(Chipping
Barnet) (Con): There have been several mentions of LFI, and I
welcome the work that has been done on promoting the idea of
funding peaceful co-existence projects. However, does the hon.
Gentleman not find it sad that the leading MP who championed this
idea, , then MP for Enfield North, felt so intimidated and
bullied by people in the Labour party, especially on the
antisemitismissue, that she actually had to leave
the party? We cannot ignore that significant problem within the
hon. Gentleman’s party when referring to the LFI.
(Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab): I am grateful to the
right hon. Lady for that, because it is probably as well to clear
this issue up once and for all. LFI battled through the whole of
the crisis of antisemitism in the Labour party,
and I certainly do not want to in any sense pretend that it did
not happen or that it was not a dark stain on our history. What I
would say about my former colleague is that I am immensely grateful to her for the work she
did during that period. I hope that the changes that Labour is
experiencing under a new leadership will herald the day when
someone like Joan will feel perfectly comfortable sitting
alongside me once more.
(Bury
South) (Con):...I conclude by pointing out that there have been
many positives but also many negatives in relation to UNRWA,
which have been discussed many times in this Chamber, including
in today’s debate. We as a nation cannot fund antisemitism in a foreign
nation while we try to stamp it out in our own society, so while
we continue to fund UNRWA we need to make sure that it is
reformed.
: The
hon. Gentleman is very gracious in giving way. There is much that
I agree with in his speech, but there is—sorry to use a cliché—an
elephant in the room. He is a member of a party from which
advocates for Israel such as and resigned their
membership because saying anything in defence of Israel within
the Labour party—a political party that they had supported for
their entire adult life—was howled down and met with intimidation
and antisemitism.
(Caerphilly) (Lab): With all due respect, we are not
talking about the internal politics of the Labour party here
today. Frankly, we are talking about something far more important
than that: we are talking about peace being established between
the people of Israel and Palestinians. That is the important
thing. That is not to underestimate what has been said about
antisemitism inside the Labour party, but there
is a time and place for everything. Today, we are talking about
peace in the middle east and peace between the people of Israel
and Palestine...
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