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Beginning in the August 2015, just before Corbyn's role as Leader of the Opposition would commence, both Corbyn and Labour became a embroiled in a series of public controversies concerning policy with respect to Anti-Semitism. These controversies concerned past and present associates of Corbyn, past and present statements by Corbyn especially one about "Zionists being unable to understand English irony", the handling of Labour politicians that had made statements deemed anti-Semitic, Corbyn's attendance at events deemed anti-Semitic, perceived friendliness to the Hezbollah and Hamas movements, treatment of Labour politicians who objected to the handling of the controversy by Corbyn and the rest of the leadership, and Corbyn's 2012 defense of a percievedly antisemitic mural.

While some figures of note called Corbyn himself an anti-Semite, a more prevalent criticism was a perceived failure to do enough to combat antisemitism within Labour, not taking the problem seriously enough and the Labour members who argued for a more active policy in combating antisemitism were "intimidated" by party activists. Corbyn and some other figures were also accused of trivializing the Holocaust, and that although anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are not equivalent, Corbyn and Labour were failing to recognize when the latter was masquerading as the former, and that anti-Zionism can "incubate" anti-Semitism if caution is not exercised.

On the other hand, defenders of Corbyn's policy's at the reigns of Labour argued that Corbyn had a strong record of opposing racism including anti-Semitism, that detractors were confusing criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism or confusing anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, that the media is biased against Corbyn or in favor of the Conservatives or "Zionists", that anti-Semitism was not actually a serious problem in Labour or the United Kingdom, and that the controversy was being exploited as a "smear" by the Conservatives or other political rivals, rivals of Corbyn within Labour, the Israeli government or some combination among these.

Many of these points on either side were widely controversial and engendered a fraught debate, with accusations of the smear campaign being angrily disputed by Corbyn's detractors, while accusations of double standards were raised as objections to many of the arguments of detractors. At various points, Corbyn and other elements in the Labour leadership apologized for statements that they said had been misinterpreted, and for the antisemitism which they said did exist in Labour and which they pledged to fight against.

According to a poll of 1,864 British Jewish adults in 2017, 83% stated that racist sentiments were not adequately challenged by Labour members of parliament, party members, or supporters. A poll conducted by Survation and released in September 2018 found that 85.9% of British Jews believed Jeremy Corbyn to be an anti-semite, while 39% of the general British public believed him to be antisemitic. In May 2016, a poll found 5% of Labour members thought that antisemitism is a bigger problem in Labour than in other parties and 47% agreed that it was a problem, but "no worse than in other parties." In March 2018, a poll showed 77% of Labour members believed the charges of antisemitism to be deliberately exaggerated to undermine the leader or stop criticism of Israel and 19% said it was a serious issue.

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In August 2015, London-based newspaper The Jewish Chronicle devoted its "front page to seven questions regarding Corbyn's record on antisemitism" headlined: "The key questions Jeremy Corbyn must answer". The editorial expressed concern about Corbyn's endorsements of individuals known for promoting antisemitic ideas, and his relationship with Islamist organisations Hezbollah and Hamas.

Deir Yassin Remembered

Corbyn, along with fellow Labour MP Gerald Kaufman, has attended events of "Deir Yassin Remembered", commemorating the Deir Yassin massacre of Palestinians in 1948, which was founded by Holocaust denier Paul Eisen. Corbyn said that this took place before Eisen had made his views known publicly, and that he would not have associated with him had he known.

Membership of "Palestine Live" Facebook group

In March 2018, it was reported that Corbyn and some of his office staff had been members of a closed Facebook group, 'Palestine Live', where antisemitic tropes and comments had been made. Corbyn's office issued a statement saying that he had no knowledge of what was being discussed in the group. He left the group after becoming Labour leader in 2015. According to the HuffPost he was enrolled by someone else in 2014 and had only made a small number of posts. Two weeks later, Corbyn's membership of Facebook group 'History of Palestine', which contained antisemitic comments, became known. He then left the group, to which he had been added around 2014. Corbyn's spokesman said "he was added to this group without his knowledge". Later in March, it was reported that Corbyn had been a member of another group containing antisemitic content. Corbyn left the group following the reports and a spokesman said that he was not an active member.

Comments about Freedom for Humanity mural

Main article: Freedom for Humanity

Later in March 2018, Corbyn posted a comment on Facebook in 2012 questioning the removal of a mural that had been painted on private property in London and removed by the local council following complaints from residents. Corbyn said: "I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on, the contents of which are deeply disturbing and antisemitic." The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council together asserted that the episode was an example supporting the idea that Corbyn "never sees or understands antisemitism".

