by The UK Labour Party has suspended MP Kate Osamor for Accusing Israel of Genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day
The United Kingdom’s Labour Party has suspended British-Nigerian MP Kate Osamor after she accused Israel of genocide on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day. The chief whip suspended Osamor from the parliamentary party, initiating an investigation into the matter in response to criticism from Jewish groups. Osamor had apologized for any offense caused by her message, where she linked the Holocaust to ongoing humanitarian issues in Gaza.
Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates the six million Jews and others murdered during the Holocaust and recent genocides. Osamor’s remarks drew backlash, with the Holocaust Educational Trust calling them a “painful insult to survivors of the Holocaust,” and the Board of Deputies of British Jews describing her comment as “disgraceful.”
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Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds emphasized the inappropriateness of equating the Holocaust to the situation in Gaza, while Momentum, a left-wing pressure group in Labour, criticized the suspension as an “outrageous decision.” Osamor, a former shadow international development secretary, is the second Labour MP to apologize for remarks related to the conflict in Gaza within a week.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza, though a verdict on the central allegation of genocide is expected to take much longer. Tensions within the Labour Party regarding its position on Israel have arisen, with leader Sir Keir Starmer supporting Israel’s right to defend itself but also calling for a sustainable ceasefire.
