Labour MP cancels Houthi speaker event after ‘antisemitism’ claims
Ahmed Alshami was invited to attend the Tuesday meeting of the Stop the War Coalition in Westminster
An event in Parliament has been cancelled following pressure to axe the talk with a campaigner accused of having links to the “antisemitic” Houthi group.
A member of Lloyd Russell-Moyle’s parliamentary office confirmed today the event was cancelled yesterday.
The Labour MP had agreed to host Ahmed Alshami at a Tuesday meeting of the Stop the War Coalition in Westminster.
He was billed as having participated with the Houthi movement, whose slogan says “death to Israel, curse the Jews”, in UN peace talks.
The Brighton Kemptown MP initially defended the invitation, but later issued a statement calling for the removal of the speaker.
He said he believes “it is necessary for members of those committees to have meetings with different parties to conflicts, even when we vehemently disagree with their views, in order to bring about peace”.
He added: “On this basis, I agreed to host the Stop the War briefing around Yemen.
“Stop the War arranged the speaker but on further investigation of the speaker it has become clear that it would be inappropriate to give this person a public platform in a public meeting.
“I therefore have informed Stop the War that they should remove this speaker from the event or it will be cancelled.”
Russell-Moyle faced criticism from Labour colleague Dame Margaret Hodge, who has been a prominent voice against antisemitism in the party and condemned the invitation, as did Jewish groups.
Margaret Hodge told Jewish News: “The antisemitic language and actions of the Houthi group, who will be represented at this event, are sickening.
“Inviting an organisation whose slogan states ‘death to Israel, curse the Jews’ to Parliament will do nothing to reassure the Jewish community that Labour takes the fight against antisemitism seriously.
“Lloyd Russell-Moyle should think again.”
Board of Deputies of British Jews vice president Amanda Bowman said hosting the Houthi organisation is “utterly unacceptable”.
“Lloyd Russell-Moyle should immediately disavow his support for this event,” she said.
The Jewish Leadership Council added: “Peace in Yemen is vital, but nobody should roll out the red carpet for a Houthi spokesperson without challenging his antisemitism.”
The UK Government backs the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels that started the conflict with the takeover of the capital Sana’a.
In excess of 91,600 people have been killed in the civil war, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
The Government has had regular contact with the Houthis, which Downing Street criticised for “destabilising activity” including recent missile strikes in Saudi Arabia.
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.