Scottish newspaper ‘demonises’ MP with ‘Zionist’ front page
The National criticised for report that appears 'perniciously' to distort the purpose of legitimate 'friends of' lobby groups in parliament
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A Scottish newspaper has been accused of attempting to “demonise” a newly elected Labour MP who accepted a paid trip to Israel and the West Bank from the Labour Friends of Israel group.
Under the lurid headline “Zionist Group Picks Up Bill For Labour MP’s Israel Trip” The National newspaper questioned how Graeme Downie, the member for Dunfermline and Dollar, could “claim to serve the interests of his constituents while being actively courted by pro-Israel lobbies”.
The newspaper, renowned for its pro-SNP stance, focused on Downie after he properly declared the LFI trip, which cost a total of £2,200, and saw him meet with Israeli and Palestinian politicians, academics, activists and diplomats in September 2023.
A spokesperson for Downie confirmed: “The trip was undertaken in September 2023 and involved a visit to Israel and an UNWRA refugee camp in the West Bank for meetings with politicians from the Palestinian Authority, third-sector groups and charities along with Israeli government officials.
“All declarations have been made in line with parliamentary rules to ensure transparency.”
The article also including a quote from Gerry Coutts, of campaign group Scottish Friends of Palestine.
Coutts claimed: “How can Graeme Downie claim to serve the interests of his electorates while being actively courted by pro-Israel lobbies?
“He accepted a fully funded trip to meet with Israeli officials which further puts in question his integrity and impartiality when it comes to Israel, the world’s longest illegal occupation, a well-documented apartheid regime.
“The Labour Party has a long history of supporting the Israeli colonisation of Palestine. LFI has existed since the 1950s and does not disclose where it gets its funding but has close ties with the Israeli state.
“What we see here is a foreign state cultivating politicians early on in their careers to serve its interests.”
“The online version of Thursday’s report in The National was awash with openly antisemitic comments over Labour funding by “a Jewish entrepreneur” and LFI being “bankrolled by the generosity of members of the Jewish community.”
After viewing The National‘s front page story, one Labour source told Jewish News: “It’s deeply pernicious that The National is trying to demonise a new MP for travelling to Israel to learn more about the country and the conflict.
“All LFI trips include time meeting Palestinian voices and hearing their perspective as well as the Israeli one. It’s hugely important that politicians travel to the Middle East and see the situation first hand and hear from both Israelis and Palestinians.”
A second Labour source added: “It looks like the editor of The National has gone down the Asa Winstanley rabbit hole of conspiracy theories.”
Several posts on X also accused the newspaper of attempting to “stir up hate”.
Parliament’s newly-published Register of Members Interests offers MPs the chance to properly declare any paid for foreign trips over recent months, and includes trips offered to parliamentarians by a variety of groups including LFI, Labour Friends of Taiwan, Labour Friends of Bangladesh, Labour Friends of Ukraine and Labour Friends of India groups.
But in recent days, notorious anti-Israel publications including Declassified UK have focused only on trips to Israel paid for by the LFI group, after new MPs declared their visits abroad in the correct fashion.
Declassified UK wrote on 27 August: “Twelve successful Labour candidates and three Conservatives travelled to Israel with these organisations in the year leading up to Britain’s general election.
“The total cost of the trips was over £30,000, with some of them taking place amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and being described as ‘solidarity missions.”
The outlet then proceeded to name all of the MPs who had declared their Israel trips with LFI, including Scottish Labour’s Downie.
Jewish News has looked at the latest Register of Members Interests, which clearly shows parliamentarians accepting paid trips to numerous foreign countries, including meetings with Chinese politicians paid for by Labour Friends of Taiwan.
Editor of The National Laura Webster responded to Jewish News’ request for comment, stating she had “nothing to add”.
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