Jeremy Corbyn and the far left’s anti-Semitism doublespeak

The supporters of Jeremy Corbyn are meant to comprise the most cultish movement British politics has seen. Yet on the issue of left anti-Semitism they do not blindly follow their leader. For once in their lives, they give every impression of thinking for themselves.

Corbyn has come as close as he can to admitting a mistake – which by most people’s standards is not close at all. Like Stalin airbrushing his own history, he has deleted his Facebook account. He did not explain how he found himself a member of Facebook groups that featured Holocaust denial, or defending  medieval fanatics who believe Jews drink the blood of Christian children, or endorsing Nazi-style propaganda. But he was prepared to say the abuse of Jews and non-Jews (for all you have to do on the far left to become a ‘Zionist’ today is criticise Corbyn) was ‘certainly not in my name’.

His supporters in Momentum spoke with greater moral seriousness.