Exclusive: Shadow minister’s aide suspended over Zionist posts

An aide to the shadow international development secretary has been suspended after endorsing a series of social media posts on Zionism.

Elizabeth Dudley, who was a member of Kate Osamor’s parliamentary staff, ‘liked’ two Facebook posts from a West Bank activist, who Jewish News revealed yesterday is to speak at an event organised by Newcastle Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

One incendiary post from Iyad Burnat said: “To the American people do not bother to vote in the elections. The Zionists had identified the next president.”

Another post from him that was ‘liked’ by Dudley showed the bodies of dead children with the flag of Israel alongside the swastika. Wording above said: “Is the Zionists terrorists? What is the difference between Zionism and Nazism?”

Osamor told the Jewish News: “Having been made aware of these posts, the member of staff has been suspended with immediate effect.”

In June, Jeremy Corbyn called for Hitler and Nazi metaphors to be left out of discourse on Israel during the release of Labour’s inquiry on anti-Semitism.

Commenting on Burnat’s invite to speak to a branch of PSC, the Community Security Trust’s Mark Gardner said: “This seems to be another example of supposed anti-Zionism that is in fact antisemitic. PSC say they oppose such attitudes, so let us see what action they now take.”

The PSC has yet to respond to a request for comment on the invite.