One only needs to read British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s apology to understand just how meaningless it is.
The radical leftist leader who has called Hamas and Hezbollah “friends” did not apologize for desecrating the memory of victims of the Nazis by hosting an event at the House of Commons at which baseless, ridiculous and criminal comparisons were made between Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians and Nazi Germany’s crimes against the Jews. Nor did he apologize for failing at the event to criticize or condemn these claims, which he now says he “completely rejects.” He has also not apologized for calling in a police officer to remove protesters demonstrating against what was about to be said at the event or, in the name of “leftist democracy,” barring the audience from asking questions of the anti-Zionist speakers.
Corbyn has apologized, eight years after the fact and among increasing concerns that his leadership has led to a historic rift in the Labour Party, for the “concerns and anxiety” caused by the remarks made at the event that day. This is like hearing a rapist apologize for the skies being cloudy on the day of the assault, or a murderer saying he regrets not washing his hands before killing his victim.
His apology is meaningless.
When Corbyn and his people invited the late Hajo Meyer to speak at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event at the House of Commons, they knew full well who they were inviting and what the subject of discussion would be. Meyer was the “pet Holocaust survivor” of the anti-Israel crowd. He was not alone. There is nothing quite like having a Holocaust survivor who hurls wild accusations at Israel and compares the Jewish state to Nazi Germany around to spare those hate-filled activists from being criticized for their anti-Semitism. If a Jewish Holocaust survivor says Israel is a Nazi state, how can we accuse these other “anti-fascists” of being anti-Semitic?
In Germany, these “pet survivors” are commonly used to clear the Germans’ conscience and rewrite history. The most sought-after of these “alibi Jews” are, of course, Israeli, but any child, grandchild or great-grandchild of a Holocaust survivor can have a promising career as a professional “Israel critic.”
Corbyn is a hopeless case. He will continue to believe what his Palestinian friends tell him: that Israel is a Nazi state, that Hamas and Hezbollah are peaceful organizations, and that Israel must be sanctioned and isolated.
As long as Corbyn heads the Labour Party, he will pose a risk not only to Jews in Britain, but to Britain itself. His conduct is that of every tyrant on the radical left who has succeeded in destroying everything in their path. Corbyn has already dealt a mortal blow to the image of a party with a fairly respectable tradition, not least through the anti-Israelism and anti-Semitism of its members.
The Labour Party is almost done for, just like every other center-left party the radical leftist world has taken over. Now, what remains to be seen is if a suitable political replacement can be found.
Eldad Beck is an Israeli journalist and author.
