Israel hails Johnson win as defeat for anti-Semitism

JERUSALEM: Israel on Friday hailed the election defeat of Labour Party as a “milestone in the fight against hatred” after its leadership was accused of inaction against anti-Semitism in its ranks.

“I congratulate British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the UK Conservative Party on a decisive victory,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said. “This is not just a political victory, it is first and foremost a victory of values.

“The spectre of anti-Semitism loomed large over this campaign, and the British public overwhelmingly voted against it, in what is, in our opinion, a testament to British history and values. It serves as an important milestone in the fight against hatred.”

A veteran left-winger, first elected to parliament in 1983, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has long been dogged by accusations, which resurfaced during the campaign, that he had turned a blind eye to growing anti-Semitism within the party.