Tory MP accused of being ‘Jew lover’
A Tory MP has revealed he was accused of being a “Jew lover”, in the latest anti-Semitic jibe against an elected politician.
Conservative MP Guto Bebb, who sits in the Aberconwy seat in Wales, told a parliamentary debate he was among the group of MPs who have been victims of anti-Semitic attacks.
He said: “I have grown a very thick skin since becoming an MP but even I was quite shocked this summer to be accused on social media of being a ‘Jew lover’.
“Now, my wife, as far as I know, is a Welsh Protestant and I have not been unfaithful so therefore I would hope that attack is not literally correct.”
A Conservative colleague, Lee Scott of Ilford North, also said he recently received a phone call in which he was labelled a “dirty Jew” who should be “stoned to death”.
Garron Helm, from Litherland, north of Liverpool, was handed a four-week custodial sentence at Merseyside Magistrates’ Court in October for sending an anti-Semitic tweet to Labour’s Luciana Berger.
MPs have previously been told the abuse against the Liverpool Wavertree MP continued via Twitter on a “violent and daily basis”.
Speaking today in a Westminster Hall debate on anti-Semitism, Mr Bebb said MPs have a responsibility to challenge social media companies for their lack of action.
Mr Scott said hate crimes were under reported – in some cases due to fear.
He said: “I myself, who do report things, only the other week got a phone call calling me a dirty Jew and saying I should be stoned to death.”
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.
