Labour MP Kate Osamor suspended over Holocaust post accusing Israel of genocide
A Labour MP has been suspended after she accused Israel of committing genocide in a post about Holocaust Memorial Day.
Kate Osamor faces an investigation following complaints about the remarks she wrote on her website.
The Edmonton MP posted that Holocaust Memorial Day was “an international day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, the millions of other people murdered under Nazi persecution of other groups and more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and now Gaza”. She included a photograph of herself signing the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment.
The charity had condemned her “disgusting post”, which it said was “ painful insult to survivors of the Holocaust”. A Labour source confirmed that the's party Chief Whip Sir Alan Campbell had suspended Ms Osamor from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending an investigation.
Ms Osamor had posted the comments on her website on Friday, which was the day before Holocaust Memorial Day. She has since deleted her reference to Gaza.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
Kate Osamor posted the update on her website ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on Saturday (Holocaust Educational Trust)Ahead of the suspension, Holocaust Educational Trust Chief Executive Karen Pollock had said: "We welcome MPs from all political parties to pay their respects on Holocaust Memorial Day to the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators by signing our Book of Commitment in Parliament.
"If Kate Osamor cannot display decency, respect and a basic understanding of history then she is not welcome to join us. This disgusting post is a malicious distortion of the truth, a painful insult to survivors of the Holocaust and particularly distressing to see on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has said it "unreservedly condemn[s] the attempts by Kate Osamor to link the Holocaust to the current situation in Gaza".
Momentum criticised the decision to suspend Ms Osamor as "outrageous" and said it "should be immediately reversed".
The International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.
Ms Osamor resigned from Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet in 2018 after she threw a bucket of water over a journalist after her son was convicted of having £2,500-worth of drugs at a festival.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
