LONDON—The British Labour party has suspended several of its members who posted in a closed Facebook group which featured a number of anti-Semitic messages.
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was once a member of the group.
The party was forced to take action after an investigation by researcher David Collier showed details of anti-Semitic posts and discussions on the Palestine Live group.
Some of the posts on Palestine Live appear to include links to Holocaust denial myths, allegations of Israel’s involvement in the 9/11 and 7/7 terror attacks and the training of Islamic State fighters, and conspiracy theories involving the Rothschild family.
Among the raft of antisemitic material shown to have been shared by group members were websites promoting Hitler’s book Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and a discussion on whether the BBC was under the control of Zionists.
Other posts included members discussing whether they prefer the term “ZioNazi” to that of “JewNazi.”
Corbyn posted several times in the group after being tagged in posts. He left the group in 2015, around the time he became Labour leader, although the party has not confirmed whether it was before or after he won the leadership contest, or what motivated his departure.
He said he had not seen the other antisemitic posts on the group. “Had I seen it, of course, I would have challenged it straight away, but I actually don’t spend all my time reading social media,” he said.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: “Jeremy condemns antisemitism in all its forms in the strongest possible terms. He does not want the support of antisemites, who have no place whatsoever in the labour movement.
“This Facebook group is being investigated and if Labour members are found to have posted antisemitic material, disciplinary action will be taken.”