(Manchester Central)
(Lab/Co-op):...It has now been a full month since we have had a
statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,
despite major global conflicts. That is
unacceptable—[Interruption.] Hon. Members are saying that there
is one today, but that was thanks to Mr Speaker granting yet
another urgent question to bring Ministers to this place. The
Leader of the House and I are both appearing before the Procedure
Committee on Monday, so I will not raise the issue of the Foreign
Secretary coming here now. Last time I raised the lack of
accountability, she assured me that the Government would
regularly update the House, and that the Foreign Secretary was
“forward leaning.” Will she ensure that we get a proper update on
the unfolding situation in Israel and
Gaza before the House rises, and regularly thereafter,
so that Ministers do not need to be dragged here via urgent
questions?
(Harrow East) (Con): Abdul Wahid is the head of the
UK arm of Hizb ut-Tahrir. He utters the most vile antisemitism
possible and praised the attacks of 7 October as being a punch in
the face for Israel Not only is he
uttering this vile abuse, but he is also an NHS GP in Harrow.
There is a large Jewish community in Harrow and they will be
fearful of going to their GP in case he is the one who sees them.
May we have a debate in Government time on how we can root out
extremists from public service? In my view, his right to be in
this country should be cancelled and he should be deported. We
must ensure that extremism is not allowed in our public
services.
The Leader of the House of Commons (): I know that many Members
will be aware of this shocking case. My hon. Friend will
understand that I cannot comment on specific details of what
might be happening with regard to an individual, but I can say
that the Community Security Trust has been recording an increased
number of antisemitic incidents and hate crime, notably since the
start of the current conflict. Of course, these attitudes and
actions are utterly indefensible and should not be tolerated
regardless of a person’s walk of life, but it is all the more
shocking when that person has been charged with carrying out a
public service, especially one that requires the trust and
confidence of the local community. I am sure that this is not the
last we will hear about the case that my hon. Friend has raised.
Sir (Northampton North) (Con):
Can we have a debate on anti-Jewish business decisions in the
United Kingdom? An advertising company called London Lites had a
contract with families of Israeli hostages to display pictures of
hostages on its electronic billboards in London. Under
antisemitic pressure, the company has breached the contract and
taken down the adverts, denying a voice to hostages and their
families, and playing into the hands of terrorists. No doubt
anything else whatsoever can be advertised on those billboards,
apart from Jewish victims of terrorism. What can be done about
this scandal?
: That is so depressing to
hear and I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for raising the
matter. Businesses have to operate in complex environments. The
situation in Israel and Gaza is
highly complex and there are different views, across the House
and the country, about what is going on, but some things are
really simple. Standing in support of the hostages who remain in
the hands of Hamas, nine of whom are children, showing them
support and keeping them in the public eye is a good thing to
do—it is not difficult to arrive at that conclusion. I hope that
the company will reflect on what it has done and on the
reputational damage I think it has done itself. I encourage all
of us—businesses and individuals—to show some compassion,
particularly over the festive period, and keep a spotlight on
these poor souls.
