Labour investigating anti-Semitic abuse sent by members to Ian Murray
2 min read
Labour is investigating anti-Semitic abuse sent by party members to deputy leadership candidate Ian Murray.
The former shadow minister reported a torrent of abusive messages after he sent his first campaign email Labour members asking for their support.
In the email, Mr Murray, a Labour moderate, said he was proud to have been nominated by the Jewish Labour Movement and aimed to “tackle the stain of anti-Semitism in our party”.
However, his email provoked a string of abusive messages from members, including calling him a “Mossad agent” and claiming that “the Jews thought they owned the Labour Party”.
In one message, seen by the Huffington Post, a Labour member said: “The right-wing Blairite faction along with the Israeli Lobby put paid to any chance of a socialist Labour Party taking office.”
Another respondent told Mr Murray: “It is a pity that the Jews thought they owned the Labour Party and it was a Zionist movement supporter and now their nose has been knocked out of joint they are showing, like yourself, where your true loyalties like...firmly in the CIA-Mossad HQ in Tel Aviv.”
On Friday, Mr Murray said the “sickening” emails showed “anti-Semitism is still a major problem in the Labour Party,”
He added: “The last few years have seen bullying and intimidation inside the Labour Party that should utterly shame us. And there is nothing that should shame us more than the anti-Jewish hatred in our ranks.
“If elected, I will take responsibility for rooting out anti-Semitism, and if it’s not done under my watch then I’ll resign as deputy leader, because I won’t tolerate anti-Semitism within the Labour Party.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints extremely seriously, which are fully investigated and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken in line with the party’s rules and procedures.”
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