Corbyn under fire for saying 'Zionists don't understand English irony' in old VIDEO

Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of anti-Semitic hate speech after video emerged of him seemingly telling a group of Palestinian activists that Zionists “don’t understand English irony” even if they’ve lived in the UK for years.

Critics have even called for the Labour Party leader to step down amid allegations he portrayed Jews as alien to British culture while addressing the meeting at the Palestinian Return Center in 2013.

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In his speech, Corbyn had been referring to a previous speech made by Manuel Hassassian, a Palestinian Authority representative. In the video published by The Daily Mail, the opposition leader said that Hassassian was “dutifully recorded by the thankfully silent Zionists who were in the audience on that occasion and then came up and berated him afterwards for what he’d said.”

“So, clearly two problems. One is that they don’t want to study history and secondly, having lived in this country for a very long time, probably all their lives, they don’t understand English irony either. Manuel does understand English irony and uses it very, very effectively so I think they need two lessons which we can help them with.”

Supporters of Corbyn claim his remarks were taken out of context, with Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell telling BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “Whatever Jeremy has said throughout the years has always been about how to secure peace, particularly within the Middle East and also peace with justice for all concerned – both members of the Jewish community and also members of the Palestinian community.”

The video could still prove problematic for Corbyn who has come under fire for his perceived failure to root out anti-Semitism within the party in recent times. Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger, a longtime Corbyn critic on this issue, said his comments were “inexcusable” while Jamie Susskind, a former speechwriter for former Labour leader Ed Miliband, called on Corbyn to resign.

Prominent Jewish activists have rounded on Corbyn over the comments. Gideon Falter, chair of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, told the Jewish Chronicle that Corbyn’s portrayal of Zionists was “utterly shameful” while the Head of External Affairs at Jewish education and training organisation World ORT tweeted that Corbyn’s remarks constituted “unambiguous hate.”

Corbyn may also have contradicted recommendations made in a report into anti-semitism in the Labour Party in 2016. Labour peer Baroness Chakrabarti claimed that “Zionist” is used as a term of abuse for Jews. Chakrabarti wrote: “My advice to critics of the Israeli state and/or government is to use the term ‘Zionist’ advisedly, carefully and never euphemistically.”

Critics also point out that Corbyn appeared at the 2013 meeting alongside Daud Abdullah, former deputy general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, who has been accused of meeting with senior Hamas officials to plot a jihad centered on Gaza, according to the BBC.

The comments have sparked outrage online as social media users accused Corbyn of failing to live up to values he has long espoused. However, others were quick to give the opposition leader the benefit of the doubt.

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A spokesman for the Labour leader told The Times: “Jeremy is totally opposed to all forms of antisemitism and is determined to drive it out from society. At this event, he was referring to a group of pro-Israel activists misunderstanding and then criticizing the Palestinian ambassador for a speech at a separate event about the occupation of the West Bank.”

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