Hunt makes Shoah apology
JEREMY HUNT has made an apparent apology for Britain’s 1939 policy to cap migration to Palestine, calling it a “black moment” in history.
In a remarkably frank speech to the Conservative Friends of Israel’s annual parliamentary reception on Tuesday, the Foreign Secretary praised what he said was “on the whole” the strong relationship between the UK and the Jewish State.
But Mr Hunt expressed regret for the pre-war White Paper, which limited the number of Jewish immigrants to Palestine to 75,000 for five years during the Holocaust.
He said that after the signing of the Balfour Declaration in 1917, “we have to be honest — there have also been some black moments when we have done the wrong thing, such as the 1939 White Paper which capped the number of visas issued to Jews wanting to go to the British mandate of Palestine”. He spoke of the challenges Israel faces “having many neighbours who have used direct threats to its existence” and where “other countries are dedicated to your total elimination and destruction”.
Expressing his own “admiration” for the Jewish state, Mr Hunt said that despite all of this Israel has “absolutely thrived as a modern, high-tech country with a huge amount of prosperity.”
He spoke of the need to stamp out antisemitism and to “learn the lessons of history” so as to also to “stamp out” further atrocities such as those in Rwanda, Cambodia and “possibly even in Burma”.
Mr Hunt also joked that he would “not be Foreign Secretary for much longer” if he missed the votes taking place in the Commons that day.
The Foreign Secretary also said Israel’s right to defend itself was “absolutely unconditional”. Just days after the principles of a post-Brexit trade deal with Israel were revealed to be in place, he also hailed bilateral “mushrooming trade”.
And in reference to Brexit, Mr Hunt said Israel provided “inspiration to see how you’ve thrived despite the challenges on the borders”.
Among the other speakers were chairs Stephen Crabb and Lord Pickles, honorary president Lord Polak and reception host, Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers, who rushed in and out of the event in between votes.
Lord Polak was quick to praise the Foreign Secretary for the “apology” for British policy in 1939.
Tory Party chairman Brandon Lewis also appeared to put the party on election alert — urging guests at the CFI event to help with Sunday’s door knocking effort in Barnet.
UK’s 1939 cap on migration to Palestine was a ‘black moment’