Labour MP wanted Israel relocated in US
Shadow chancellor’s aide quits over anti-Semitic message and Corbyn faces pressure to take action
JEREMY CORBYN was last night embroiled in another anti-Semitism scandal as he faced demands to sack a Labour MP who backed calls for Israel to “relocate” to America.
Naz Shah prompted fury from MPs from across the political divide after sharing a post online that argued the “transportation costs” of such a move would be worth it.
The MP for Bradford West resigned as an aide to the party’s shadow chancellor and “unreservedly” apologised after the messages – which date back to 2014 – surfaced yesterday.
However, the Labour leadership was under growing pressure to go further and strip Ms Shah of the party whip after promising to “root out” antiSemitism.
Ms Shah shared a post on Facebook that said Americans would “welcome Israelis with open arms” and that such a relocation would bring peace to the Middle East by ending “foreign interference”.
The comments raised questions about Ms Shah’s suitability to remain on the home affairs select committee, which recently announced it would investigate rising anti-Semitism in Britain. Two members of the committee told The Daily Telegraph that Ms Shah must step down from any involvement in the inquiry because of the “deeply offensive” comments.
A Labour MP has compared the suggestion with the Nazi plan to move Jews in Europe to Madagascar during the Second World War.
Another MP said they comments were “outrageous and totally unacceptable”.
The post on Ms Shah’s Facebook page made on Aug 5 2014 – uncovered by the Guido Fawkes blog and since deleted – read: “Solution for Israel-Palestine conflict. Relocate Israel into the United States.”
It was accompanied by a map of the US with a small section representing Israel shaded in.
It went on: “Israelis are most loved by Americans. Americans will welcome Israelis with open arms into their homes. America has plenty of land to accommodate Israel as its 51st state. Israel can have a real safe Jewish state surrounded by friendly states.
“America will no longer have to spend $3 billion taxpayer money per year for Israel’s defence. The transportation costs will be less than three years of defence spending.
“Palestinians will get their land and life back. Middle East will again be peaceful without foreign interference. Oil prices will go down, inflation will go down, whole world will be happy.”
Speaking after the comments came to light, Ms Shah said: “This post from two years ago was made before I was an MP, does not reflect my views and I apologise for any offence it has caused.”
Ms Shah announced she was standing down from her role as John McDonnell’s parliamentary private secretary. “I deeply regret the hurt I have caused by comments made on social media before I was elected as an MP,” she said.
“I made these posts at the height of the Gaza conflict in 2014, when emotions were running high around the Middle East.
“But that is no excuse for the offence I have given, for which I unreservedly apologise. In recognition of that of- fence, I have stepped down from my role as PPS to the shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
“I will be seeking to expand my existing engagement and dialogue with Jewish community organisations and will be stepping up my efforts to combat all forms of racism, including antiSemitism.”
John Mann, the MP for Bassetlaw, said: “The last person to propose a forced repatriation of this kind was Adolph Eichmann on Aug 15 in 1940 (the Madagascar plan).” He added that Ms Shah should attend events “in order to learn about anti-Semitism and the impact on people’s lives”.
Oliver Dowden, a Tory MP, demanded Mr Corbyn remove the whip from Ms Shah.
The word is overused, but the details of Naz Shah’s Facebook postings are shocking. That anyone, in Britain in 2014, should gleefully spread material discussing the (presumably forcible) transportation of Jews from Israel is troubling enough. That the person concerned was only months later elected to the House of Commons is truly disturbing. Even today, her actions exposed to the public, the best Ms Shah can offer is that the repellent material concerned does not reflect her current view, a weasel-worded statement that all but confirms the she endorsed a quintessentially anti-Semitic position at the time.
Perhaps this story raises questions about Bradford, where Ms Shah won her seat for Labour in a bruising fight with George Galloway – himself an unpleasant demagogue who is no stranger to distasteful comments on the Middle East. What do her constituents make of the views expressed in her fateful post? Perhaps there are issues to explore relating to the British Pakistani community of which Ms Shah is a prominent member. Do all the people who live in this country accept that antiSemitism is as unacceptable as any other racism?
But the most pressing questions are those facing Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, for this is just the latest in a string of cases to emerge under his leadership. Mr Corbyn himself is friendly towards hateful groups seeking Israel’s destruction. Is it any wonder then, that his party contains and – perhaps even attracts – anti-Semites? So far, Ms Shah has lost her job as an aide to John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, but remains a Labour member. That speaks volumes about Mr Corbyn’s disgustingly inadequate response to anti-Semitism in his party.