JEREMY Corbyn is hoping to use a speech at the Jewish Museum in London to defuse the anti-Semitism row engulfing Labour, it has emerged.

It is understood the venue turned down a request for the Labour leader to speak today, but remain in discussions about an event next week.

However museum chief executive Abigail Morris said the situation was "delicate" and she did not want to agree to something that "will make things worse".

Anti-Semitism campaigners said they would not be satisfied by "hollow promises delivered under duress".

Ms Morris told The Jewish Chronicle: "We are still trying to work out what (Mr Corbyn's office) is asking from us, whether it is a discussion, a statement or a speech.

"Things are very delicate at the moment. But the Jewish Museum is all about building bridges, and sometimes that's hard. We would want to be part of a healing process, not something that will make things worse.”

The speech plan comes after even Mr Corbyn’s closest ally, shadow chancellor John McDonnell, questioned his handling of the row about anti-Semitism within the party.

The rumbling crisis has led to bitter infighting among Labour MPs.

Mr Corbyn was this week forced to apologise for hosting a Commons event in 2008 at which one speaker compared Israel to the Nazis.

Labour also had to deny Mr Corbyn had compared the actions of Israelis to Nazis when he referred to the sieges of Leningrad and Stalingrad during a rally speech on Gaza.

Mr McDonnell also came under fire for backing the creation of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) in 2008 by signing a Commons motion.

Gideon Falter, chairman of Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, said: "There has been speculation that Jeremy Corbyn wishes to address the Jewish community.

“We have seen this act before, and we are insulted that he thinks we will be satisfied by hollow promises delivered under duress.

"No matter what action Mr Corbyn promises, his track record demonstrates that he is an anti-Semite and an existential threat to British Jews."

Mr Corbyn is also under pressure to discipline activist Peter Willsman for ranting about Jewish “Trump fanatics” at Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) in July.

Mr Willsman apologised, but was not disciplined despite two complaints about him.

The left-wing Momentum movement, which has underpinned Mr Corbyn’s leadership, yesterday withdraw its backing for Mr Willsman re-election bid to the NEC.

Fire Brigades Union leader Matt Wrack accused Momentum of “bottling it” and taking a decision that was “inept, cowardly and completely arbitrary”.

Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, who is facing disciplinary procedure for attacking Mr Corbyn over the anti-Semitism row, said she had “no idea” what the allegations against her were, and said her treatment was “ridiculous” given Mr Willsman’s let-off.

She also criticised Labour for “playing around” by cherry picking parts of an international standard definition of anti-Semitism as it drew up its own internal code of conduct.