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Board of Deputies complains to Guardian about letter from 'prominent' Jews supporting Chris Williamson

Board calls it 'misleading and inaccurate' and notes one signatory 'has called for Zionists to be exterminated'

July 9, 2019 10:09
Chris Williamson
3 min read

The Board of Deputies has complained to the Guardian, saying the paper mishandled a letter it published and claimed was from "prominent members of the Jewish community" declaring their support for suspended Labour MP Chris Williamson.

The letter itself said all its signatories were "all Jews" and claimed the “mass media have ignored the huge support” for Mr Williamson, “both within and beyond the Labour party", adding: "We regard Chris as our ally: he stands as we do with the oppressed rather than the oppressor."

But the Board said the paper had been "misleading and inaccurate in its description of the signatories, some have been suspended or expelled from the Labour Party and one of whom has called for Zionists to be exterminated".

One signatory even claimed to represent the Jewish Labour Movement, which has taken a hardline on Mr Williamson and his repeated intervention in Labour's antisemitism crisis.