Diane Abbott brands IDF the ‘Jewish Defence Force'
In a now deleted post on X, the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington said: 'Beyond horrific that the Jewish Defence Force is gunning down Palestinians as they queue for food #Gaza Genocide.'
The Mother of the House had been responding on Tuesday morning to a quote from journalist Chris Hedges from 2001 in which he alleged that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 'soldiers enticed children like mice into a trap and murdered them for sport'.
It is unclear why Ms Abbott used the word 'Jewish' in her post or indeed if she was aware that Hedges's report was from more than two decades ago rather than referring to the recent shootings at aid distribution centres in Gaza.
Ms Abbott, who is yet to address the deleted social media post, was suspended by Labour in April 2023 for writing a letter to The Observer in which she claimed that Jews could not be subject to racism.
She said 'many types of white people with points of difference' could experience prejudice, but they were not subject to racism 'all their lives'.
Sir Keir Starmer condemned her comments as 'anti-Semitic', the MP apologised and an investigation conducted by Labour's National Executive Committee culminated with a 'formal warning'.
Ms Abbott was ordered to take a two-hour online anti-Semitism awareness course and was reinstated days before the general election in July 2024.
Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism, said Ms Abbott's recent post was 'just her latest derogatory comment aimed at Jews'.
He told The Telegraph: 'Where is the zero tolerance we were promised when she has previously had the whip removed for a similar offence?
'It is sad to see a groundbreaking MP who was the first black woman to be elected, reduced to not knowing the difference between the Israel Defense Forces and Jewish defence forces.'
Mr Hearn said the Labour MP's latest comment 'harks back to deadly mediaeval libels about Jews' and, given that many of her constituents were Jewish, her 'appropriateness as an MP must now be called into question'.
'Sick interplay of misinformation and prejudice'
A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism asked how many times Ms Abbott could be accused of anti-Semitism and still remain a Labour MP.
He told The Telegraph: 'It is not clear if Diane Abbott deleted this tweet because the post referred to a (contested) incident two decades ago which she was passing off as current, or because she said out loud what so many far-Left activists believe, namely that references to 'Israel', 'Zionists' and so on are euphemisms for 'Jewish', or for some other reason.
'What is clear is that this post exemplifies the sick interplay of misinformation and prejudice so disgustingly prevalent in anti-Israel circles.
'How many strikes is this for Ms Abbott? Will the Labour Party finally expel her?'
A spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews described Ms Abbott's social media post as the 'latest in her long line of anti-Jewish offences and provocations'.
'Coming so soon after the appalling scenes at Glastonbury at the weekend, there can be no excuse, and she should now lose the whip as a Labour MP,' he said, adding: 'After a long and trailblazing career, it is tragic that she will end it known mainly for her fomenting of bigotry.'
Russell Langer, director of public affairs at the Jewish Leadership Council, urged the Labour Party to act decisively.
He said: 'This is the latest in a series of grossly offensive remarks made by Diane Abbott towards the Jewish community.
'As an MP who has already had the whip suspended in the past, we expect a clear message of zero tolerance to be shown.'
A Labour Party spokesman said: 'All complaints are taken seriously and assessed in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures.'
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