Another Lib Dem councillor embroiled in antisemitism scandal over ‘vile Jews’ comments
A Lib Dem spokesperson said Pat Marsh had been 'removed from the council group' and ' reported to the council’s Standard Office' after branding 'Jews' as 'vile' and 'horrendous' and 'a disgrace to the world' in comments posted online
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The Liberal Democrats are embroiled in another antisemitism scandal after a councillor was revealed to have posted a succession of attacks on “vile Jews” on social media in response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Cllr Pat Marsh, a Lib Dem representative on North Yorkshire County Council, repeatedly conflated the actions of the Israeli military with that of “Jews” in multiple posts on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
A spokesperson for the Lib Dems told Jewish News:”“These appalling antisemitic views have no place in our party, Ms Marsh has been removed from the council group and has been reported to the council’s Standard Officer.”
In one January 24th post, the long-serving Lib Dem councillor, who was first elected 33 years ago and is a former leader of the party in Harrogate. wrote:”I hope you Jews are proud of yourselves, you are a disgrace to the world.”
In a further inflammatory post Marsh opined on February 15 that Gaza was :”an atrocious war crime” adding “no wonder people are becoming anti-Jewish.”
Again on January 24th, Marsh posted”This is a holocaust. Don’t the Jews remember when it was done to them!”
On February 11th, Marsh said:”The Jews are vile, showing they have no care other than for themselves.”
I'm guessing North Yorkshire councillor Pat Marsh has strayed from official @LibDems policy when she says Jews are "evil", "vile", "horrendous", "a disgrace to the world" and claims "Israel owns the USA". It looks like #antisemitism to me. Perhaps the @YandHLibDems could advise? pic.twitter.com/wGCsZuA44x
— Steve Cooke (@Steve_Cooke) February 18, 2024
There are numerous other posts for the same councillor in a similar vein, which were exposed by the campaigner against antisemitism Steve Cooke.
He tweeted:”I’m guessing North Yorkshire councillor Pat Marsh has strayed from official LibDems policy when she says Jews are ‘evil’, ‘vile’, ‘horrendous’, ‘a disgrace to the world’ and claims “Israel owns the USA. It looks like antisemitism to me.”
Last week it emerged that a woman expected to become he next Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Southend West in Essex, had been suspended from the party and later resigned over what she called “anti-Zionist” remarks.
Joyce Onstad said a series of social media posts she shared had been “conflated” with antisemitism and that she would no longer be “intimidated” or “silenced”.
Complaints were made when Onstad reshared a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which described the Israeli government as a “2020s version of Nazism”.On 14 February she took to X to confirm her resignation from the Liberal Democrat Party. She wrote: “Certain people in the party have taken great offence at the vehemence and ferocity of my stance in the fight to end the genocide in Palestine and have conflated my anti-Zionist position with antisemitism, which is clearly absurd.”
Onstad joined the Liberal Democrats in 2015 and became a member of its federal board two years later. The party said it would now be appointing a new candidate to fight the election in Southend West.
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: “Ms Onstad was suspended from the party following formal complaints about her conduct. She resigned from the party before facing an independent disciplinary panel.
“The posts she had shared on social media were grossly offensive, unacceptable and have no place within the Liberal Democrats.”
Jewish News also revealed in January how a Liberal Democrat councillor exposed for questioning evidence that Hamas carried out atrocities in Israel on October 7th had sparked renewed anger after refusing to confirm he has undertaken antisemitism awareness training for linking the Jewish state to the Nazis.
Birmingham City councillor Khan was asked by Labour’s Lee Marsham at a meeting of the city council last month if he considered antisemitism awareness training “is beneath you.”
In October, after Khan had said he “has a problem with the credibility” of accounts detailing the massacre carried out at by Hamas, including at a kibbutz in southern Israel, a spokesperson for the Lib Dems claimed: “Councillor Khan has recognised that his comments were offensive.
“He has apologised and deleted his TikToks, and agreed to undergo anti-semitism training,” the spokesperson said.“Liberal Democrats utterly condemn the terrorist atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October.”
But Khan’s conduct showed little sign of regret by the councillor, who is a criminal barrister by profession.
A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “A complaint against Ayoub Khan is currently being assessed under the party’s independent complaints process. While this is ongoing and until it is fully concluded it is not possible to comment further.”
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