Left-wingers 'care more about hating Israel' than the fight against anti-Semitism

A Jewish charity has criticised left-wing anti-racism groups in the UK, saying they "care more about hating Israel" than fighting anti-Semitism. This comes after a new study from the Community Security Trust (CST) found that anti-Semitism in the UK is at a record high.

Mark Gardner, director of communications at CST, said: "We don't receive that much anti-racist solidarity towards the Jewish community. We instinctively turn to those people for support but it isn't coming."

"Groups that self-define themselves as being anti-racist, mainly that's groups from the left hand side of the political spectrum, we feel those groups care more about hating Israel than they do about giving a damn regarding anti-Semitism."

CST is a charity that claims to "protect British Jews from antisemitism and related threats". A new study by the group claims that 2016 saw a record number of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK, with more than 1,300 cases of anti-Jewish abuse reported.

CST put this increase down to a number of factors in their report, including the "perceived increase in racism and xenophobia" after the Brexit vote. The charity also blames the ongoing anti-Semitism controversy in the Labour Party.

Gardner commented: "We've never had a situation like this in recent memory, where one of the main political parties [Labour] was embroiled in a controversy about racism, in this instance about anti-Semitism. It is very, very discouraging for Jewish people to see and to undergo."

Deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson said this report was "extremely distressing" and that it is vital to "root out anti-Semitism whenever it takes place".

CST has been gathering data on anti-Semitic incidents in the UK since 1984.