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The Guardian By Ben Quinn Jan.25, 2013 Posted Jan.27, 2013
British MP, David Ward, accused “the Jews” of “inflicting atrocities on Palestinians … within a few years of liberation from the death camps”.
He posted an item on his website about honouring those who were persecuted and killed during the Holocaust, but also accusing “the Jews” of “inflicting atrocities on Palestinians … on a daily basis”.
Despite coming in for intense criticism on social media and elsewhere, the MP stood by his comments and said later that he would set out his case if he faced disciplinary action.
The (social media) post contained a comment from the MP: –“Having visited Auschwitz twice – once with my family and once with local schools – I am saddened that the Jews, who suffered unbelievable levels of persecution during the Holocaust, could within a few years of liberation from the death camps be inflicting atrocities on Palestinians in the new State of Israel and continue to do so on a daily basis in the West Bank and Gaza.”
Responding to the controversy, Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:– “I am deeply saddened that at this sombre time, when we remember those who were murdered by the Nazis, Mr Ward has deliberately abused the memory of the Holocaust, causing deep pain and offence – these comments are sickening and unacceptable and have no place in British politics.”
Ward came in for particularly heavy criticism on Twitter. He was accused of “casual anti-Semitism” by Rachel Wenstone, the NUS vice-president for students in higher education, and of “racism” by Ian Austin, the Labour MP.
In an interview with Sky News, when was asked if he stood by his words, Ward said it was “just a statement of fact”.
Asked if he accepted that he was accusing Jews, rather than the Israeli state, of inflicting persecution on the Palestinians, he replied: “I’m accusing the Jews who did it, so if you’re a Jew and you did not do it I’m not accusing you.
Original Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jan/25/lib-dem-david-ward-israel Initial source: http://rense.com/