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Labour MP apologises for suggesting Israel funds Independent Group
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/labour-mp-ruth-george-israel-funding-independent-group-luciana-berger
A Labour MP has apologised for suggesting Israel could be secretly funding Luciana Berger and other MPs who quit the party on Monday citing unhappiness with Labour’s approach to tackling complaints of antisemitism.
Ruth George, the MP for High Peak, withdrew the comment and said she had no intention of invoking a conspiracy theory, when she responded to someone asking whether it was appropriate to say the seven departing MPs were “Israelis”.
The MP had written on Facebook: “Support from the State of Israel, which supports both Conservative and Labour ‘Friends of Israel’, of which Luciana (Berger) was chair, is possible and I would not condemn those who suggest it, especially when the group’s financial backers are not being revealed.
“It’s important for democracy to know the financial backers for any political group or policy.”
Ruth George, the MP for High Peak, withdrew the comment and said she had no intention of invoking a conspiracy theory, when she responded to someone asking whether it was appropriate to say the seven departing MPs were “Israelis”.
The MP had written on Facebook: “Support from the State of Israel, which supports both Conservative and Labour ‘Friends of Israel’, of which Luciana (Berger) was chair, is possible and I would not condemn those who suggest it, especially when the group’s financial backers are not being revealed.
“It’s important for democracy to know the financial backers for any political group or policy.”
