Labour row over brutal Hamas attack as frontbencher poses with group who blamed Israel for the violence and hard Left backbenchers join Palestinian ambassador at conference event – after Rachel Reeves tells protesters to stay away from gathering
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Labour was embroiled in a major internal row over Hamas’s bloody attack on Israel tonight after a member of Keir Starmer’s frontbench was pictured posing with hardline Palestinian activists.
Shadow business minister Afzal Khan apologised after visiting the Labour conference stand of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which issued a statement in the aftermath of the slaughter of civilians and hostage-taking suggesting it was the consequence of Israeli violence.
He is the latest Labour politician to pose with the group and its banner accusing Israel of ‘apartheid’ , with backbencher Apsana Begum avoiding censure for doing the same thing on Saturday.
At the same time, hard left backbench allies of the former party leader Jeremy Corbyn attended an event at the conference in Liverpool attended by the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, who said he ‘regretted’ the Hamas violence that has left hundreds dead.
John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a former shadow immigration secretary, spoke at the event organised by the Unite union.
Ms Ribeiro-Addy, the Streatham MP, contemned the violence and the loss of life on both sides, before calling for peace talks, saying: ‘I have seen it said that this weekend’s events have interrupted or damaged peace talks. That is fiction, There are no real peace talks and there have not been for years.’
It came after shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has urged pro-Palestinian demonstrators who protested outside the event to stay at home, saying the party backed Israel’s fight against the ‘terrorist threat’ of Hamas.
Speaking to the News Agents podcast she said: ‘Israel was subjected to a terrorist attack on Saturday, people have been killed, hostages have been taken. And Israel has every right to defend itself, as does any sovereign country against terrorists.’
Tory chairman Greg Hands questioned when Sir Keir Starmer will ‘take action’ against ‘those who use the offensive ‘apartheid’ term in relation to Israel’.
Shadow business minister Afzal Khan apologised after visiting the Labour conference stand of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. He is the latest labour politician to pose with the group and its banner accusing Israel of ‘apartheid’ , with backbencher Apsana Begum avoiding censure for doing the same thing on Saturday.
John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a former shadow immigration secretary, spoke at the event organised by the Unite union attended by the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot (left)
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the Streatham MP, contemned the violence and the loss of life on both sides, before calling for peace talks, saying: ‘I have seen it said that this weekend’s events have interrupted or damaged peace talks. That is fiction, There are no real peace talks and there have not been for years.’
It came after shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has urged pro-Palestinian demonstrators who protested outside the event to stay at home, saying the party backed Israel’s fight against the ‘terrorist threat’ of Hamas.
A ‘Boycott Israeli Apartheid’ demonstration was held outside the conference venue this afternoon
Mr Zumlot said six members of his family died today from an Israeli bombardment as he accused the nation of a ‘war crime’ by cutting water an electricity from Gaza.
He told told a Labour and Palestine event on the fringes of the party conference: ‘I have family in Gaza and it broke my heart just before I walked here to receive the news that I lost six of them only two hours ago because of an Israeli bombardment over their home.’
He said a cousin died, along with two of her children, adding: ‘Together with her husband and their mother in law the entire family was wiped out.’
He said Israel is seeking revenge for the Hamas atrocity, having condemned the killing of civilians.
‘What Israel is doing now is revenge. Sheer vengeance.
‘Those are civilians, families. It’s not gonna resolve anything. Cutting water and electricity from two million people is a collective punishment. It’s a war crime. It’s not gonna lead anywhere.’
A Labour frontbencher has apologised after posing for a photograph in front of a Palestinian flag saying ‘end apartheid now’.
Shadow exports minister Mr Khan apologised this afternoon, with the Manchester Gorton MP saying: ‘I unequivocally condemn the terrorist actions of Hamas and support Israel’s right to defend itself.’
The picture is understood to have been taken on Sunday but posted online by PCS today.
Tory chairman Greg Hands questioned when Sir Keir Starmer will ‘take action’
This afternoon a lone Israel supporter stood up to pro-Palestine supporters acting as apologists for Hamas today as they demonstrated outside the Labour party conference.
In fiery scenes one Labour member took on around 100 flag-waving demonstrators, telling them they were apologists for murder and should be ashamed of themselves.
They responded by booing, chanting ‘racist Israel’ and demanding he be removed by police – something officers refused to do.
