A Liberal Democrat MP has been criticised after he appeared to equate the Holocaust with events in the Middle East.

During a Parliamentary debate on the new national curriculum on Monday, Sir Bob Russell asked Education Secretary Michael Gove about the intention to provide “more coverage of world history”.

The Colchester MP asked: “On the assumption that the 20th century will include the Holocaust, will he give me an assurance that the life of Palestinians since 1948 will be given equal attention?”

Karen Pollock, Holocaust Educational Trust chief executive, said: “To try to equate the events of the Holocaust — the systemised mass murder of six million Jews — with the conflict in the Middle East is simply inaccurate as well as inappropriate.”

In January, in the run-up to Holocaust Memorial Day, Sir Bob’s fellow Lib Dem MP, David Ward, accused “the Jews” of “inflicting atrocities on Palestinians”.

Mr Ward has yet to be disciplined by his party for the remark.