By Greg Heffer, political reporter
Jeremy Corbyn has hit back at "unfounded and outrageous personal attacks" after a top Jewish figure claimed the Labour leader "has views which are anti-Semitic".
Jonathan Arkush, who is standing down as president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, suggested Jewish people are asking if they have a future in the UK.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he said the situation was "bound to" get worse if Mr Corbyn becomes prime minister.
Along with the Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies jointly organised a protest outside parliament against anti-Semitism within the Labour Party.
The demonstration was followed by a meeting between the Jewish groups and Mr Corbyn, who has said he is "sincerely sorry" for the pain caused to the Jewish community.
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3:37 However, Mr Arkush was scathing about his talks with Mr Corbyn, who, he told the newspaper "has views which are anti-Semitic, and he has problematic views".
He said he asked the Labour leader: "Why is there nothing good you can say about Israel? And he couldn't answer. He was silent."
Mr Arkush added: "Delegitimising the state of Israel is anti-Semitic. He was chairman of Stop the War, which is responsible for some of the worst anti-Israel discourse.
"He has never disavowed that sentiment. Is this double speak? What are we supposed to think?
"If he shares the prevalent discourse about Israel, then that view is unquestionably anti-Semitic."
Mr Arkush also linked new concerns within Britain's Jewish population to Mr Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party.
He said: "Particularly in the last few months, there is an increasingly widespread question asked over the dinner table - which is, do we have a future here? And what's that future going to look like?
"In its current, widespread form, it is very new."
Mr Arkush said Mr Corbyn needed to provide "clarity on his real views about Israel" and tell Jewish people he "will not accept a discourse which denies the existence of their own land to the Jewish people".
He also criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, for not speaking out on anti-Semitism.
Responding to Mr Arkush's comments, a spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: "These are unfounded and outrageous personal attacks without any evidence to support them.
"Jeremy has been absolutely clear that he is a militant opponent of anti-Semitism and is committed to driving it out of our movement.
"Our party has deep roots in the Jewish community and is campaigning to increase support and confidence in Labour among Jewish people in the UK.
"Jonathan Arkush's attempt to conflate strong criticism of Israeli state policies with anti-Semitism is wrong and undermines the fight both against anti-Semitism and for justice for the Palestinians. It should be rejected outright."
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On Wednesday, Labour was revealed to be considering new streamlined processes to speed up and depoliticise the investigation of anti-Semitism allegations.
The draft recommendations came from an internal working group of the party's ruling National Executive Committee.
Original ArticlePolitics
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