Mr Clegg told the paper: “I believe and my party believes – and David Ward is a representative of the Liberal Democrats – in a two-state solution.
"It’s not consistent with our values and our policy to start raising questions about the existence of the state of Israel.
"That’s why I took the unprecedented step, after due process, to suspend the whip – the first time I have done that to a Lib Dem MP.”
But Mr Clegg made no reference in the interview to Mr Ward's most offensive claims in January, ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, that "the Jews" had afflicted "atrocities on the Palestinians".
New comments made by Mr Ward to his local paper today suggest he will not back down. He criticised Lib Dem chief whip Alistair Carmichael, suggesting he believed Mr Ward was "courting the Muslim vote".
Mr Ward said: "But that’s damned insulting both to Muslims and the white community I represent in Bradford, who regularly come up to me and offer their support.”
