Police constable who posted Netanyahu-Hitler image keeps his job
Greater Manchester Police bosses have decided not to sack a police constable for posting an image on Facebook with the Israeli prime minister’s face superimposed on a photo of Adolf Hitler.
PC Shahid Shah, 39, had been “anti-Semitic” during a “private” debate on Gaza between officers, but a disciplinary panel chose not to fire him, instead issuing a formal written warning for misconduct, after two Jewish officers reported him.
“It is disappointing to hear that a serving police officer behaved in this manner and we are clear that what he did was anti-Semitic and racist,” said Jonny Wineman, from Manchester’s Jewish community.
“We are not party to all the facts in the case but understand that [Shah] showed genuine remorse, leading to a decision short of dismissal. We would expect that, should there be a recurrence or similar behaviour, it will result in dismissal.”
Shah, an ex-soldier based in Rochdale, has been ordered to attend training in equality and diversity, as well as on social media usage, after the fiery exchange in which one officer called Gaza “the world’s largest open prison” while another re-ferred to “genocide”.
“[Shah] caused offence to members of the Jewish community, failed to show initially that he accepted what he had done was wrong and failed to learn lessons from a previous warning about what he had posted on Facebook,” said Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan.
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.
