I owe Jewish community an apology over my anti-Semitism letter says ex MEP – Yorkshire Post Letters
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I WISH to apologise for my letter which has caused offence to the Leeds Jewish community (The Yorkshire Post, November 28).
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Hide AdI am sorry and accept that I was wrong to state that Chief Rabbi Mirvis had no knowledge of the Jewish community in Leeds and accept that many people in the Jewish community are genuinely concerned that a Labour government would be a threat to the Jewish way of life and religion.
![Former MEP Michael McGowan.](https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_112456436.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Former MEP Michael McGowan.](/img/placeholder.png)
It is self-evident that I do not speak for the Jewish community, which I have never claimed to do, and only members of the Jewish community can appreciate the hurt and fear caused by increase in anti-Semitism in the UK and across Europe.
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Hide AdJeremy Corbyn has made clear that there is no place for anti-Semitism in the Labour Party or society and has apologised for mistakes that he and the Labour Party have made.
![Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn continuers to be mistrusted over his stance on anti-Semitism.](https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_112456438.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn continuers to be mistrusted over his stance on anti-Semitism.](/img/placeholder.png)
For the Chief Rabbi to dismiss Corbyn’s efforts to root out anti-Semitism as a “mendacious fiction” is, I believe, extremely unfair.
But the work of the Jewish community in Leeds in building good and safe relations across the city is second to none, and I look forward to continuing to support the Leeds Jewish community to help build a better and more peaceful world.