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Sixty years ago I was a 19-year-old merchant ­seaman on board the Mediterranean White Star cruise liner MV Britannic, entering the port of Haifa in Israel.

We had to sail from Cairo to Haifa – the ship would not have been allowed to dock if we’d gone the other way because Egypt refused to recognise the State of Israel.

But I was excited to be entering Israel, where its young population shared my values of social justice, human rights and solidarity.

In my discussions with the young kibbutz people, workers and trade unionists at the motor plant and ordinary Israeli citizens, I was met with great warmth and enthusiasm and the excitement of shared international comradeship.

It remained a very deep part of my early political development.

But nations have changed dramatically in my time.

America under Trump is no longer open and tolerant.

The Britain of my time, with Attlee’s Labour Government introducing a National Health Service and a welfare state, is entirely different to the austerity-driven country under May.

And the optimistic Israel I visited then is completely different to the one now governed by right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It is worlds apart from the priorities and values of social justice, human rights and solidarity which I saw in Israel.

A common factor is that these leaders appear to emphasise ­division instead of unity.

Trump wants to build a wall to stop Mexicans, May wants to reconstruct a Cold War, and Netanyahu is building illegal settlements in Palestine.

But criticism of Israel’s policies should never be turned into the ideology of hate that is antisemitism.

It saddens me that in my party “pockets of antisemitism” ­exist and that British Jews feel threatened.

But does that make Labour an antisemitic party? Of course not – and I and many members resent the accusation.

Two years ago, Shami Chakrabarti brought out a report into antisemitism in the Labour Party, with a list of recommendations.

Many have been implemented, including zero tolerance of racist language and minimising or questioning the Holocaust.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

There are 74 outstanding cases of members who have been accused of such behaviour.

While this accounts for just over 0.01 per cent of Labour’s membership, it is vital these cases are dealt with swiftly and with transparency.

I find it remarkable that the case against Ken Livingstone – who was suspended for saying Hitler supported Zionism – has still not been resolved after 20 months.

If it were up to me, I’d kick him out. We must follow due process.

But it is crazy that it has taken up to two years to sort out some of these outstanding cases.

Jeremy was right to apologise for failing to recognise that a mural he saw on Facebook was antisemitic.

However, I don’t think anyone would think a man who has fought against racism all his life is tolerant of antisemitism.

But I find the reluctance of the Board of Deputies of British Jews to accept Jeremy’s offer of an urgent meeting surprising and disappointing.

If the Board of Deputies can arrange a protest with 1,500 people within 24 hours, why must it take weeks to meet Corbyn – and why then only if he meets their conditions beforehand?

I have no doubt Corbyn is fully committed to eradicating antisemitism, however small it might be inside Labour.

One antisemitic member is one too many.

That’s why the Board of Deputies should meet with Corbyn.

So they can work together to stamp out this evil once and for all.