Labour MPs have called for former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone to be suspended from the party after he claimed “Hitler was supporting Zionism” in the 1930s.

During an interview to discuss the suspension of Naz Shah over her antisemitic social media posts , Mr Livingstone claimed the Nazi dictator had initially backed moving Jews to Israel “before he went mad”.

The former MP also claimed: “There has been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this, being denounced .”

Speaking to Vanessa Feltz on BBC London, Mr Livingstone was asked about the events of the past two days and Ms Shah’s posts, including one in which she argued in favour of “transportation” of Israeli Jews to the United States and another in which she appeared to liken Israel’s policies to those of Hitler.

Mr Livingstone said: “She’s a deep critic of Israel and its policies. Her remarks were over the top but she’s not antisemitic. I’ve been in the Labour Party for 47 years and I’ve never heard anyone say anything antisemitic.”

Asked about Ms Shah’s post about “Jews rallying” to back an online poll, Mr Livingstone said: “It’s completely over the top but it’s not antisemitic. Let’s remember when Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.

“Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians.”

He later added that he believed it was "over the top" to "think of antisemitism and racism as exactly the same thing".

Board of Deputies president Jonathan Arkush said: “Ken Livingston’s comments were abhorrent and beyond disgraceful.

"His latest comments combine Holocaust revisionism with antisemitism denial, when the evidence is there for all to see. He lacks any sense of decency.

"He must now be expelled from the Labour Party.”

Veteran Jewish Labour MP Louise Ellman said: "Add my name to the list of those calling for him to be suspended. He must retract these comments very fast."

Joan Ryan MP, chair of Labour Friends of Israel, said: “To speak of Zionism – the right of the Jewish people to self-determination – and Hitler in the same sentence is quite breathtaking.

"I am appalled that Ken Livingstone has chosen to do so. There cannot be one rule for some Labour party members and one rule for others. He should be suspended from the Labour Party immediately.”

John Mann MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism, later challenged Mr Livingstone outside a BBC studio, shouting at him and calling him "a Nazi apologist".

Ilford North MP Wes Streeting wrote on Twitter: “Ken Livingstone has form on antisemitism and has been tolerated for far too long. He should be suspended immediately.”

Labour’s mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan said: “Ken Livingstone's comments are appalling and inexcusable. There must be no
place for this in our party.”

John Woodcock MP, a former Labour Friends of Israel chair, said: “Ken Livingstone is the chair of Labour's international policy commission - this cannot go on.”

MP Liz Kendall added: "We must not allow Labour's proud history of fighting racism & prejudice to be put at any further risk. Ken Livingstone should be suspended."

Jewish Labour Movement chairman Jeremy Newmark said Mr Livingstone must be suspended: "He has had a free pass on offending Jews for too long. No place for such views on the party NEC."

Jon Lansman, founder of the Momentum movement which backs Jeremy Corbyn, said: “A period of silence from Ken Livingstone is overdue, especially on antisemitism racism and Zionism. It’s time he left politics altogether.”

Speaking to the JC Mr Lansman said: "My view is that Ken has said increasingly silly thinks about antisemitism, Zionism, racism. I think it is very sad what is happening.

“All political careers end in failure and I think he should have the sense to exit.”

Conservative MP for Hertsmere Oliver Dowden said: "Labour have gone from indifference to denial over their antisemitism problem.

"Instead of turning a blind eye, they need to act and now. Jeremy Corbyn needs to suspend Ken Livingstone and stop sections of his party being apologists for antisemitism."

During the 2012 London mayor election campaign, Mr Livingstone claimed he did not believe Jews in the capital would vote for him because they were rich .

In a notorious incident in 2005, he told Jewish Evening Standard reporter Oliver Finegold that he was “like a concentration camp guard”.

Earlier, in an interview with the BBC's Today programme, Labour MP Rupa Huq, claimed Ms Shah's antisemitic Facebook post had been "silly", adding, "she did not write any antisemitic tracts, she just clicked share".

The comments led to calls for Ms Huq to also be suspended by the party.