A petition calling for an investigation into pro-Israel lobbying activity in the UK played into “the same old antisemitic tropes of hidden forces and malign control”, a government minister told Parliament.
On Monday, despite criticism from Jewish community organisations, politicians from across the political spectrum, and a survivor of the Heaton Park terror attack, MPs held a debate on a petition calling for a public inquiry into ‘pro-Israel influence on politics and democracy’, after it reached over 100,000 signatories.
From the start of the debate, there were objections to the petition and framing of the conversation.
Andrew Mitchell, a former Conservative cabinet minister, made an early point of order in proceedings, saying he felt “uneasy” about the debate.
“Why is Israel singled out in this way? Why not Gulf countries, Iran, Eastern Europe, or the USA? This has been discussed at a time when the Jewish community are clearly under threat and are suffering numerous hideous attacks.
"I'm not sure I trust the motivation behind the petition organisers, and I very much fear this whole thing smacks of an antisemitic conspiracy”, he added.
Meanwhile, James Frith, minister in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: "It's unfortunate that the petition behind this debate plays into the same old antisemitic tropes of hidden forces and malign control”.
Tory MP John Lamont, who opened the debate on behalf of the petitions committee, emphasised his personal disagreement with the contents of the petition, saying it “cynically overlooks the fact that there are campaigns and lobbies operating in the UK in support of almost all countries in the world”.
He said that he had previously been accosted by activists outside parliament “handing out mock bank notes with ‘Bank of Zionism’ written on, an insinuation of Jewish control of our politics and economy”, something he described as “unmistakably racist” and “exactly the sort of harmful activity and rhetoric which has become commonplace.
"This sort of message, which today's petition stems from, that is why concerns have been raised by so many across the political spectrum about the framing of this petition.”
Labour MP Alex Davis Jones, a former minister, also said she was “deeply uncomfortable about the idea that out of nearly 200 countries, it is this one, the world's only Jewish state that is the one that needs a special parliamentary inquiry into hidden influence.
"I just gently note that this kind of framing has a very long history and is not always an easy one.”
Some pro-Gaza independent MPs spoke in support of the motion.
Birmingham Perry Barr MP Ayoub Khan appeared to suggest that Israel was directly providing money to British parliamentarians.
“Electoral records show that the Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs has provided financial support to UK parliamentarians, and that must be transparent”, he claimed.
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice described the motion as “antisemitic in its very motivation”, but used the occasion to “actually turn that terrible negative into a positive”, and said that Britain could learn from Israeli influences in healthcare and artificial intelligence for our country’s own benefit.
At which point, pro-Gaza independent MP Iqbal Mohamed intervened and said: “Does he believe that we need more AI weapons that Israel has used to shoot at genitalia of children in Gaza?”
During his own intervention later in the debate, he cited a news report from 2024 claiming that “13 out of the then 25 members of the Labour cabinet received hundreds of 1000s in donations from pro-Israel donors, and that some 180 Britain's 650 MPs had accepted such funding during their political careers”.
Challenged to be specific about who exactly he meant, he claimed he meant “donors that turn a blind eye to blatant violations of Israeli law, British law, or international law”.
Responding to the debate for the opposition, Mike Wood MP said the petition asked MPs “to chase shadows and investigate the legitimate domestic advocacy”, and served as a distraction from the “very real, very pressing, and deeply dangerous threats of foreign interference that our security services warn us about every single day.”
He added: “The greatest threat to British politics and democracy does not come from democratic allies or British community groups—it comes from hostile foreign state actors, most notably China and Russia”.
Speaking for the government at the conclusion of the debate, Frith lamented that the debate narrowly focused on Israel as opposed to “legitimate concerns of foreign influence and interference in our politics and democracy”.
He continued: “The premise of this debate is that Israel, the world's only Jewish state, is an influence on British politics, which stands alone to be held to a different standard than any democratic nation. Chair, this is unfortunate. It's unfortunate that the petition behind this debate plays into the same old antisemitic tropes of hidden forces and malign control”.
Frith also chided Mohamed after he intervened during his speech to make a point about pro-Israel groups in British political parties.
The minister himself visited Israel on an LFI delegation in February 2023.
“You can be a Labour Friend of Israel without being a Labour friend of the Israeli government's actions on that particular day, and it is in fact the duty of allies and friends to point out where we disagree.
"And I am sure if there was a debate where the discussion was as to the certain behaviours of the Israeli government, we would find a mix of views in this house … but that is not this, so I just urge him to pull back from wilful or unintentional tropes”, Frith said.
The minister then urged colleagues to reject the petition: “Criticism of governments and policies is democratic, but the use of double standards in relation to Israel, conspiracy theories, and tropes about the influence of Jews and the Jewish state takes us into ugly, insightful, deeply unhealthy territory”.
Israel supporters gathered while the debate was going (IC Media)[Missing Credit]
Rival demonstrations took place outside parliament during the debate.
A group in solidarity with Israel, carrying both British and Israeli flags, gathered at one entrance to Parliament.
Speaking to the JC, Mark Birkbeck, Chairman of the group “Our Fight”, which protests against antisemitism, said: "The 118,000 people who signed this petition do not represent the majority of British people who are sympathetic to the Jewish community."
Another pro-Israel demonstrator said: "This is a terrible motion.
“It is shocking that it is being discussed and debated.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators stood at a different spot outside the Houses of Parliament.
Many carried Palestinian flags and wore keffiyeh scarves.
They held up signs and shouted anti-Israel chants.
At one point, police intervened to get them to turn down the sound coming from a speaker blaring out anti-Israel messages.
Pro-Palestinian protesters outside parliament (IC Media)[Missing Credit]
To get more Politics news, click here to sign up for our free politics newsletter.