Lord Ian Austin described Hamilton’s comments as "disgraceful” and called on the Conservative Party to take action.
Chief Executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, Danny Stone, said Hamilton's comments were “ill-judged, racist and false, they betrayed a lack of knowledge and understanding about the Jewish community and what the Holocaust Memorial is for.”
Lord Hamilton’s remarks came in response to an intervention by Lord Austin, who had pointed out that the monument "is not a memorial for the Jewish community."
Hamilton argued that the Jewish community "has an awful lot of money" and "property everywhere" and should pay for the memorial. “I don't understand why the British taxpayer should be asked to pay for this,” he said.
Hamilton, who previously served as Minister of State for the Armed Forces under John Major and was a Conservative MP for Epsom and Ewell, defended his position by stating, “I have plenty of Jewish blood and I am a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel.”
He continued: “The driving forces behind putting up this memorial are the Jewish people in this country.
"They are people who have property everywhere. I do not see why they should not fund it. I just do not understand why the British taxpayer should be asked to pay for this when there is quite clearly a tremendous shortage of taxpayers’ money to go around.
“I would have thought that this could be financed by individuals, Jewish charities and so forth that would be happy to contribute to it.”
Lord Hamilton said that the Jewish community "has an awful lot of money" and "property everywhere" and should pay for a Holocaust memorial rather than the British taxpayer.[Missing Credit]
Hamilton claimed he was "amazed" that Jewish groups had not offered to fund the project.
Beyond his financial objections, he argued that Victoria Tower Gardens, adjacent to Parliament was the wrong location for the memorial, stating it would be too “dominant” in the small park.
“I do not pretend that I go into this park on a regular basis, but I do occasionally go into it. It is very small, and it will be made even smaller if this memorial is put into it. There will be no room for anybody to do anything in it at all.
“It is not like Hyde Park, where you could tuck this away in a corner; this is going to be completely dominant in a very small park, and it will reduce the amenities available for local people who live in Westminster.”
Conservative Lord Daniel Finkelstein intervened following Hamilton’s speech, rejecting his argument.
“The noble Lord cannot stand up here and say, ‘The Jews want the Holocaust memorial, and they ought to pay for it.’ The Holocaust is not something that is just about the Jews,” Finkelstein said.
He added that Hamilton’s comments were “a pretty eloquent contribution as to why we need this memorial – and [need it] near Parliament.”
Baroness Ruth Deech, a cross bench peer, hit back at Hamilton’s comment during the debate, saying, “Even if the Jewish community had money, it supports its own people through a number of charities.
“If it was called on to come up with £200 million, there would be nothing left for anything else. It is a misconception that this is a community project or that the community should pay for it.”
Labour peer Lord Leslie Griffiths concurred: “I have no problem with the British taxpayer paying up its share to realise this noble objective.”
He added that the private sector could contribute to the cost, but said “I do not care whether they are Jewish or not Jewish.”
Speaking after the debate, Lord Austin said of Hamilton’s remarks: "How many antisemitic caricatures is it possible to get in one speech? It is shocking to hear comments like this in a debate about the Holocaust. It shows that antisemitism remains a real problem – even in Parliament – but it does show why a memorial that focuses on anti-Jewish racism is still necessary.
“His comments are completely unacceptable and the Conservative Party must take action.”
Chief Executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, Danny Stone said: “It is shocking that his slur was not challenged by those leading the debate. We will be working with parliamentarians to ensure this appalling rhetoric does not remain unchallenged.”
Lord Hamilton told the JC he will be making a "profuse apology" when the Holocaust Memorial Committee next meets[Missing Credit]
The proposed Holocaust memorial adjacent to the Palace of Westminster was confirmed in The Holocaust Memorial Bill, which was announced as part of the Labour government’s first legislative programme.
The Holocaust Memorial Bill was introduced by the previous Conservative government, but it did not progress through Parliament before the general election. The bill was one of the few items of legislation to be “carried over” into the new Parliament.
Original plans for a huge underground complex have been reduced to four small rooms with digital displays.
In response to the allegations, Lord Hamilton said: “I will be making a profuse apology when the Holocaust Memorial Committee next meets.”
He later said he wished to withdraw his comments: “I would like to withdraw the remarks I made at the Committee Stage of the Holocaust Memorial Bill yesterday.
“My remarks were not intended to be antisemitic and I apologise unreservedly.
“With retrospect having read my comments, I realise that my remarks were insensitive and I apologise. I intend to meet with groups from the Jewish Community in order to better understand how to communicate about issues affecting British Jews.”
