Meanwhile, Corbyn addressed a May Day rally which he told his party opposed anti-Semitism “in any form”, saying: “We stand united as a Labour movement recognising our faith diversity, our ethnic diversity, and from that diversity comes up strength”.
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“It’s something of a smear against ordinary party members, it is, it is a smear to say the Labour party has a problem with antisemitism”, Ms Abbott said on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
Sunday newspapers were full of speculation that MPs were coming closer to launching a challenge to his leadership – with a poor showing at the ballot box or a vote in favour of Brexit potentially sparking an internal coup.
Kezia Dugdale shot down the former London Mayor following his remarks, seen as being anti-Semitic by many, for distracting from “bread and butter issues” such as education and the NHS.
Sadiq Khan said he wouldn’t be thrown of course by the row, but acknowledged that there could well be an electoral outcome that would damage his chances of taking City Hall, as well as harm the Labour party more widely.
Her comments came minutes after the Israeli ambassador to the UK blasted any on the UK Left for “embracing” Hamas and urged Corbyn to visit Israel.
Corbyn is facing intense pressure over mounting allegations of anti-Semitism in his party less than a week before his leadership is tested by local elections.
“Social democracy in the United Kingdom began with the inception of the NHS in 1948”, Dr Gourtsoyannis said.
He said: ‘I wanted him to reflect on what Hitler did to the Jewish people, and then I wanted him to reflect on that and to see what’s happening in Palestine, can it be seen as the same?’
They said: ‘People who are doing frontbench jobs, who are on the soft left, are quite embarrassed now about the fact they are linked to this team.
Mr Fostersaid: “I want to be really clear, I do not for one minute think Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite, nowhere near it”. Both of them are anti-Semitic organisations.
The upper echelons of the party needed training “as clearly they don’t understand what racism is, and there is no hierarchy when it comes to racism”, he told the Observer.
Campaigners have tried to have Mr Mann thrown out and the unapologetic Mr Livingstone reinstated.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted the issue is not restricted to labour after SNP MSP Sandra White had to apologise a year ago for a tweet branded anti-semitic.
The Times today reported Mr Livingstone has threatened to table the book as evidence in a hearing over his suspension for anti-Semitism. “Absolutely not. If you haven’t got a problem, why have you set up an inquiry?”
Abbott, who helps set the party’s worldwide development policies, spoke on the BBC’s widely viewed Andrew Marr talk show as the anti-Semitism debate dominated the final days of electioneering. It would be inconceivable for an anti-racist party to allow him back in.
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Abbott defended Labour’s record of “standing up to anti-Semitism” before it was “fashionable”.
