge anti-Semitism in general. You have to challenge it in particular.” In a clear attack on the Labour leadership, he said: “When it comes to the particular, they are prepared to indulge in sentiment that is profoundly anti-Semitic.”
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Yesterday’s figures showed religious hate crime recorded by police soared 40 per cent last year.
While there were 672 offences recorded against Jewish people there were over four times as many against Muslims – up 52 per cent to a staggering 2,965. There were 264 incidents against Christians.
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