The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Mossad claims spark backlash
Councillor blames Israeli secret service for Corbyn attacks
Jewish newspapers that criticised Labour’s position on anti-Semitism may be working on behalf of the Israeli secret service, a Fife councillor has suggested.
Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty representative Mary Lockhart attacked those who have questioned UK leader Jeremy Corbyn’s attitude on the issue.
Ms Lockhart posted on Facebook: “If it is a Mossad assisted campaign to prevent the election of a Labour government pledged to recognise Palestine as a state, it is unacceptable interference in the democracy of Britain.”
Paul Spicker, of the Tayside and Fife Jewish Community charity, criticised her.
And former Labour MP Thomas Docherty said: “If you even suggest that British Jews are agents of the Israeli secret service that is an anti-Semitic trope and you have no place in the Labour Party.”
Ms Lockhart was unavailable for comment last night.
Jewish newspapers that criticised Labour’s position on anti-Semitism may be working on behalf of the Israeli secret service, one of the party’s councillors has suggested.
Mary Lockhart has been told such views have no place in the Scottish Labour Party after posting a message on Facebook attacking those who have questioned UK leader Jeremy Corbyn’s attitude on the issue.
The UK’s three leading Jewish newspapers this week took the unprecedented step of publishing a joint front page message warning that a Corbyn-led government would pose an “existential threat to Jewish life in this country”.
Ms Lockhart, whose ward is Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty, posted about the move: “If the purpose is to generate opposition to antiSemitism, it has backfired spectacularly.
“If it is to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Leader, it is unlikely to succeed, and is a shameless piece of cynical opportunism.
“And if it is a Mossad (the Israeli secret service) assisted campaign to prevent the election of a Labour government pledged to recognise Palestine as a state, it is unacceptable interference in the democracy of Britain.”
She went on to say the Labour Party is neither racist nor anti-Semitic before adding: “Israel is a racist state.”
Paul Spicker, of the Tayside and Fife Jewish Community charity, said some people have used attacks on the actions of the state of Israel as cover for antiSemitic remarks.
He added: “The Labour Party has dropped illustrations of anti-Semitism which suggest, for example, that Jewish people have more loyalty to Israel than to their own country.
“Mary Lockhart’s comments begin in the same way, suggesting that Jews who dare to object are the agents of Mossad, the Israeli secret service. How dare she.”
Former Dunfermline and West Fife Labour MP Thomas Docherty told The Courier he would be making a formal complaint about his party colleague.
He said: “If you even suggest that British Jews are agents of the Israeli secret service that is an anti-Semitic trope and you have no place in the Labour Party.”
Under the headline “United We Stand”, the Jewish Chronicle, Jewish Telegraph and Jewish News described Labour’s refusal to adopt in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antiSemitism as “sinister”.
They said that “the stain and shame of anti-Semitism has coursed through Her Majesty’s Opposition since Jeremy Corbyn became leader in 2015”.
Labour insisted Mr Corbyn and the party are “fully committed to the support, defence and celebration of the Jewish community and its organisations”.
In 2016 Ms Lockhart apologised for any offence caused by a social media post which appeared to compare some Labour officials to Nazis.
She referred to a famous poem about persecution in the Third Reich when protesting against a decision to ban some Labour members from the UK leadership contest.
She was unavailable for comment last night.
It is understood Scottish Labour has not yet received any formal complaint.
The party did not comment.
If the purpose is to generate opposition to antiSemitism, it has backfired