Corbyn shows trial for what it is

12 January 2024, The Australian

It speaks volumes about the “genocide” charges brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice that South Africa has named the notoriously dotty far-left former leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, as joining its delegation to the Hague. Grotesque anti-Semitism that flourished within Labour under Mr Corbyn, a longtime supporter of the Palestinian cause and fierce critic of Israel, just about brought the party to its knees. Anthony Albanese would do well not to forget that when he considers independent senator David Pocock’s call on Thursday for the Australian government to “publicly support the ICJ process and confirm that they will comply with any ruling and support its enforcement”.

His assertion, that “given the extraordinary scale of civilian casualties and human suffering in Gaza and the serious allegations against Israel” there is a need for “a credible and robust” examination of Israel’s conduct, is all very well. But it enters the realms of absurdity by failing to acknowledge that South Africa’s charge sheet, while heaping odium against Israel, ignores the monstrous, barbaric massacre of Jews perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 that led to the war and all the suffering that has followed. Without such an examination of Hamas’s responsibility, the South African complaint to the ICJ is totally one-sided and, as the Biden administration has described it, “meritless”. Moreover, with Mr Corbyn accompanying the South African team, it is hard to see it as anything but another attempt to further the Palestinian and Hamas terrorist cause in a world forum at the expense of the Jewish state’s right to defend itself and its people. That may suit Mr Corbyn’s agenda. But Mr Albanese should keep Australia away from it.

In March 2022, Sharri Markson reported that Mr Albanese had met Mr Corbyn on at least four occasions. The importance of Mr Corbyn’s involvement in the case, and what it signifies, cannot be overstated. He stepped down as Labour leader after the party’s devastating 2019 election defeat, and was later suspended from membership after Britain’s equalities watchdog found party officials committed acts of “harassment and discrimination” against Jews. It said anti-Jewish prejudice had been allowed to spread within Labour under his leadership. But far from being embarrassed about having Mr Corbyn on the team, South Africa’s Justice Ministry has extolled his role. It could not be more misguided.