Jeremy Corbyn. Photo: Screenshot.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews (BDBJ) is planning to issue a statement outlining its concerns with Jeremy Corbyn’s election as leader of the U.K. Labour party.

Upon Corbyn’s election, the BDBJ congratulated him and stated that it was “looking forward” to meeting with him and discussing the priorities and concerns of Britain’s Jewish community.

But in another more strongly-worded statement shared with Tazpit prior to its official release, the BDBJ has adopted a less conciliatory tone with Corbyn, and promised to question his stance on issues that have irked many in Britain’s Jewish community.

After raising concerns about his previous relationship with Hamas and Hezbollah, both of whom Corbyn has described as “friends,” BDBJ expresses its hope that “he will clearly repudiate both the ideology and the conduct of these organisations and pursue contact with the mainstream Israeli and Palestinian political parties.”

The BDBJ further calls upon Corbyn to establish the Labour party as an opponent of boycotts against Israel, which they characterize as “stigmatising, divisive and counterproductive.”

However, in an interview with Tazpit prior to Corbyn’s election, British Conservative MP Matthew Offord said that people should not be too optimistic that Corbyn will significantly change his views.

He added that Corbyn not only sees equivalency between Israel and Apartheid South Africa, but that he has shown himself to be against Israel’s very existence.