Jeremy Corbyn spent most of 2019 dealing with claims that he had presided over rising anti-Semitism in the Labour party. It was criticism of his handling of this issue which eventually felled his leadership and ultimately led to him being expelled from the party he had been a member of for more than 50 years. Six years later, the 76-year-old MP for Islington North has found himself faced with allegations of an entirely opposite kind. On several occasions over the past three months, Corbyn has been heckled for refusing to say whether he is an “anti-Zionist”.
Since July, Corbyn – in partnership with Zarah Sultana – has been working on the creation of a new left-wing party, temporarily named Your Party. Both MPs have attended rallies and other gatherings on behalf of the new party, drumming up support, speaking to activists and enticing new members. But since the end of August, Corbyn has repeatedly been cornered by Your Party members and activists who have furiously pressed him on his position on Gaza. In the past two weeks, attacks have become more frequent.
On 27 August, at a vigil for journalists killed in Gaza, Corbyn was approached by a group of activists who pressed him to confirm that he is an anti-Zionist. “I am here to speak for the Palestinian people,” Corbyn said, before refusing to answer. His wife, Laura Alvarez, intervened to diffuse the situation. More recently – at a north London meeting of Your Party on 25 October – Corbyn was once again intercepted – this time by members of the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG) – and pressed on his position on Zionism. The incident was recorded. “It’s a fundamental question,” the member asked, “will Your Party be anti-Zionist?”. Visibly upset, Corbyn responded, “I have supported Palestine all my life.” He was confronted once again on 5 November, at a rally for Your Party in his Islington North constituency. During a question-and-answer session towards the end of the session, an attendee described Corbyn’s stance on Palestine as being firmly on the side of Zionism and imperialism. A write-up of the event on the RCG website describes Corbyn’s record on Palestine as “appalling”.
In August, Sultana gave an interview to the New Left Review in which she said: “[Corbynism] capitulated to the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which famously equates it with anti-Zionism”. Sultana has made clear she meant Corbynism – the Labour leadership and movement between 2015-2020 – rather than Corbyn himself. The attacks against the former Labour leader have increased since then, but their exact cause remains unclear.
These incidents have been deeply upsetting for Corbyn. While Labour Party leader, Corbyn came under fire for sitting on a culture of anti-Semitism within the party. As a lifelong anti-racist, he was hurt by the attacks and became increasingly withdrawn as they continued. A source close to him told the New Statesman: “Jeremy has spent his entire career standing up for Palestine, often at great cost to himself”. They pointed out that Corbyn has faced more backlash than any other MP for his pro-Palestinian stance and for his criticism of Israel. “Calling Jeremy a Zionist makes as much sense as calling Netanyahu a peacemaker,” the source said. A spokesperson for Corbyn added: “As a lifelong friend to the Palestinian people, Jeremy has never wavered in his steadfast opposition to occupation, apartheid and genocide. He has always sought to amplify Palestinian voices”.
Your Party insiders have proven equally baffled at the rise in frequency of incidents like this (one described these incidents as “harassment”). A spokesperson said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s lifelong record of solidarity with the Palestinian people speaks for itself.” They have also confused the wider Palestine movement. A senior organiser said: “Those attacking the most steadfast supporter of the Palestinian people in British politics as a Zionist are straying into sectarian madness which does great harm to the Palestine movement and the left more widely.” The organiser added that the Palestinian national movement has never asked the West to decide what kind of state there should be or to debate political solutions. Instead, the movement should “build mass support for [Palestinians’] inalienable rights – self-determination and return – in order that they might be free to decide for themselves.” The spokesperson for Corbyn agreed, adding that Corbyn has “always believed that it is up to the Palestinian people, not Western politicians, to decide their own future”.
Sultana has declared publicly that she is an “anti-Zionist” but Corbyn has been less explicit. There are likely a few reasons for this. In September 2022, a libel action against him was dropped by the blogger Richard Millet. The claim related to comments made by Corbyn in 2018 during a live interview on the Andrew Marr Show, where he was asked about a speech made in 2013 in which he referred to “Zionists” who “don’t understand English irony”. Though the pair came to a settlement, Corbyn was required to cover the costs of the appeal, which reportedly amounted to £100,000. At the time his supporters staged a crowdfunder to raise the money needed. But this incident has perhaps made Corbyn more careful with his language.
Another possible reason is the headlines such a statement would likely create. Questions around Corbyn, Zionism and anti-Semitism are notoriously fragile and sensitive and are known to provoke public and political interest. As has been well documented by the New Statesman over the past few months, the founding of Your Party has been a torturous and chaotic process. Even now, the party is still grappling with issues over the data and funding accrued from its first, unauthorised membership portal launch. Corbyn – who is not known to enjoy the limelight – and his comms team have likely made the calculation that such a comment from the Your Party co-founder would spark a discussion that – while obviously important – this nascent left-wing movement doesn’t have the capacity to withstand.
At a meeting of the Democratic Socialists for Your Party on 9 November, a member of the RCG asked Sultana about Your Party’s anti-imperialist credentials. Sultana responded: “RCG comrades have been turning up to a lot of events, I respect it.” When asked about these comments by the New Statesman, a source close to Sultana said her thanking the RCG was meant sarcastically. They added that Sultana believes the group is trying to engineer a split and considers their interventions unhelpful.
Corbyn is currently finalising his report from the Gaza Tribunal which he held earlier this year in central London. Sources close to him pointed out that he has continued to hold the government to account and support a global movement for Palestine. But the frequency of these attacks could suggest that Corbyn and his team have not seen the last of this kind of criticism. Four years after he was expelled from the Labour party for his handling of anti-Semitism complaints, and less than 18 months after an election in which he and four other MPs ran on a platform that was explicitly pro-Palestinian, who could have foreseen that in 2025, Jeremy Corbyn’s biggest problem would be being accused of being a Zionist?
[Further reading: Inside Labour’s briefing fiasco: “Morgan has lost the plot”]
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