• I AM utterly sickened by the plethora of attacks on our MP, Jeremy Corbyn, the latest accusing him of anti-Semitism.

I have known Jeremy for donkeys’ years. First, as a teacher and NUT rep at George Orwell School from the late 70s, in the Anti-Nazi League and later when I worked at Stop the War, when he was a leading speaker. And since 2009, when, together, we created Defend the Whitt­ington Hospital Coalition.

He has always been totally committed to a fair, equal and just society, one totally oppos­ed to all types of discrimina­tion, including anti-Semitism.

I am also a Jew, from an observant family that has played a prominent role in Anglo and worldwide Judaism. I have always welcomed Jeremy’s passionate concern about Israel’s shameful and racist policies towards Palestinians.

Jeremy has always played an active and supportive role in the local Jewish population. It is not surprising he was asked by the Jewish group, Jewdas, to share their Passover celebration. I understand that he eagerly accepted the invitation and joined in the festivities of the evening.

This is a very liberated group of Jews, who are less restrictively traditional than other more orthodox groups. It is rather exciting for people like me to find out about them! Obviously for Corbyn’s opponents, these are the “wrong sort of Jews”.

I don’t think it is any coincidence that this onslaught against Jeremy is occurring in the run-up to the local elections.

There appears to be an orchestrated collusion between right-wing Labour MPs and some Jewish organisations who claim to speak for the “community”. Their objective seems to be to undermine Jeremy at all costs.

It is therefore all the more important that we all support our brave MP, who is leading his party towards a more exciting world of peace, equality and social justice.

SHIRLEY FRANKLIN
N19