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Jewish Labour MP 'appalled' at Israel Apartheid Week's campaign of 'hate'
Pro-Corbyn Fabian Hamilton called it 'a campaign of hatred which seeks undermines the legitimacy of the state of Israel'
March 20, 2019 12:59
Pro-Corbyn Fabian Hamilton called it 'a campaign of hatred which seeks undermines the legitimacy of the state of Israel'
March 20, 2019 12:59A Jewish Labour MP has said he was “appalled” that Israeli Apartheid Week has several events running at the University of Leeds this month.
Fabian Hamilton, the Leeds North East MP who sits on the Labour frontbench, said the week was “a campaign of hatred which seeks undermines the legitimacy of the state of Israel.”
Mr Hamilton, who faces growing anger from the Jewish community over his failure to speak out about antisemitism in Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, said he was “wholly opposed to IAW making its way into our academic institutions.”
The Jewish Labour MP said he has written to the Universities Minister to ask him to ensure that the any breaches of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism “are dealt with swiftly by the relevant authorities.”
Mr Hamilton, who is also a Labour Friends of Israel supporter, said: “To link South African Apartheid to the creation of the state of Israel is outrageous and undermines both the struggle of the Jewish people as well as the possibility of a two-state solution.
“Leeds University must fully investigate any allegations of antisemitism at these events and I urge anybody that sees antisemitism to report it.”
I am wholly opposed to Israel Apartheid Week making its way into our academic institutions and have written to the Universities Minister to ask him to ensure that the any breaches of the IHRA definition of antisemitism are dealt with swiftly by the relevant authorities.
— Fabian Hamilton (@FabianLeedsNE) March 19, 2019
Last week Jewish Leeds University students welcomed the news there will not be a campus-wide referendum on whether the students' union should do more to fight antisemitism, saying it would have caused "great distress".
A referendum loomed after a motion, that set out a number of measures to tackle Jew-hate, including the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, failed to pass at the Leeds University Union (LUU), coming two votes short.
Mr Hamilton said supporting a Palestinian state “should not go hand in hand with this week of hate.”
He said it was not possible for the two-state solution to “exist while this week continues to fuel the divisions between two communities.”
The Shadow Minister for Peace and Disarmament said: “Whether Israeli, Palestinian, Muslim or Jew, we should all work together to protect everyone’s freedoms and look to establish a more peaceful world.”
In 2018 Mr Hamilton angered some Jewish voters in his constituency when he met with two of the founding members of controversial, pro-Corbyn Jewish Voice For Labour in Westminster.
He also angered local Jewish voters in Leeds by saying they should be “less hysterical and angry” when they asked why he has kept silent on Labour’s antisemitism crisis.
A spokesperson for Mr Hamilton said: “Fabian has always opposed Israel Apartheid Week, as he opposes the BDS campaign.
“The opposition to BDS is official shadow foreign office policy and by speaking out now Fabian is reaffirming what he’s always thought at a time when it’s relevant to speak out against what’s happening this week throughout our universities.”
