Lord George Carey (pictured below) gave a speech at Emmanu-El Synagogue in New York where he backed a call for Jeremy Corbyn to resign as leader of the Labour Party if he does not do more to tackle the issue.
In a speech published online via the human rights organisation, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, he said: "...in a civilized country such language and attitudes should not be tolerated.
"All democratic political institutions must express the highest expectations of equality, fairness and civility.
"That this is under threat in a prominent political party, where Jewish people have played and are playing significant and important roles, is a worrying sign of a society not entirely at ease with itself.
"Of course, I don't wish to suggest that the Labour Party is riddled with anti-Semitism. But the problems are real enough to make Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Leader, promise to deal with the issue as a matter of urgency.
"If he does not take effective action, this will demonstrate that the Labour Party is not ready to govern.
In a statement on the manifesto section of it's website, the Labour Party says: "We believe in challenging prejudice and discrimination wherever it exists; the differences between us are never an excuse to treat each other badly or unjustly.
"Britain has a long tradition of liberty and the rule of law, and Labour has a proud tradition of extending these to our most vulnerable citizens.
"We will establish a comprehensive race equality strategy to break down the barriers still faced by black and minority ethnic communities, and to make sure our national institutions - including the police, judiciary, civil service and the boardrooms of our companies - are more representative of the diversity of our country."
The Labour Party has been approached for a specific comment.