Britain's chief rabbi warns 'poison' of anti-Semitism in Labour

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s chief rabbi said opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was unfit to be prime minister because he had failed to stem anti-Semitism “sanctioned from the top” and now gripping his party. His comments stirred up campaigning ahead of a Dec. 12 election in which voters face a stark choice between Prime Minister Boris Johnson, promising to complete Britain’s departure from the European Union, and Corbyn, proposing a radical socialist vision for the world’s fifth largest economy. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, in an article in The Times newspaper, questioned how complicit in prejudice an opposition leader would have to be to be considered unfit for office. “It is a failure of leadership. A new poison – sanctioned from the top – has taken root in the Labour Party,” wrote Mirvis, of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. “Be in no doubt, the very soul of our nation is at stake.” Such an intervention from a religious leader is unusual, though it is unclear what impact it might have on the election. Anglican leader Justin Welby said it was unprecedented and indicated the fear felt by many Jews in Britain.