The Labour Party has been branded a “platform for bigotry” after MP Richard Burgon was unveiled as the guest speaker at a dinner hosted by a controversial pro-Palestine group. 

Halifax Friends of Palestine have announced they will be hosting a ‘gala dinner’ later this month which features a keynote speech by the East Leeds MP who served on the frontbench under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. 

In September, the Yorkshire group took part in a pro-Palestine rally that celebrated terrorist Zakaria Zubeidi. The mastermind of the 2002 Beit She’an attack that killed six civilians, Zubeidi was once dubbed “Israel’s most wanted”.  

In August, the organisation was filmed at another demonstration where a placard bearing swastikas was carried and protestors chanted the Hamas rallying cry: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The chant is widely seen as calling for the destruction of Israel. 

Halifax Labour MP Holly Lynch was listed as a speaker at that event but pulled out after she came under fire over the other speakers at the event. Campaigners against antisemitism want Mr Burgon, who chairs Labour’s Socialist Campaign Group, to do the same for the upcoming Gala Dinner hosted by Halifax Friends of Palestine. 

A spokesman for Labour Against Antisemitism described Labour as a “platform for bigotry” in response to Mr Burgon’s appearance at the dinner. The chairman of Labour’s Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, Mr Burgon introduced a Bill in Parliament in July to stop the UK Government selling arms to Israel. He was jokingly dubbed the “MP for Gaza” after introducing the Israel Arms Trade (Prohibition) Bill.  Halifax Friends of Palestine is chaired by Cllr Jenny Lynn, Cabinet member for Public Services and Communities on Calderdale Council. 

Council leader Tim Swift has previously faced calls from both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives to take action against Cllr Lynn from Cabinet following revelations about her part in the controversial demonstration.    

However Cllr Swift defended Cllr Lynn’s record at the time. 

He said: “Councillor Lynn has a long track record of working for equality and cohesion in Calderdale, both as a community activist and a councillor, and has a proven record of working in harmony with people of all faiths and none.” 

Cllr Lynn said: “There is nothing incompatible about my role as chair of a community based organisation – Halifax Friends of Palestine – and my role in supporting all our communities and I will stand on my record on that.   There is nothing antisemitic about standing up for the rights of Palestinian people.” 

Cllr Lynn has also come under fire for attending an event, organised by the Manchester Palestine Action Group, in front of the Oldham site of Israel defence firm Elbit Systems.