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| Labour party member Bob Campbell denies suspension over Israel and Isis comments | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Labour activist who claimed that Isis is controlled by the state of Israel insists he has not been suspended by the party despite reports saying his membership had been revoked over the comments. | |
| Bob Campbell, from Middlesbrough, said on Facebook just one day after the Brussels attacks that "Isis is run by Israel". | |
| A day later, Mr Campbell posted a picture which claimed Isis has not attacked Israel "because the dog doesn’t bite its own tail". | A day later, Mr Campbell posted a picture which claimed Isis has not attacked Israel "because the dog doesn’t bite its own tail". |
| The Sunday Times reported that Mr Campbell was suspended after local MP Tom Blenkinsop found the comments and demanded an investigation. | |
| However, Mr Campbell, who denies being anti-Semitic, told The Independent that he has not been suspended. | |
| In addition to the two recent Facebook posts, Mr Campbell has also posted pictures comparing the Holocaust to the situation in Gaza, captioned "Holocaust the sequel…Please stop Israel". | |
| He has also posted pictures depicting the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being hung from a tree and an Israeli flag adapted with an image of a rat featuring the words: "The real plague". | He has also posted pictures depicting the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being hung from a tree and an Israeli flag adapted with an image of a rat featuring the words: "The real plague". |
| Mr Campbell has since denied posting the image of the rat. | |
| “I post lots of pro-Jewish posts but I [also] post anti-Zionist posts,” he said. | “I post lots of pro-Jewish posts but I [also] post anti-Zionist posts,” he said. |
| Mr Campbell is the latest person in a series of Labour Party members accused of anti-Semitism. | Mr Campbell is the latest person in a series of Labour Party members accused of anti-Semitism. |
| Earlier in March, member Vicki Kirby was also suspended pending investigation for allegedly posting anti-Semitic comments to Facebook. | Earlier in March, member Vicki Kirby was also suspended pending investigation for allegedly posting anti-Semitic comments to Facebook. |
| She had previously been suspended in 2014 for making aggressive anti-Israel comments on social media. | She had previously been suspended in 2014 for making aggressive anti-Israel comments on social media. |
| The Labour Mayor of Bradford, Khadim Hussain, was suspended for similar reasons. | The Labour Mayor of Bradford, Khadim Hussain, was suspended for similar reasons. |
| Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told The Independent that Labour Party members with anti-Semitic views should be banned for life. | Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told The Independent that Labour Party members with anti-Semitic views should be banned for life. |
| "I’m not having it. People might say ‘I’ve changed my views’ – well, do something in another organisation,” said Mr McDonnell. | "I’m not having it. People might say ‘I’ve changed my views’ – well, do something in another organisation,” said Mr McDonnell. |
| “Anti-Semitism is in our society, it will rear its head as a result of that in any part of society and we’ve got to be eternally vigilant.” | “Anti-Semitism is in our society, it will rear its head as a result of that in any part of society and we’ve got to be eternally vigilant.” |
| No one at the Labour Party was available to speak at the time of publishing. | No one at the Labour Party was available to speak at the time of publishing. |