Labour being ‘incredibly supportive’ of Israeli employee - The Jewish Chronicle

The Labour Party is being "incredibly supportive" of a new Israeli employee who has come under sustained attack from hard-left activists. The employee, who the JC is not naming, was recruited as one of the party's social media managers after applying for the job from Israel. The activists have joined former shadow chancellor John McDonnell in linking the Israeli employee to mistreatment of the Palestinians due to his former job with the Israeli army signals intelligence and a surveillance branch known as Unit 8200. Sources confirmed to the JC that the new member of staff made an "impressive" start to his job with the party, where they are based at Westminster. "They've fitted in perfectly," a source told the JC. "They are both popular, and have the sort of values that fit in perfectly with that of Labour's. "Everyone is being really supportive, not that there's actually any real issue." "It's shameful that unlike the vast majority of people who work here, there's a couple of people trying to stir up s**t." The JC reported this week that law firm Bindmans has threatened to take action against the party on behalf of Labour member Adnan Hmidan who has complained about the party’s decision to recruit the new employee. Mr McDonnell also condemned what he said was the party's decision "to recruit someone with a track record of working in an intelligence organisation roundly condemned for its role in the abuse of the human rights of Palestinians.” Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, told the JC: “Bindmans appears to be asking the Labour Party to discriminate against its employee because he is an Israeli. To do so would be unlawful”. Some hard-line anti-Israel activists have tried to falsely allege the new employee, who moved to the UK after landing the job, is an "Israeli spy." In Israel all 18-year-olds do compulsory military service, meaning all young people have links to the forces. It is normal for those who completed their military service to then mention in what part of the IDF they did their service on their social media in order to inform employers or universities that they have completed this training after their education ends. A Labour Party spokesperson said the party do not comment on issues involving staff members.