Speakers at the event outside the secure conference zone had defended the incursion into Israel, which has left hundreds of civilians dead. There were banners from the Liverpool Friends of Palestine, which is not affiliated to the Labour Party.
The man, who said he was a Labour member called Stuart, told the mob they were supporting ‘murderous barbaric people’, adding: ‘You murdered children, this is not the time to be doing this, not in the aftermath of what has happened.
‘You are murdering people, you should be ashamed of yourself, you should step back, and let this pass. It is disgusting.’
It came as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn risked fresh fury by suggesting Israel’s ‘occupation’ is the root cause of the Hamas attacks.
The man, who said he was a Labour member called Stuart, told the mob they were supporting ‘murderous barbaric people’, adding: ‘You murdered children, this is not the time to be doing this, not in the aftermath of what has happened’
Speakers at the event outside the secure conference zone had defended the incursion into Israel, which has left hundreds of civilians dead.
There were banners from the Liverpool Friends of Palestine, which is not affiliated to the Labour Party.
The man, who said he was a Labour member called Stuart, told the mob they were supporting ‘murderous barbaric people’, adding: ‘You murdered children, this is not the time to be doing this, not in the aftermath of what has happened.
Jeremy Corbyn has risked fresh fury by suggesting Israel’s ‘occupation’ is the root cause of the Hamas attacks
The former Labour leader refused to single out the terrorist group for condemnation, saying he was against ‘all violence’.
In a bad-tempered exchange with journalists on the fringes of the party’s conference in Liverpool, Mr Corbyn said the way to end the ‘terrible situation’ was to ‘end the occupation of Palestine by Israel’.
The comments came as left-wing activists projected the Palestinian flag on the venue for the World Transformed festival – which takes place alongside the Labour gathering, but is not formally linked.
Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom, is expected to attend a reception at the conference tomorrow night alongside shadow foreign secretary David Lammy.
Mr Zomlot previously told CNN that ‘Israel knew that this was coming their way… It’s a consequence’.
Asked about his comment, shadow chancellor Ms Reeves told Sky News on Monday: ‘I’m very upset about those remarks. Israel, and the attacks on civilians, the festival goers, the children who have been taken hostage, it is completely unacceptable.
‘And Keir (Starmer), David, myself, the whole of the Labour Party stand by the people of Israel at this moment.’
Mr Corbyn sparked anger yesterday when he responded to slaughter of civilians and hostage-taking in Israel without condemning Hamas.
The MP is sitting as an independent after being removed from Labour’s parliamentary party over his response to antisemitism under his leadership, but remains a party member.
The comments came as left-wing activists projected the Palestinian flag on the venue for the World Transformed festival – which takes place alongside the Labour gathering, but is not formally linked
He is not thought to have a pass for the main conference.
Mr Corbyn said he wants ‘peace, a ceasefire and a process that ends the Israeli occupation of Palestine’.
‘I don’t support any attacks, therefore I criticise them all,’ he said, after being repeatedly asked whether he would condemn Hamas.
He told ITV News that the ‘occupation of Palestine’ was ‘fundamentally the background to the whole issue’.
At an event at The World Transformed festival, which coincides with the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he was ‘working with people around the world to bring about peace’.
He added: ‘You don’t just condemn – as I do – any acts of violence, anywhere around the world. You look at the causes as well.’
On the current ‘terrible situation in Israel and Palestine’, he said: ‘The way to end that, I think, is to end the occupation of Palestine by Israel.’
Keir Starmer was quick to criticise the thousands of rockets launched towards Israel in a surprise attack by Hamas on land, sea and air as a ‘terrorist attack’.
‘Labour stands firmly in support of Israel’s right to defend itself, rescue hostages and protect its citizens,’ he said in a statement.
‘The indiscriminate attacks from Hamas are unjustifiable and have set back the cause of peace.’
Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said he would not ‘mince my words’ in describing Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
He told a conference fringe event that Labour remains committed to a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
‘Hamas are seeking to undermine that. They are seeking to break that, they are approaching this with rockets and with terrorism.’
Hamas is an Islamist military group which has since 2007 ruled over the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded by Israel.
Backed by Iran, Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UK, US and the EU.
Mr Corbyn sparked anger yesterday when he responded to slaughter of civilians and hostage-taking in Israel without condemning Hamas
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