Event to defend British Labour Party against anti-Semitism charges rescheduled from Yom Kippur

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(JTA) — A public event set to defend the British Labour Party against charges of anti-Semitism was rescheduled after critics pointed out to organizers that it was scheduled for Yom Kippur eve.

Several of the speakers scheduled to debate the issue at the event in Bristol, in the southwest of England, are Jewish, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported, including a representative of the Jewish Voice for Labour organization.

Organizers apologized to JVL and moved the event a day earlier.

“The organizers made an error, and after JVL pointed this out to them, they changed the date so any Jew who wants to can attend and no one is unnecessarily excluded,” a JVL spokesperson told the Jewish Chronicle.

A similar event was held two weeks ago in London. Several Jews were prohibited from participating after organizers expressed concern that they would be disruptive, the Jewish Chronicle reported. Event participants were caught on camera making anti-Semitic remarks.

The description of the event, which is being held under the banner “Corbyn, Anti-Semitism & Justice for Palestine,” reads that “Criticism of Israel is being conflated with anti-Semitism in ways that threaten free speech and the right to protest while silencing Palestinian voices.”

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