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A member of Parliament from the Labour party has been temporarily removed from their position after posting about Holocaust Memorial Day and implying that the actions of Israel in Gaza amount to genocide.
A probe has been initiated into the Twitter message shared by Kate Osamor, the Member of Parliament representing Edmonton in north London, on Friday.
Ms Osamor’s message stated that tomorrow is Holocaust Memorial Day, a globally recognized day to honor the six million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust. The day also serves as a remembrance for the millions of others who were killed due to Nazi persecution of various groups, as well as more recent genocides in places such as Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Gaza.
On the same day, judges from the United Nations stated that they found it believable that Israel has carried out actions in Gaza that go against the Genocide Convention. This was in relation to a significant case brought against Israel by South Africa.
However, her mention of genocide in Gaza was met with disapproval. The Board of Deputies of British Jews released a statement expressing their strong condemnation of Kate Osamor’s attempt to connect the Holocaust to the ongoing events in Gaza.
The Jewish Labour Movement expressed disapproval towards the remarks, deeming them inappropriate and offensive.
The organization stated that this week, they have been honoring the victims of the Holocaust, where six million Jews were killed, as well as those who died in other genocides that followed.
Unfortunately, Kate Osamor MP made an inappropriate and offensive comparison to the war in Gaza during Holocaust Memorial Day. Her subsequent non-apology lacked sincerity.
Currently, we are aware that the Labour Party can do better than this. We stand with others, including her own Constituency Labour Party, in urging Labour to temporarily remove her while they conduct an investigation.
After receiving criticism, but prior to being suspended, the Member of Parliament for Edmonton in northern London offered an apology “for any harm caused.”
In a later post, she chose to refer to the situation in Gaza as a “humanitarian disaster” instead of a “genocide”.
“I am sorry for any harm caused by my mention of the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza in relation to Holocaust Memorial Day, a day dedicated to remembering the 6 million Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust and other genocides that have taken place since.”
A member of the Labour party stated on Sunday night that the Chief Whip has stopped Ms Osamor from participating in the Parliamentary Labour Party until further notice due to an ongoing investigation.
A representative for Momentum, the organization of left-leaning activists established during Jeremy Corbyn’s time as leader, expressed its backing for the suspended MP.
“Their statement condemned this unacceptable ruling, which only continues to harm Labour’s stance on anti-racism under Keir Starmer. It is imperative that this decision is swiftly overturned,” they stated. “Recently, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel may be held accountable for acts of genocide in relation to their violent and cruel actions in Gaza.”
“However, rather than supporting the plea to prevent a possible genocide, Keir Starmer is criticizing those who are speaking out. We urge everyone in the Labour party to reject this disgraceful and opportunistic effort to force another black woman out of the party.”
On Friday, judges in the Hague from the UN stated that Israel is responsible for preventing its forces from perpetrating genocide on Palestinians in Gaza.
South Africa brought the allegations of genocide to the International Court of Justice
The group of 17 individuals stated that they will not dismiss the genocide accusation against Israel and that Israel must offer essential humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip. However, they did not go as far as demanding a ceasefire.
According to health authorities in Gaza, South Africa requested for the court to mandate Israel to cease its operation, which has resulted in extensive destruction and the deaths of over 25,000 Palestinians.
The Israeli army’s assault on Gaza came after Hamas carried out a destructive attack on October 7th which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 individuals and the capture of approximately 240 people.
Ms Osamor, who was previously the shadow development secretary and a member of Jeremy Corbyn’s top team, is the second Labour MP this week to apologize for comments made about the war in Gaza.
Tahir Ali claimed that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is responsible for the deaths of many innocent individuals due to his handling of the conflict.
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Tahir Ali, a Labour Member of Parliament, issued an apology for his statement accusing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of being responsible for the deaths of numerous innocent individuals due to his actions during the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The remarks made in the House of Commons caused the Labour leaders to immediately separate themselves, and Mr. Ali later issued a statement of regret on X, previously known as Twitter.
“I inquired during PMQs about the actions taken by Israel in Gaza,” he stated. “This is a highly sensitive matter.”
“I still stand by my strong beliefs regarding the Middle East situation, however, I would like to express my remorse for the manner in which I referred to the Prime Minister in my question.”
Source: independent.co.uk
