Labour suspends council candidate over alleged anti-Semitic remarks
Sameh Habeeb has been dropped for the forthcoming local election in Northwood as the party investigates
Labour has suspended and dropped an election candidate accused of sharing anti-Semitic material.
It has been confirmed that Sameh Habeeb is being investigated by the party and will no longer be up for election in Northwood on May 3.
Habeeb, the founder and editor of the Palestine Telegraph, was criticised for publishing allegedly anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
According to The Daily Telegraph, he “hint[ed] at the well-known canard about Jewish or Zionist media control”, when he said in 2010: “I think you have to ask yourself who controls the media.”
A Labour spokesperson said the party “takes all complaints of anti-Semitism extremely seriously, which are fully investigated and appropriate disciplinary action taken in line with our rules and procedures.
“Anti-Semitism has absolutely no place in the Party, and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it, in all its forms.”
On Monday, another Labour member and council candidate, Roy Smart, was suspended by the party and dropped for local council elections, after being accused of sharing Holocaust denial.
Last week, Labour leader faced criticism over a backlog of 74 anti-Semitism cases yet to be dealt with. Jewish member of Labour’s National Executive Committee, Rhea Wolfson, vented her “frustration” at the slow pace with which cases have been dealt with.
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.
