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Jeremy Corbyn promotes Israel supporter Fabian Hamilton to junior shadow foreign role

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Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet reshuffle has seen the promotion of a veteran Jewish Labour MP to a junior shadow Foreign Office role.

Fabian Hamilton has previously been highly critical of his party’s approach to Israel, accusing former leader Ed Miliband of “betraying” Israel with his position on the 2014 Gaza conflict.

Mr Hamilton, who increased his majority in the Leeds North East seat at last May’s general election, will take a frontbench role as a junior minister, but will not attend shadow cabinet meetings.

The Labour Friends of Israel supporter had also previously expressed his anger over Mr Miliband’s attempt to whip MPs into voting for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state in October 2014.

Mr Hamilton rebelled and abstained in the vote. Mr Corbyn had been a key supporter of Mr Miliband’s position.

Before the general election Mr Hamilton told the JC: “I was steaming mad the day before the Palestine debate when I got a text from the whips saying ‘you must vote’. A third of the shadow cabinet boycotted it. Our leader’s choice on this did not help us.”

He said Jewish voters would be “fed up with Miliband for betraying Israel and the community”.

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