Comments about Zionists not understanding English irony

In 2013, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Kingdom Manuel Hassassian said that Jews were "the only children of God ... because nobody is stopping Israel building its messianic dream of Eretz Israel." These comments were criticised by pro-Israel activists at the time.

Commenting on the event later in 2013, Corbyn said that the ambassador had been "berated" by "Zionists" at the meeting who had not understood the "English irony" used by the Palestinian ambassador in his speech. In a statement issued on 24 August 2018 Corbyn said that he made his comments in order to defend "the Palestinian ambassador in the face of what I thought were deliberate misrepresentations by people for whom English was a first language, when it isn't for the ambassador". He further stated that he had used the term Zionist in an "accurate political sense and not as a euphemism for Jewish people". He went on to say that he would in future be more careful using the term "Zionist" because the political term had been "hijacked as code for Jews". In August 2018 former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks called Corbyn an antisemite for saying Zionists did not understand "English irony".

Responses

In August 2015, dozens of Jewish critics of Israel wrote a letter to The Jewish Chronicle in support of Corbyn. They stated in the letter, "Your assertion that your attack on Jeremy Corbyn is supported by 'the vast majority of British Jews' is without foundation. We do not accept that you speak on behalf of progressive Jews in this country. You speak only for Jews who support Israel, right or wrong." They continued, "There is something deeply unpleasant and dishonest about your McCarthyite guilt by association technique. Jeremy Corbyn's parliamentary record over 32 years has consistently opposed all racism including antisemitism." The activists who were signatories to the letter included Laurence Dreyfus, Selma James, Miriam Margolyes, Ilan Pappé, Michael Rosen and Avi Shlaim.

In April 2016, 82 "Jewish members and supporters of the Labour party and of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership" wrote an open letter to The Guardian stating that they "do not accept that antisemitism is 'rife' in the Labour party" and that "these accusations are part of a wider campaign against the Labour leadership, and they have been timed particularly to do damage to the Labour party and its prospects in elections in the coming week." The Jewish members and supporters included Miriam David, Ivor Dembina, Professor Stephen Deutsch, Selma James, Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Marks, Charles Shaar Murray, Ian Saville and Lynne Segal.

In March 2018, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council accused Corbyn of not tackling antisemitism, saying that Corbyn "is repeatedly found alongside people with blatantly anti-Semitic views, but claims never to hear or read them. Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews". Jewish Voice for Labour said it was "appalled" by the Board of Deputies' comments, which did "not represent us or the great majority of Jews in the party", arguing that Corbyn has a "consistent commitment to anti-racism". During an interview with Jewish News, Corbyn stated that he was "not an anti-Semite in any form" and that he challenges "anti-Semitism whenever it arises and no anti-Semitic remarks are done in my name or would ever be done in my name".

In April 2018, "more than 40 senior academics" signed an open letter condemning what they viewed as anti-Corbyn bias in media coverage of the antisemitism debate, saying it was "framed in such a way as to mystify the real sources of anti-Jewish bigotry and to weaponise it against a single political figure just ahead of important elections." The academics included Lynne Segal, Annabelle Sreberny, Beverley Skeggs, Gary Hall, Neve Gordon, Margaret Gallagher, Maria Chatzichristodoulou, Jill Daniels and Ruth Catlow.

In July 2018, three Jewish newspapers in Britain published an identical front page criticising Corbyn's handling of antisemitism and calling a Corbyn-led government an "existential threat to Jewish life" in Britain. Responding, Corbyn agreed that factions of the Labour Party had issues with antisemitism, and acknowledged that there was work to be done for Labour to regain the trust of British Jews; however, he dismissed the notion that he or Labour posed an "existential threat", saying that the newspapers' front page was "overheated rhetoric". He told The Guardian that antisemitism was a "problem that Labour is working to overcome", acknowledging that some criticism of Israel may stray into antisemitism at times, but denied that all forms of anti-Zionism were inherently racist, and pledged to "root out antisemitism" within the party, which he described as a "poison". Corbyn also stated that "People who dish out anti-Semitic poison need to understand: You do not do it in my name. You are not my supporters and have no place in our movement."

In August 2018 Labour MP Frank Field resigned the whip, citing "Labour's leadership becoming a force for anti-Semitism in British politics". A Labour Party spokesman said: "Jeremy Corbyn thanks Frank Field for his service to the Labour Party." A month ago Field lost a confidence vote in his constituency party, after siding with the Conservative government in Brexit votes.