Don't you DARE say “Zionism is the enemy of peace”

[yankeedoodle]

Labour MP expresses regret over anti-Zionist comment in 2014 video
Jewish groups criticise Richard Burgon after footage emerges showing him making remark
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/16/jewish-groups-condemn-labour-mps-anti-zionist-comment

Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, has expressed regret over a video in which he said "Zionism is the enemy of peace" in 2014, which prompted Jewish groups to call for an apology.

The senior Labour MP said this was not his view after freelance journalist Iggy Ostanin published the video, which was branded "shameful" by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Burgon had denied using the phrase when challenged over it on the BBC in 2018. He said on Tuesday that he had no recollection of making the comment and had previously asked for evidence that he had said it, because it was not his view.

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The footage showed that he said: "The enemy of the Palestinian people is not the Jewish people, the enemy of the Palestinian people are Zionists and Zionism is the enemy of peace and the enemy of the Palestinian people. We need to be loud, we need to be proud in support of a free Palestine."

The comments were criticised by Mike Katz, chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, who said the vast majority of Jewish people identified as Zionists.

"Insulting a core part of their identity and then dissembling about it is shameful behaviour from a senior frontbencher in our party, let alone someone who aspires to administer our justice system," he said.

Jonathan Goldstein, chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, also challenged Burgon to issue a "full apology and a clarification as well as a pledge to use responsible language henceforth".

Following the criticism, Burgon released a long statement expressing regret and explaining why he had denied making the comments when the issue was first raised with him in August 2016. "When it was put to me ... that I had made these remarks I did not recall doing so and therefore asked for the full quotes to be provided to me, and asked when and where I had said it," he said.

"I received no reply, so I believed it was inaccurate to have claimed that I had used that phrase. It is now clear that I did and I regret doing so.

"As I have subsequently said on numerous occasions when asked about this, I do not agree with that phrase.

"I recognise that such a phrase fails to distinguish between those seeking a peaceful solution in line with international law, and those, such as the current Israeli government, which is undermining efforts towards peace.

"The terminology has different meanings to different people and the simplistic language used does not reflect how I now think about this complex issue and I would not use it again today.

"It is being reported that I made those remarks in 2014, which was before I was elected as an MP."

He went on to say he had been criticising "Benjamin Netanyahu's government and its aggressive expansionist policies", while making clear he was "of course not speaking about Jewish people".