LABOUR under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn is a “crucial ally in the fight against anti-semitism,” a letter by 201 Jewish members and supporters of the party says.

The letter that was published in the Guardian yesterday rebuffs claims by MPs that have defected from Labour to the Independent Group that the party led by Mr Corbyn is “institutionally racist.”

The signatories include film director Mike Leigh, writer and broadcaster Michael Rosen, author Gillian Slovo and peace activist Walter Wolfgang, 93, who fled Nazi Germany as a child.

They decry the “disproportionate focus on anti-semitism on the left, which is abhorrent but relatively rare” at a time when the rise of the racist right is a real threat.

The letter refers to Mr Corbyn’s lifetime record of campaigning for equality and human rights and argue that a Labour government led by Corbyn “will be a powerful force to fight against racism, Islamophobia and anti-semitism.”

It also says: “It is in this context that we welcome the Labour Party’s endorsement of freedom of expression on Israel and on the rights of Palestinians.

“Labour is correct to recognise that while prejudice against Jewish people is deplorable, criticism of Israel’s government and policies can and must be made.”