Rupa Huq MP: I was misrepresented over Israel

The Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton has said she was “massively misrepresented” in reporting on her comments that a Labour government could apologise for the establishment of Israel.

Rupa Huq, who was quoted speaking at an all-party general election hustings last year, was asked about the possibility of an apology, given Britain’s control of the territory in the run-up to 1948.

In response, the Mail on Sunday reports that Huq said: “That happened under a British government. To my mind, an apology – yes. You could do one. A Labour Government could probably get that through.’

She then added: “But it sounds a bit Tony Blair to me though, and we all know what happened to him.”

The timing could not have been worse for Huq who, late last month, was derided for defending suspended Labour MP Naz Shah after the latter was revealed to have sent a series of anti-Semitic messages on social media.

This week, Huq reacted angrily to the reports, saying: “It was a tough crowd. I restated my belief in a negotiated peace working within the bounds of international law towards a two-state solution repeatedly over the two hour meeting.”

She said it was “a massive misrepresentation,” adding: “I am a signatory to the We Believe in Israel charter and have attended Labour Friends of Israel events in the past.”

Pro-Palestinian Labour politicians have come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, with former London mayor Ken Livingstone suspended for saying Hitler was “a Zionist… before he went mad”. An internal inquiry has been set up to look at the issue and devise a code of conduct.