Journalist claims three Jewish politicians don’t have ‘human blood’
Arjum Wajid, who is on the NEC of the National Union of Journalists accused two MPs and one former councillor of not having a conscience
The National Union of Journalists has distanced itself from one of its senior members, who claimed two Jewish Labour MPs and an ex-councillor do not have “human blood”.
Arjum Wajid, who is on the National Executive Council of the NUJ, caused anger online this week after remarks about Jewish Labour MPs, Ruth Smeeth & Louise Ellman, and former councillor, Adam Langleben.
Posting on social media, the broadcaster, who says in her Twitter profile she is a “supporter of Palestinian Struggle” and believes “in equality of all human beings”, retweeted a comment by Tony Greenstein, who was expelled by Labour in February for anti-Semitism.
She asked Greenstein if he believed the three Jewish politicians “have a conscience??” She added: “Don’t know what runs through their veins, not human blood. Their hearts and brains totally devoid of humanity and eyes blind to truth. No creatures Abraham’s universe”.
The responses underneath the tweet accuse her of anti-Semitism, with Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild saying she’d used “Medieval antisemitic tropes.”
“She says she believes in the equality of all human beings but clearly Jews aren’t human to her..”
A NUJ spokesperson told Jewish News Wajid’s comments were made from a “personal twitter account that in no way reflects the views or policy positions of the NUJ.”
We have received a number of complaints that will be followed up in accordance with our rule book.”
Wajid was responding to Greenstein, who had shared a tweet by George Galloway, of a one-year-old girl called Bayan, reportedly shot and killed by Israel in the latest round of violence with Hamas in Gaza.
Greenstein wrote: “the blood of this child should be on the conscience of @adamlangleben @ruthsmeeth @louiseellman (who has specifically spoken out in support of Israeli child abuse) and all the other Zionists who have tried to silence criticism of Israel with bogus allegations of ‘antisemitism'”.
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