Zero tolerance for anti-Semitism means zero tolerance. As for organizations like JW3, it’s time for them to do some soul searching.

Over the past few years, reports from all over the world, have seen record numbers of verbal and physical anti-Semitic attacks. There was a unanimous call to clamp down and to raise awareness. But has that helped deter Antisemitism?

In recent years there have been disturbing developments within the U.K. Labour party. A wave of anti-Semitic comments on social media, from members of parliament to councilors, both past and present, were exposed. This caused alarm bells ringing throughout the country. It begged the question: If a party cannot be representative of citizens from all walks of life, would it be fit to run the country?

Worse was to follow. In September 2015, Jeremy Bernard Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour party. For decades Corbyn has been an advocate for the Palestinian cause, attending public meetings at universities, speaking at rallies, campaigning relentlessly for the destruction of Israel. But unlike others, he went a step further. By his own admission, he met with Hezbollah and Hamas officials; he even wanted to invite them to the UK for talks. He was partially successful. Since Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization, while only the military wing of Hezbollah is on that list. Yet Corbyn held meetings with members of these unsavory organizations and regards them as “friends.” One has to wonder why there wasn’t a surgical strike by the British government while Corbyn was collaborating with terrorists. After all, David Cameron, the former prime minister, accused him of being a national security threat. The very same reason he gave to justify the surgical strike of Jihadi John, an ISIS member in Syria.

Now that he is in the UK battling for his political survival, why hasn’t Prime Minister Theresa May sought to file charges under anti-terrorism laws? One would assume, she would want him as an opponent, in order for her political party, the Conservatives, to win the next general election by a landslide, and ‘to burn the Labour party house down’. Power trumps principles in the dirty game of politics.

Considering Corbyn’s history of anti-Israel hatemongering, one would assume that he would be shunned by the Jewish community, who, like many other communities, would shun any extremist that has a reputation of spewing hate at rallies or public meetings. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

Prior to his victory in the Labour leadership election, Corbyn was invited along with other candidates for a debate at JW3 (a wordplay on the postal code NW3), a Jewish community center that had opened in London three years ago. Its aim was to become a venue for arts, entertainment and educational purposes. They also host political events, such as leadership debates among the UK’s mainstream political parties.

Despite the fact that Corbyn downplays anti-Semitism within the Labour party and has hardly cracked down nor condemned them, he was also invited to speak at another debate with Owen Smith, on September 18th 2016.

I was mystified as to why there was no outcry from the community that an associate of anti-Jewish terrorists was given a platform. In August 2014, there was a rally against anti-Semitism attended by hundreds, if not, thousands, of people in London. I mysel, spoke at another rally against anti-Semitism in Manchester on October 2014. None of this should be a token gesture, we should all be up in arms.

‘Callous’ Response on Terror Victims in Israel

Furthermore, everyone should look into the lenses of those innocent families in Israel who lost loved ones through terrorist attacks by Jeremy Corbyn’s associates, Hamas or/and Hezbollah. How would they feel, knowing that a Jewish venue was hosting such a man?

On September 14, after hammering JW3 on social media for a week. I decided it was time to give them a call and to get a response on how they felt about families losing loved ones because of terror attacks by Jeremy Corbyn’s associates. The response was worse than I had ever imagined.

”Collateral damage happens in war.” Callous, to say the least, but what if I had family members who were murdered? Had he known that, would his response have been the same?

What I have learned over the years is that anti-Semitism comes in different forms, primarily two forms. There’s hardcore anti-Semitism, people who are open about their hatred towards Jews and are never ashamed to admit it, and are easily discredited. Softcore anti-Semitism is more dangerous because of that element of deception, by coding their hatred towards Jews with words such as anti-Zionism – a lot more difficult to tackle, This could explain why Corbyn could get away with such venomous Jew hatred.

In order to be consistent with the genuine stance on the slogan ‘No to Anti-Semitism,’ members of the general public, both Jews and non-Jews alike, should abstain from visiting or attending events at JW3 until they are willing to acknowledge their mistake and issue a public apology. This should send a message to everyone that zero tolerance for anti-Semitism means zero tolerance. As for organizations like JW3, it’s time for them to do some soul searching.

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