Monday, January 29, 2024 – Labour MP Kate Osamor has been suspended after accusing Israel of genocide on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day.
The British-African-born MP for Edmonton sparked outrage
after claiming in her weekly newsletter that Gaza should be added to
the list of 'recent genocides'.
Posting a photo of herself signing the Holocaust Education
Trust's commemoration book in Westminster, she wrote on X: 'Tomorrow is
Holocaust Memorial Day, an international day to remember the six million Jews
murdered during the Holocaust, the millions of other people murdered under Nazi
persecution of other groups and more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda,
Bosnia and now Gaza.'
The Board of Deputies, the Jewish Labour Movement, and the
Holocaust Educational Trust reacted to her controversial remarks.
A Labour source confirmed to MailOnline on Sunday evening
that the Chief Whip has suspended Kate Osamor from the Parliamentary Labour
Party pending an investigation.
Ms Osamor later posted an apology on social media on Friday
night, writing on X: 'Holocaust Memorial Day is a day to remember the 6 million
Jews killed in the Holocaust and the genocides that have occurred since.
'I apologise for any offence caused by my reference to the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza as part of that period of remembrance.'
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'The
International Definition of Antisemitism, adopted by the Labour Party, lists
comparing Israel to Nazis as an example of antisemitism. That is what Kate
Osamor effectively did.
'The Labour Party has acted correctly in taking swift action
against Ms Osamor and we will be following the matter with interest.
'There are clearly some who wish to drag the Party backwards
to darker days when views like those expressed by Ms Osamor were common, and
they must fail.'
A Community Security Trust (CST) spokesperson said: 'Given
how offensive Kate Osamor's comments were, we welcome this swift suspension and
hope the party will take strong disciplinary action.'
Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News it
was not acceptable for Ms Osamor to bracket the Holocaust alongside current
events in Gaza.
'What is happening in Gaza is clearly a humanitarian
catastrophe that is recognised,' he said.
'But there are specific reasons why the Holocaust is
considered as it is. It's important on Holocaust Remembrance Day to remember
that.
'And I understand Kate has apologised. There's been a
conversation with the Chief Whip [Alan Campbell].
'There'll be further conversations next week, but of course,
we take anything in this space extremely seriously.'
Karen Pollock, the chief executive of the Holocaust
Educational Trust, told Jewish News that the 'disgusting post', sent by Ms
Osamor on Friday, was a malicious distortion of the truth, a painful insult to
survivors of the Holocaust and particularly distressing to see on the eve of
Holocaust Memorial Day'.
A Jewish Labour Movement spokesperson added: 'This is wholly
inappropriate.
'This week we have been commemorating the murder of six
million Jews in the Holocaust – and those who perished in subsequent genocides,
as listed by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
'Unilaterally co-opting the war in Gaza, despite the
horrific suffering there, on to that list is wrong and offensive.'
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