The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is appalled that some members of the New Democratic Party have invited a former leader of the Labour Party in the UK to speak in Canada. The Centre describes Jeremy Corbyn as toxic. Centre CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel says, “The invitation to the disgraced leader is more evidence that Svend Robinson, Niki Ashton, Libby Davies and a few others want to take the NDP in a direction that is antithetical to basic Canadian values.”

Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews says they were astonished to learn of the invitation by the NDP members in Canada. She says, “Corbyn presided over the creation of a toxic environment in Labour that was condemned by the U.K.’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). In their report, the EHRC stated flatly that under Corbyn’s brand of toxic and incompetent leadership, the party was responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act: political interference in antisemitism complaints; failure to provide adequate training to those handling antisemitism complaints; and harassment, including the use of antisemitic tropes and suggesting that complaints of antisemitism were fake or smears.”

Fogel says, “What is at stake here is the soul of NDP, nothing less.” The Centre says they will be watching the NDP’s upcoming convention as it lays out its future.