World

UK Labour leader says ending anti-Semitism a vital priority

05 of August 2018

FILE - In this file photo dated Monday, April 23, 2018, Britain's opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, after a Memorial Service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl Tweeted Thursday Aug. 2, 2018, that Corbyn must make an "abject apology" to British Jews for allowing anti-Semitism to fester in the left-of-center party. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, FILE),FILE - In this file photo dated Monday, April 23, 2018, Britain's opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, after a Memorial Service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl Tweeted Thursday Aug. 2, 2018, that Corbyn must make an "abject apology" to British Jews for allowing anti-Semitism to fester in the left-of-center party. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, FILE)

LONDON (AP) — British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is vowing to rebuild trust with the Jewish community as he tries to calm a storm over alleged anti-Semitism in the left-of-center party.

Claims of anti-Jewish prejudice within Labour have grown since Corbyn, a longtime critic of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, was elected leader in 2015. Jewish groups have accused Corbyn of failing to expel party members who express anti-Semitic views.

In a video released Sunday, Corbyn said the party had “a real problem of anti-Semitism.”

He said “driving anti-Semitism out of the party for good and working with the Jewish community to rebuild trust are vital priorities.”

The video was released after Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said the party faced “eternal shame and embarrassment” if it did not confront the problem.