Israel's foreign minister says he hopes Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn loses UK election

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that he hopes Labour's Jeremy Corbyn loses British elections next week.

"I won't meddle in internal elections but I personally hope that he won't be elected, with this whole wave of anti-Semitism... I hope the other side wins," he told Israeli Army Radio on Thursday.

Labour has been dogged by allegations of widespread anti-semitism among members since Corbyn took over in 2015.

The party carried out a review into the issue in 2016, which found anti-semitism was not endemic within Labour but said there was an "occasionally toxic atmosphere".

Despite the suspension or expulsion of some members, including former London mayor Ken Livingstone, senior leaders have been repeatedly accused of failing to tackle the problem.

Katz also played down the prospect that security coordination with the UK would be downgraded if Corbyn were elected.

"Leaders don't harm their country's own interests so fast. But we will of course discuss these things if they occur," he said.

Read more: UK election 2019: Where do political parties stand on the Middle East?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted that he would no longer share intelligence with Britain if Corbyn became leader.

The comments, reported in The Daily Telegraph last week, were made in September when Netanyahu was asked if Israel would continue its security relationship with the UK if Corbyn became leader.

"What do you think?" Netanyahu said, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Corbyn on Tuesday made a direct apology for not doing enough to tackle anti-semitism in the Labour party.

"Obviously I'm very sorry for everything that has happened," he told ITV's This Morning. "But I want to make this clear, I am dealing with it, I have dealt with it."

The Labour leader is an anti-war campaigner and has been a vocal critic of Israeli policies towards Palestinians.

He has promised to immediately recognise the state of Palestine if elected, while calling to suspend arms sales to Israel "used in violation of the human rights of Palestinian civilians".