SENIOR Scottish Jews have expressed their disappointment in Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard for failing to condemn Jeremy Corbyn.
The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) has also called on Mr Leonard to confirm he accepts the findings of a report into anti-Semitism within the Labour party
It comes after a report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found the Labour party illegally meddled with complaints about anti-Jewish racism and failed to confront the issue.
After the report was issued, former Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn was suspended after saying that the scale of anti-Semitism in the party had been overstated and he did not agree with all the report's findings.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, did not condemn his comments, instead saying he could not comment on internal matters and praised him as a "life-long anti=racist campaigner."
Today ScoJec chairman Alan Kay, and Paul Edlin, the president of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council have urged Scottish Labour to "confirm that they accept the EHRC findings and to press for immediate and decisive action to deal with antisemitism."
In a statement, they said: "The findings of the Equality and Human Rights Commission investigation are damning and a conclusive demonstration of antisemitism in the Labour party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Not only did the Labour party fail, at the highest level, to stamp out anti-Jewish racism, but the leadership actively intervened to stop this issue from being dealt with.
"For years now, the Jewish community in Scotland and across the UK has made efforts to engage with and work with the Labour party – to no avail. Our community has fought against racism while facing an ongoing denial of antisemitism in the Labour party."
They said that Mr Corbyn continued to "be a denial and minimisation of Labour antisemitism under his leadership", adding: "We therefore support the party's decision to suspend his membership."
On Mr Leonard's remarks about the suspension, the Jewish representatives said: "We are saddened that the leader of Scottish Labour has responded on what the UK leader has openly admitted to be "this day of shame for Labour" by merely repeating that 'Corbyn is a lifelong anti-racist campaigner'.
"The issue is not what he claims to be, but what he did – and failed to do – and his actions and inactions speak for themselves, as the investigation by the independent Equality and Human Rights Commission has exposed in painful detail."
The group said they welcomed the vow by new Labour leader Keir Starmer to fully implement the recommendations made by the EHRC to tackle anti-Semitism.
They added: "We welcome Keir Starmer's supportive and honest comments, and hope that he is able to take on the task of tackling antisemitism and rebuilding trust with the community, and we find it literally beyond belief that there are still senior members of the Labour Party who remain in denial despite the findings of the UK Equality and Human Rights watchdog."
In a direct appeal, the group said: "We call on Scottish Labour and its leadership to confirm that they accept the EHRC findings and to press for immediate and decisive action to deal with antisemitism."
Asked if Mr Leonard did accept the EHRC findings, a spokesman said he did, and confirmed so after the report was released yesterday when Mr Leonard said "Keir Starmer has made crystal clear this morning that our party will accept the report’s findings and implement its recommendations in full, and that is the right thing to do."
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