Jeremy Corbyn Image by Getty Images

(JTA) — Britain’s Labour Party suspended several members of a private Facebook group that included the party’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, over alleged anti-Semitic hate speech.

Reports in the British media Thursday did not name those who were suspended. The group had thousands of members.

A spokesperson for Corbyn, a left-wing politician whom many Jews accuse of tolerating anti-Semitism in the party’s ranks, stressed in a comment to The Guardian on Thursday that Corbyn is not alleged to have said anything anti-Semitic in the group, which he left in 2015. The spokesperson also said that Corbyn should not be held accountable for the discourse.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“As anyone knows, in social media all sorts of things are posted which often others participating aren’t even aware of,” the spokersperson, who was not named, was quoted as saying.

Content from the Palestine Live group was revealed in a 250-page dossier looking at the posts and profiles of members of the group compiled by David Collier, whose blog is about anti-Semitism. Some of the posts include links to Holocaust denial myths, allegations of Israel’s involvement in the 9/11 and other terror attacks and the training of Islamic State fighters, as well as conspiracy theories involving the Rothschild family.

Corbyn posted several times in the group after being tagged in posts. He left the group around the time he became Labour leader.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount