‘Jew Jew Jew’ shouted at Naz Shah after she defends Israel’s right to exist
Audience member at hustings taunts Labour's Bradford West candidate, after she defends the Jewish state's existence
Labour’s Naz Shah was taunted with anti-Semitic abuse after defending the Jewish state, during a hustings in Bradford.
An audience member during the event appears to shout “Jew Jew Jew” at the Labour candidate for the Bradford West, after she reiterated her belief in Israel’s right to exist.
The politician, who is looking to retain the seat on June 8’s election, was suspended by Labour last year for an anti-Semitic Facebook post. She has since apologised and been widely praised for her efforts to learn more about the Jewish community and Israel, after her suspension.
Shah said during the hustings, after being branded a ‘Zionist’ for her reformed views: “Do I believe in Israel’s right to exist? I continue to stand by my statement that I believe in Israel’s right to exist”.
A spokesperson for the Jewish Labour Movement told Jewish News: “Naz Shah has proven a steadfast ally against antisemitism. Her courageous defence of Israel’s right to exist reflects the journey she undertaken. We are appalled at the abuse she faced, and stand in solidarity with her.”
Michaela Vyse, Yorkshire and East Coast Regional Manager at the Jewish Leadership Council said: “We’re disappointed and saddened to see that at the hustings in Bradford West, the term “Jew” was used as an abusive term towards a candidate. We’re very disappointed to see this take part in a debate in Yorkshire.”
The Labour politician, 42, was suspended in May 2016 for sharing a post on Facebook suggesting Israel’s Jews should be relocated to the US and tweeting the hashtag “#IsraelApartheid” and a quote saying, “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.” Another post called on her friends to back a poll criticising Israel.
The posts appeared in early August, 2014, during the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. She later apologised for the posts.
The event took place at Carlisle business centre in Bradford, and saw all candidates standing for election participate.
Watch the video clip on Twitter here:
@NazShahBfd reiterating her belief in Israel's right to exist followed by audience member shouting 'Jew Jew Jew' at her #BFDWestHustings pic.twitter.com/iDDM8tt75H
— aisha ali-khan (@aak1880) June 1, 2017
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
