British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted out a video about Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 29 featuring a man who held kaddish for the Palestinians killed in the May 2018 riots at the border of Israel and Gaza Strip, which included Hamas members.
The video features Corbyn and three other Labour Party members discussing the symbolism of apples and honey in celebrating Rosh Hashanah and tying it into climate change activism. One of the members, Rob Abrams, says during the video, “For a lot of young Jews at the moment, the thing that’s going to be on their mind is climate change and the climate crisis.” Corbyn concludes the video with a warning of the “climate crisis.”
For #RoshHashanah, I met Jewish Labour Party members who told me what it means for them this year as we shared apples and honey.
So as the High Holy Days start, I'd like to wish Jewish communities in Britain and across the world #Shanahtovah. pic.twitter.com/wWjhAd7fDN
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) September 29, 2019
According to the Jewish Chronicle (JC), Abrams led a group of Jewish activists in a London public prayer mourning the 62 Palestinians who died during the May 2018 riots; more than 50 of those Palestinians were Hamas members.
“We are angry at the Jewish institutions here in the UK that have blindly supported the State of Israel this week, by blaming Palestinians for the violence that Israel committed against them,” an unidentified spokesperson for the activists told the JC at the time. “We are angry that parts of our community choose to remain ignorant of the situation, refusing to speak about the Nakba and refusing to listen to Palestinian narratives. We, as diaspora Jews, will not allow ourselves to become immune or apathetic to the violence committed by the State of Israel.”
Several Jewish organizations distanced themselves from the event. Abrams defended the kaddish in a +972 Magazine piece shortly after it had occurred, writing: “Saying kaddish was an expression of our profound heartbreak at senseless loss of life and a community that seems to have given up on the project of peace and justice in Israel-Palestine. It is all too clear that an end to the suffering in Gaza will continue to be delayed as long as we are too blinded by our own to take brave steps in grappling with the pain and loss of the Palestinian people.”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “No end to @jeremycorbyn
deep disdain for Jewish community and Israel. Only Hamas-embracing Jews earn his recognition on Rosh Hashanah.”
Sick. No end to @jeremycorbyn deep disdain for Jewish community and Israel. Only Hamas-embracing Jews earn his recognition on Rosh Hashanah. https://t.co/4pfkj0BDED via @jewishchron
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) October 2, 2019
Also featured in the video is Sue Lukes, a Labour Party Councillor in London’s Highbury East district. Lukes tweeted out an article in July 2018 titled, “The Jewish ‘War against Corbyn’ risks bringing real anti-Semitism to Britain,” per the JC.
Pro-Israel activists and groups weighed in on Twitter:
Jeremy Corbyn wishes Jews a happy new year by:
🍆 Standing in a posh fruit & veg shop
🇵🇸 With a Jew that prayed for Hamas
🐝 Mumbling about bees and climate changeInstead of:
🕍 In a synagogue
✡️ With Jews that don’t pray for Hamas
🤝 Talking about reflection & forgiveness— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) September 29, 2019
The Jewish people will continue to have a sweet & happy #RoshHashanah (New Year), notwithstanding the darkness, hate and bitterness YOUR leadership has brought the community!
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) September 29, 2019
There is no way you are not aware much of the Jewish community were outraged when this person explicitly led a prayer service for dead Hamas terrorists. Which makes your actions here deliberate. Your spiteful nature highlights you are a real danger.
— David Collier (@mishtal) September 29, 2019
On Oct. 2, the Labour Party a scheduled a vote of no-confidence against Labour Member of Parliament Dame Louise Ellman on Kol Nidre, the eve of Yom Kippur. Ellman, who is Jewish, has been critical of Corbyn’s leadership, arguing that anti-Semitism has risen in the party under him.
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