Labour's candidate for Bournemouth East has said she is "devastated" an activist can no longer stand for the party at the next election after he was exposed by the JC for defending an antisemitic image.
Corrie Drew sent a message to Colin Monehen - who was removed from the shortlist to be the party's candidate in Epping Forest on Wednesday - adding: "I have so much admiration for you and would have been proud to support your campaign... Sending you love and solidarity."
Mr Monehen had defended a notorious image, shared by a Labour member, that shows the image of a parasite on the Statue of Liberty with a Star of David on it. The picture first emerged on a far-right website.
Mr Monehen suggested it could be interpreted as "being about the state of Israel, not the Jewish people" and said "the blue star the exact colour of the Israeli flag" when asked if it could be merely "criticism of Israel".
Stressing he had not himself shared the image, Mr Monehen added: "Is it possible that someone could interpret that image about the state of Israel, not the Jewish people?"
Ms Drew's message of support appeared on Mr Monehen's Twitter feed on Wednesday after Labour reacted swiftly to the JC's report and removed him from the candidate list ahead of a planned hustings on Wednesday.
Colin I'm devastated. I have so much admiration for you & would have been proud to support your campaign. Your support for the rights of Palestinian people has never included discrimination towards Jewish people. Sending you love & solidarity 🌹
— Corrie Drew 🌹 GTTO (@CorrieDrew) October 23, 2019
George Galloway was also among those to offer support - alongside activists who suggested "Israel" was behind the campaign to remove Mr Monehen.
One Labour MP contacted the JC on Thursday to express their "disgust" at Ms Drew's support for Mr Monehen.
"How on earth can a candidate selected to fight the election in Bournemouth East come to support someone who has clearly defended an appalling image," the MP added.
Ms Drew is an outspoken campaigner for the Palestinian cause, and said in her Tweet that Mr Monehen's own support for the same cause had "never included discrimination towards Jewish people."
Earlier this year, Labour suspended an activist in Liverpool Riverside after Dame Louise Ellman, the MP who resigned from the party last week, repeatedly complained about the circulation of the image.
