OPINION: Labour Rochdale candidate’s hate zone sabotages progress under Starmer

Last night I watched The Zone of Interest at the cinema. It is a stunning reminder of the truth of the Holocaust. A profound rendition of uncontrolled murder, violence, torture and torment of Jews. Genocide. 

However, I was distracted throughout by thoughts of Azhar Ali, the Labour candidate for Rochdale, caught red-handed in his own zone of hate.

Ali’s suggestion that Israel facilitated the slaughter rape and abduction of Jews on 7 October is shockingly disgusting. But not as disgraceful as his enforced, empty and embarrassing apology.

Apology? What on earth does that mean? That an aspiring member of Parliament, and presumably intelligent person, was acting as an automaton, uttering words he did not mean?

Labour’s pledge was to root out antisemitism. Campaigning for a man who believes Jews stood by and allowed the atrocities of 7 October to unfold is far from keeping that promise.

Alternatively, and truthfully, does the word “sorry” mean trapped by his thoughts and actions, on the brink, desperate to save his precious candidacy in Rochdale?

Of course it does.

If genuinely sorry, this person would resign from political life. Forever.  Or be made to. His comments do not bear acceptance of apology but political oblivion. Instead, having stirred up racial hatred against Israel and Jews, having disrespected the memory of six million Holocaust victims by his malign comments, having shown himself for his inner-most thoughts, he is STILL allowed to stand as a Labour candidate. Sickening.

It is said to be too late to get rid of him.  It is hard to believe that there is no gross misconduct route to disposal of this person. Ali must be disowned by his party. No campaigning for him, whatever the consequences.

Labour’s pledge was to root out antisemitism. Campaigning for a man who believes Jews stood by and allowed the atrocities of 7 October to unfold is far from keeping that promise.

Perpetrating a poisonous myth makes it so much worse. Ambivalence risks thousands of once proud Labour Jews again wandering from their spiritual home. I’m one for sure.

George Galloway’s candidacy in Rochdale adds to the ugliness of this by-election. If Ali Azhar is allowed to be elected, shame on Labour and British politics. As for Galloway, history speaks for itself. Zone of interest versus zone of hate. We said “Never again”. We, and all, must show the likes of Azhar Ali that we  mean it.

For him to participate in the forthcoming by-election , let alone win, is an insult to the Jewish people and a scourge on our political process.