Councillor urged to apologise for comparing Holocaust with Palestinian plight

A Labour councillor in Ealing has been urged to apologise after appearing to liken the plight of the Palestinians to the Holocaust.

Councillor Aysha Raza took to Twitter during last week’s parliamentary debate on the recognition of Palestine to write: “Surely as survivors of holocaust would be adamant that they would not be responsible for another…”

LFI director Jennifer Gerber said: “Ms Raza’s comments do nothing to advance peace and are deeply offensive to the memory of the Holocaust and wilfully ignorant of the actual situation between Israelis and Palestinians.

“While the conflict in the Middle East understandably stirs emotions, it is worrying to see politicians making offensive and inappropriate comparisons.

“Lazy and deliberate distortions of the Holocaust have no place in British politics and we would ask Ms Raza to apologise for her remarks.”

Jay Stoll, who is the Public Affairs Director of the London Jewish forum, added the following remarks in response to the tweet:

“Councillor Riza’s tweet has provoked huge disappointment and anger in the community.

“For an elected representative to suggest Holocaust survivors are inflicting a similar experience upon the Palestinian people is both a gross distortion of reality and an affront to the memory and legacy of the Shoah.

“We believe London’s elected representatives have a duty to act with repute, and in the case, Cllr Riza should apologise for failing to do so and absence such apology should be disciplined by the Labour Party.”

Raza failed to respond to repeated requests for comment.

The Labour Party has also not yet offered comment, despite repeated requests.