Corbyn - Send in the Clowns (25/03/18)
Jeremy Corbyn has been a London MP since 1983 and during his long career the Labour leader has been immersed in the politics of the country's capital, as I was myself for much of the 80s' after taking up a full-time post union post with NUPE.
Yet Jeremy Corbyn has got himself involved in another controversy over anti-Semitism, just like his old colleague Ken Livingstone, only this time the row is about an ugly 'mural' on a wall in east London depicting a group of decidedly Jewish looking elderly men playing a monopoly-style board game on top of what look like dead bodies or slaves, perhaps.
In any event, the mural was to be painted over by the local council because of its anti-Semitic message and its creator took to Facebook for support with the following message:
Predictably, Jeremy Corbyn rode to the rescue with the following response:
“Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller destroyed Diego Viera’s mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.”
What a clown the man is and his pathetic attempts at an apology make even matters worse because Corbyn's response was very pointed and, predictably, very political - with his dumb reference to Rockerfeller, Diego Rivera and Lenin.
Read the following report and the angry comments of Labour MPs on the Politics Home web site.
Read the following report and the angry comments of Labour MPs on the Politics Home web site.
Jeremy Corbyn has said he "sincerely regrets" opposing the removal of an anti-Semitic mural.
By Kevin Schofield - Politics Home
Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised over a Facebook comment from 2012 - Credit: PA Images
The Labour leader has come in for a storm of criticism from campaigners and some of his own MPs after his actions on a Facebook group were revealed.
The mural, on a wall in London, featured a group of elderly men sitting around a table which is resting on the back of seemingly dead bodies.
Jeremy Corbyn condemned for defending ‘anti-Semitic mural’
Labour launches anti-Semitism probe into Facebook group Jeremy Corbyn was a member of
EXCL Senior Labour MP warns party 'will cease to exist' unless anti-Semitism is tackled
Its creator wrote: “Tomorrow they want to buff my mural. Freedom of expression. London calling. Public art.”
Responding to the post, Mr Corbyn wrote: “Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller destroyed Diego Viera’s mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.”
Labour MP Luciana Berger highlighted the 2012 incident in a tweet.
The Labour leader has come in for a storm of criticism from campaigners and some of his own MPs after his actions on a Facebook group were revealed.
The mural, on a wall in London, featured a group of elderly men sitting around a table which is resting on the back of seemingly dead bodies.
Jeremy Corbyn condemned for defending ‘anti-Semitic mural’
Labour launches anti-Semitism probe into Facebook group Jeremy Corbyn was a member of
EXCL Senior Labour MP warns party 'will cease to exist' unless anti-Semitism is tackled
Its creator wrote: “Tomorrow they want to buff my mural. Freedom of expression. London calling. Public art.”
Responding to the post, Mr Corbyn wrote: “Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller destroyed Diego Viera’s mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.”
Labour MP Luciana Berger highlighted the 2012 incident in a tweet.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn initially issued a statement saying he had been "responding to concerns about the removal of public art on grounds of freedom of speech".
They added: "The mural was offensive, used antisemitic imagery, which has no place in our society, and it is right that it was removed."
Mr Corbyn then issued a lengthy statement of his own - but stopped short of apologising for his actions.
He said: "In 2012 I made a general comment about the removal of public art on grounds of freedom of speech. My comment referred to the destruction of the mural “Man at the Crossroads” by Diego Rivera on the Rockefeller Center.
"That is in no way comparable with the mural in the original post. I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on, the contents of which are deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic. I wholeheartedly support its removal.
"I am opposed to the production of anti-Semitic material of any kind, and the defence of free speech cannot be used as a justification for the promotion of anti-Semitism in any form. That is a view I’ve always held.
"The Tower Hamlets mural I celebrate is the one which commemorates the mobilization of East London’s Jewish community in the anti-fascist demonstrations against Mosley’s Blackshirts in Cable Street in 1936."
Labour MP Ian Austin said: "This is an appalling anti-Semitic image and I can't understand why anyone would have defended it. Jeremy would never have defended a racist image aimed at any other group, but his statement does not even include an apology.
"He clearly doesn't understand the offence this will cause not just to the Jewish community but to many other people as well and no one will be satisfied by his explanation."
Karen Pollock, cheif executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust - which has criticised anti-Semitism by other MPs in the past - said: "“The mural was blatantly anti-Semitic using images commonly found in anti-Semitic propaganda. Indefensible then and indefensible now.
"If against all forms of racism, why does Mr Corbyn’s stance on antisemitism always fall short? Enough is enough."
They added: "The mural was offensive, used antisemitic imagery, which has no place in our society, and it is right that it was removed."
He said: "In 2012 I made a general comment about the removal of public art on grounds of freedom of speech. My comment referred to the destruction of the mural “Man at the Crossroads” by Diego Rivera on the Rockefeller Center.
"That is in no way comparable with the mural in the original post. I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on, the contents of which are deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic. I wholeheartedly support its removal.
"I am opposed to the production of anti-Semitic material of any kind, and the defence of free speech cannot be used as a justification for the promotion of anti-Semitism in any form. That is a view I’ve always held.
"The Tower Hamlets mural I celebrate is the one which commemorates the mobilization of East London’s Jewish community in the anti-fascist demonstrations against Mosley’s Blackshirts in Cable Street in 1936."
Labour MP Ian Austin said: "This is an appalling anti-Semitic image and I can't understand why anyone would have defended it. Jeremy would never have defended a racist image aimed at any other group, but his statement does not even include an apology.
"He clearly doesn't understand the offence this will cause not just to the Jewish community but to many other people as well and no one will be satisfied by his explanation."
Karen Pollock, cheif executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust - which has criticised anti-Semitism by other MPs in the past - said: "“The mural was blatantly anti-Semitic using images commonly found in anti-Semitic propaganda. Indefensible then and indefensible now.
"If against all forms of racism, why does Mr Corbyn’s stance on antisemitism always fall short? Enough is enough."
