BICOM

The four candidates for the Labour Party leadership all participated in a debate yesterday evening at the JW3 community centre, addressing issues of concern to the Jewish community, especially attitudes towards Israel.

Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn and Liz Kendall all appeared at the event which was organised by Labour Friends of Israel, the Jewish Labour Movement, and the Jewish Chronicle. The proceedings were moderated by Guardian commentator Jonathan Freedland, with the majority of the debate focusing on attitudes towards Israel.

Andy Burnham pledged that if he is elected leader, his first foreign trip in office will be to Israel. He also opposed the idea of any boycott of Israel, as did Yvette Cooper who said that the Labour Party must be “very clear about opposing boycotts – it’s counter-productive.” Similarly, Liz Kendall said that she would fight boycotts “with every fibre in my body.” Jeremy Corbyn, who has a long record of criticism and hostility towards Israel as a backbencher, said that he supports a boycott of Israeli goods from the West Bank, but opposes an academic boycott of the country. He also expressed concern at Israeli policy in the West Bank and Gaza and asked “Is it right to supply arms in that situation?”

Corbyn was also asked about his description of Hezbollah and Hamas as “friends” during a parliamentary event. He said that the term had been used to welcome a number of groups he had invited. Burnham said he would consider taking measures against MPs who invite terror groups such as Hezbollah to parliament, while Cooper commented “You cannot describe as ‘friends’ groups who engage in terrorist activity.”

Both Burnham and Liz Kendall addressed the frayed relations between the Labour Party and the Jewish community. Kendall said that the debate’s focus on Israel was evidence of how “damaged” the relationship had become, a situation which Burnham said “cannot carry on.”