Leading communal bodies have asked the Labour Party to censure Sir Gerald Kaufman after the veteran MP accused Israel of fabricating attacks and claimed the Conservative Party has been influenced by “Jewish money” .
The Board of Deputies, Community Security Trust (CST) and Jewish Leadership Council have written to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the party’s chief whip, Rosie Winterton, requesting “swift and appropriate disciplinary action”.
Speaking at a Palestine Return Centre event in Parliament on Tuesday , Sir Gerald was recorded by blogger David Collier saying that the British government had become more pro-Israel in recent years.
He said: “It’s Jewish money, Jewish donations to the Conservative Party – as in the general election in May – support from the Jewish Chronicle, all of those things, bias the Conservatives.”
Eight Labour MPs wrote to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn demanding he take action
Sir Gerald, who is Father of the House of Commons, told the audience of 45 people that the Israeli government had made up the recent spate of violent attacks in order to allow it to “execute Palestinians”.
The Manchester Gorton MP said “a friend of mine who lives in East Jerusalem” had emailed him with the accusations about Israel fabricating the attacks.
Sir Gerald then read from the letter: “More than half the stabbing claims were definitely fabricated. The other half, some were true, the others there was no way to tell since they executed Palestinians and no one asked questions.”
In his letter to Labour, CST director of communications Mark Gardner said that British Jews would want to see “a candid response” from the party.
Mr Gardner wrote: “On its own, his ‘Jewish money’ and ‘Jewish donations’ comments invite antisemitic interpretation. Coming after the words, ‘I can tell you in a way which perhaps nobody else in this room can’, the comments are begging antisemitic interpretation.”
Mr Gardner added that “as honorary Father of the House (Parliament’s most veteran MP), his actions cannot be ignored.
“Nobody is unaware of the connotations of what Kaufman said in this latest meeting. It does not get clearer than ‘Jewish money’ and ‘Jewish donations’.”
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition from grassroots group North West Friends of Israel calling on Labour to “take action against Gerald Kaufman for using antisemitic rhetoric”.
A Labour Party spokesperson said Mr Kaufman’s views “as reported do not reflect the views of the Labour Party”.
The party has been asked for further comment.
