The comprehensive election defeat of Britain’s left-wing Labour Party has been hailed in Israel as a “milestone in the fight against hatred” after its leadership was accused of years of tepid inaction against antisemitism in its ranks.
“I congratulate British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the UK Conservative Party on a decisive victory,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said.
“This is not just a political victory, it is first and foremost a victory of values.
“The spectre of antisemitism loomed large over this campaign, and the British public overwhelmingly voted against it, in what is, in our opinion, a testament to British history and values.
“It serves as an important milestone in the fight against hatred.”
Jewish Voters Have ‘Deserted’ Labour Under Corbyn over Antisemitism https://t.co/G5Fu1TbOcJ
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 11, 2019
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has long been dogged by accusations of tolerating antisemities in his ranks, while the broader party has done little if anything to try and dispel that notion.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a U.S.-based Jewish human rights organisation, placed Corbyn and Labour at the top of their list of threats to Jewish people in 2019. The centre said: “No-one has done more to mainstream antisemitism into the political and social life of a democracy than the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party.”
It added: “Members and staff who have dared to speak out against the hate were purged, but not those who declared ‘Heil Hitler’ and ‘F*** the Jews’.”
Israel’s Prime Prinister Benjamin Netanyahu was also quick to add his congratulations and note the significance of Johnson’s return to Number 10:
Congratulations my friend @BorisJohnson on your historic victory.
This is a great day for the people of Great Britain and for the friendship between us. pic.twitter.com/GUVSxo8tHi
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) December 13, 2019
Meanwhile the reaction of UK Labour heavyweights to the loss also did nothing to reassure voters the party had changed its anti-Jewish ways.
As Breitbart London reported, the former Labour Party mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said Boris Johnson’s landslide victory spells “the end” for Jeremy Corbyn, blaming the loss on the “Jewish vote”.
In was just the latest antisemitic outburst from the far-left ex-Mayor of London who blamed the loss of his “close ally” Jeremy Corbyn on the 70-year-old socialist’s handling of allegations of antisemitism.
‘F*** the Jews, Kill the Jews’ – Senior Rabbi Beaten in Khan’s London https://t.co/QK47aoKHGa
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 2, 2019
Livingstone said: “The Jewish vote wasn’t very helpful.” He added in comments reported by the Daily Mirror that “Jeremy should have tackled that issue far earlier than he did.”
“It looks like the end for Jeremy, which is disappointing for me since I’m a close ally. I’m sure he’ll have to resign tomorrow,” he concluded.
Johnson’s Conservative party had secured 364 of the 650 seats in parliament — its biggest majority since the heyday of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
Labour was left with just with 203, prompting Corbyn to announce plans for his departure.
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