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“What the Nazis did to you, you’re doing to the Palestinians,” shouted British union boss Steve Hedley at a defender of Israel, Richard Millett.
By United With Israel Staff
British union boss Steve Hedley, a supporter of UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, is facing calls to resign as senior assistant general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) over an outburst at a pro-Palestinian meeting, reports the Daily Mail.
Video footage shows Hedley, described by the British newspaper as a “militant Jeremy Corbyn supporter,” shouting at a defender of Israel, Richard Millett: “You’re an absolute disgrace to the Jewish people. You are a modern-day fascist, you are a modern-day Nazi, by supporting those policies that oppress a… minority in your own state.”
In the videotaped exchange which follows, Hedley continues his tirade against the pro-Israel Millett: “What the Nazis did to you, you’re doing to the Palestinians.”
Millett responds: “Feel better?”
Hedley then says: “Better than you, obviously. But then again, you’re one of the chosen people, so you might feel better than me, huh?”
Millett: “So it’s about being Jewish?”
Hedley: “It’s about being a Zionist.”
Hedley’s diatribe took place at a 2011 event entitled: “Palestine’s Fight For Freedom.” It took place at the School of African and Oriental Studies-SOAS University of London, according to the newspaper report.
Millett told the Mail on Sunday that he found the “chosen people” comment particularly offensive, according to the paper.
“The ‘chosen people’ is a reference to the Bible,” the Israel supporter told the newspaper.
“It’s not about Israel but Jews in general. It’s about the Jews being given a purpose by God to go out into the world and do good things. It has nothing to do with being a better person,” said Millett.
He added, however, that “it’s been reinvented as a derogatory term which basically means, ‘You think you’re better than me because you’re Jewish.”‘
Millett added: “I don’t see how someone who makes such obviously anti-Semitic remarks can hold such a senior role at a union. He should resign from his position.”
“I feel these people have been emboldened to say what they really think and can get away with it now that Corbyn is Labour leader. And if he becomes Prime Minister, nothing is going to stop them.,” said the Israel supporter, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
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