Antisemitism in UK ‘off the rails’ as Jeremy Corbyn accused of triggering 'explosion' of hate, director of US campuses film warns

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Stephen Silverman reacts to ongoing controversy over alleged bias in BBC film

GB News
Eliana Silver

By Eliana Silver


Published: 15/03/2025

- 12:15

'Some people say the UK is ten years ahead of the US in the explosion of antisemitism… on the left,' a film executive producer said

The director of a new film about antisemitism on US university campuses has said antisemitism in the UK is “off the rails” and accused Jeremy Corbyn of triggering the “explosion” of hate.

Wendy Sachs, the filmmaker behind the documentary October 8 - which was released on Friday in the US - hopes to bring the film to UK audiences this year.


Sachs has drawn parallels to the UK in the film, saying: “As someone who is very much entrenched in Democratic politics and progressive causes, I can tell you what’s happening on the left here in America really mirrors what’s been happening on the left in the UK for more than a decade.”

“You have a very large Muslim population, the demonstrations are significant in the UK, the antisemitism is off the rails in your country as well — what we’re seeing, the difference here in America is it feels a little bit more new.”

Wendy Sachs

Wendy Sachs, the filmmaker behind the documentary October 8 - which was released on Friday in the US - hopes to bring the film to UK audiences this year

GETTY

The filmmaker also blamed Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn for heading an “explosion” of antisemitism in the UK.

She added: "You’ve been having it since [the former Labour leader] Jeremy Corbyn led to an explosion of antisemitism in the UK.

“Although we see it both on the left and the right … the only place where the far left and far right agree is on antisemitism, and we see that.”

“Some people say the UK is ten years ahead of the US in the explosion of antisemitism … on the left.”

Corbyn, the former Labour leader, had the party whip removed in November 2020 after claiming accusations of antisemitism in the Labour party during his leadership had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”. He now stands as an Independent.

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Jeremy Corbyn

Corbyn, the former Labour leader, had the party whip removed in November 2020 after claiming accusations of antisemitism in the Labour party during his leadership had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”

PA

Sachs has said the aim of her film was to “unpack what antisemitism looks like today” and answer how “we got to this moment when Hamas are being celebrated as freedom fighters rather than as terrorists”.

The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that protects British Jews, released a report recently that highlighted a shocking increase in antisemitic incidents on campus in the two academic years since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

In the 2023-24 academic year, the CST recorded 272 incidents on UK university campuses. This was an increase from 53 the previous year.

A spokesman for CST said: “Rising campus antisemitism is a big problem and we welcome anything that raises awareness of this.”

In the US, antisemitism on campus also rose drastically, with protests and encampments erupting on university campuses. There were reports of Jewish students being verbally and physically attacked.

Societies at Ivy League and other prestigious universities released statements blaming Israel for the terror attack.

The film shows one Cornell University professor referring to the Hamas attack as “exhilarating” and “energising”.

Sachs hopes to release the film in the UK in the next six months.

Trump

The film’s release comes as US President Donald Trump cancelled $400 million in funds to Columbia University

Getty

The film’s release comes as US President Donald Trump cancelled $400 million in funds to Columbia University, claiming it failed to protect its Jewish students during the pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus.

It also comes as a video emerged on Friday of prominent Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil being arrested by federal immigration agents.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he revoked Khalil’s permission to be in the US for his actions during the Columbia University pro-Palestine protests.

GB News has contacted Jeremy Corbyn MP for comment.