Former Labour cabinet member Ed Balls has been publicly criticised for apparently suggesting a link between antisemitic violence and a shadow minister’s comments on public Muslim prayer in central London.
Last week, Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy condemned London Mayor Sadiq Khan for joining an iftar event held at Trafalgar Square and called the event an "act of domination".
However, in the wake of the arson attack against four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green on monday, Balls appeared to link the two incidents while interviewing Jewish author Dov Forman for ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB).
Balls asked: "When you see last week the shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy singling out the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, for praying in Trafalgar Square in a Muslim group and saying that is wrong and shouldn't happen, isn't that the kind of intolerance and divisiveness which is causing problems in the Jewish community right now?"
Forman replied: “I think the shadow justice secretary was going to a point that many people in this country feel about Islamist extremism.
“I won’t get drawn into a debate about whether his words were right or wrong.
“We are here to talk about the antisemitic attack this morning in the Jewish community.
“Certainly, we need to be careful with our words, but there are people - including many in the Jewish community – who are worried about the spread of Islamist extremism, which is running rampant in the country.”
Political commentator Melanie Philips said of Balls' question: "Ed Balls, married to the UK Foreign Secretary [Yvette Cooper], shockingly channels the ancient trope that the Jews bring about their own destruction.
“He also promotes the left-wing canard that when people other than Muslims are the victims of terrorist or hate-crimes - including those perpetrated by Muslims - the real problem is... hatred of Muslims.
“Well done to [Forman] for his steady answer to this repellently twisted question.”
Veteran journalist Andrew Neil also hit out at Balls, saying: "A quite appalling question from Ed Balls. His own? Or in a brief prepared for him by some intern? Either way, a terrible question."
And the Campaign For Media Standards, an advocacy group that highlights anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias in the media, wrote: "After an antisemitic attack on a Jewish volunteer ambulance service, you’d expect focused questions about the rise and threat of antisemitism in the UK, not [Ed Balls] this morning... trying to shift the discussion – asking whether criticism of a mass Iftar event in Trafalgar Square is ‘causing problems’ for the Jewish community.
“This isn’t balance or insight; it is poor journalism that misses the point and dilutes the seriousness of antisemitism. Well handled by Dov Forman for staying on point."
A GMB spokesperson told the JC: “The intention behind Balls’ question was to ask whether a culture of intolerance was placing Jews at greater risk of harm in the UK.
"We regret any misunderstanding and apologise for any offence caused.”
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