British Lawmaker Quits Shadow Cabinet Over Anti-Israel, Anti-Semitic Posts

British Member of Parliament (MP) Naseem “Naz” Shah, who suggested that Israel should be relocated to the United States as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has quit her post.

Labour MP Naseem “Naz” Shah—who is staying in the parliament despite quitting her role in the United Kingdom’s “shadow cabinet” (the parliamentary opposition’s alternative cabinet to that of the ruling coalition government)—“unreservedly” apologized for a 2014 Facebook post that included an image of the country of Israel superimposed on a US map, with the comment “solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict.”

The Guido Fawkes political website was the first outlet to report on the post, as parliamentary private secretary to Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell, the British Labour party confirmed Shah’s resignation on Tuesday.

“Problem solved and save u bank charges for £3 BILLION you transfer yearly!” Shah, who is a Muslim, wrote in the Facebook post.

The post gives a list of reasons for why Israel’s “relocation” plan would be beneficial, such as Palestinians getting “their land and life back.”

“America has plenty of land to accommodate a 51st state”; “the transportation cost will be less than 3 years of defense spending,” and “Palestinians will get their land and life back,” the post read.

“Middle East will again be peaceful without foreign interference”; and “Oil prices will go down, inflation will go down, whole world will be happy,” she declares

“This post from two years ago was made before I was an MP. [It] does not reflect my views and I apologize for any offense it has caused,” Shah said in a statement. “I made these posts at the height of the Gaza conflict in 2014, when emotions were running high around the Middle East conflict. But that is no excuse for the offense I have given.”

“I will be seeking to expand my existing engagement and dialogue with Jewish community organisations and will be stepping up my efforts to combat all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism,” she stated.

Additionally, London’s Jewish Chronicle on Tuesday cited anti-Semitic posts Shah made on Twitter in 2014, alluding that Jews rule the government. Shah is a member of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, which is currently investigating the rise of anti-Semitism in the UK.

By: JNS.org and United with Israel Staff

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