LETTER: Israel and its British supporters are working hard to discredit Corbyn

This, I think, is the answer :

1 Corbyn is unfailingly courteous and though he regretted the defections, he did not denounce the defectors

2 Corbyn is anti-war and opposed British participation in the US-led attack on Afghanistan and Iraq and opposes all foreign wars of choice

3 Corbyn is implacably opposed to weapons of mass destruction and therefore to the Anglo American Trident missile. He has also made it clear that a government under his leadership would sign and ratify the United Nations draft treaty banning nuclear weapons making Britain the first nuclear country to do so

4 As a Socialist, Corbyn is determined to try to build a juster and fairer society

5 And because he is determined to build a more just and fairer society, he is and always has been anti-racist

6 Corbyn seeks justice for the Palestinians and, if he were to become Prime Minister would see that Britain would recognise Palestine as a state.

Corbyn, of course, is not anti-Semitic and has never said anything that could be legitimately construed as such. Nor do Jews who, like him, seek justice for Palestine regard him in that light.

And such Jews also never complain of being the victim of anti-Semitism themselves ­— their espousal of universal human values protects them against the anger of those who are infuriated by the actions of the Israel state and the West's complicity in them Accusations of anti-Semitism are now thoroughly politicised though Robert Fisk is the only commentator clear eyed enough to see it.

Israel and its British supporters are working as hard as possible to discredit Corbyn because if he were elected, he would see that Britain would recognise Palestine as a state and that Israel cannot allow.

No doubt Netanyahu realises the significance for Israeli policy towards the Palestinians of the defection of the seven

Malcolm Pittock

St James's Avenue

Bolton