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| Rabbi steps into Tory EU ally row | Rabbi steps into Tory EU ally row |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Poland's chief rabbi Michael Schudrich has told the BBC one of the Tories' main allies in Europe is "today, against anti-Semitism". | Poland's chief rabbi Michael Schudrich has told the BBC one of the Tories' main allies in Europe is "today, against anti-Semitism". |
| David Miliband had quoted the rabbi to attack Polish MEP Michal Kaminski for having "an anti-Semitic neo-Nazi past". | |
| Mr Kaminski leads the Tories' new group of MEPs in the European Parliament. | Mr Kaminski leads the Tories' new group of MEPs in the European Parliament. |
| Mr Schudrich said he was "complicated person" who as a teenager belonged to a far right group but recently had been a "serious ally to the state of Israel". | Mr Schudrich said he was "complicated person" who as a teenager belonged to a far right group but recently had been a "serious ally to the state of Israel". |
| The interview on the BBC's Today programme came after a political row in the UK about the Conservatives' new grouping in the European Parliament, headed by Mr Kaminski. | The interview on the BBC's Today programme came after a political row in the UK about the Conservatives' new grouping in the European Parliament, headed by Mr Kaminski. |
| Apology demands | Apology demands |
| In a speech in September to Labour's annual conference, Mr Miliband said the Tories' new allies made him "sick" and said Mr Kaminski had been "denounced by the Chief Rabbi of Poland for an anti-semitic, neo-Nazi past". | In a speech in September to Labour's annual conference, Mr Miliband said the Tories' new allies made him "sick" and said Mr Kaminski had been "denounced by the Chief Rabbi of Poland for an anti-semitic, neo-Nazi past". |
| The Conservatives said the Chief Rabbi had said the remarks had been misrepresented and demanded Mr Miliband apologise. | The Conservatives said the Chief Rabbi had said the remarks had been misrepresented and demanded Mr Miliband apologise. |
| In an interview with the BBC, Rabbi Schudrich said Mr Kaminski had been a member of the "openly anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi" National Revival of Poland (NOP) organisation - Mr Kaminksi argues he quit as a teenager and it was not an extreme group when he joined it. | In an interview with the BBC, Rabbi Schudrich said Mr Kaminski had been a member of the "openly anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi" National Revival of Poland (NOP) organisation - Mr Kaminksi argues he quit as a teenager and it was not an extreme group when he joined it. |
| What we have here is a complicated person, and we need to be able to understand him in a fuller context Rabbi Schudrich | What we have here is a complicated person, and we need to be able to understand him in a fuller context Rabbi Schudrich |
| Rabbi Schudrich told the BBC he would not defend Mr Kaminski's membership of NOP, which he said he found "problematic", but said he preferred to look at what he had done over a longer period. | Rabbi Schudrich told the BBC he would not defend Mr Kaminski's membership of NOP, which he said he found "problematic", but said he preferred to look at what he had done over a longer period. |
| "Since that time he has become a strong ally of the state of Israel and on other occasions has condemned anti-Semitism," he said. | "Since that time he has become a strong ally of the state of Israel and on other occasions has condemned anti-Semitism," he said. |
| "So what we have here is a complicated person, and we need to be able to understand him in a fuller context, not taking one thing he said but taking a look at what he has said over the past 20 years." | "So what we have here is a complicated person, and we need to be able to understand him in a fuller context, not taking one thing he said but taking a look at what he has said over the past 20 years." |
| He said Mr Kaminski's Law and Justice Party was considered a mainstream party adding: He said: "No-one here in Poland would consider the law and justice party as a fringe right party." | He said Mr Kaminski's Law and Justice Party was considered a mainstream party adding: He said: "No-one here in Poland would consider the law and justice party as a fringe right party." |
| He said he could not "check a person's heart" but from what Mr Kaminski had said publicly and privately "I certainly see him as a man that today, today, is against anti-Semitism". | He said he could not "check a person's heart" but from what Mr Kaminski had said publicly and privately "I certainly see him as a man that today, today, is against anti-Semitism". |
| He said he "completely disagreed" with Mr Kaminski's opposition to a state apology for the massacre of hundreds of Jews in Jedwabne in 1941. | He said he "completely disagreed" with Mr Kaminski's opposition to a state apology for the massacre of hundreds of Jews in Jedwabne in 1941. |
| But he said it was an issue about whether Poland should be held responsible or not, "it was not denial of what happened". | But he said it was an issue about whether Poland should be held responsible or not, "it was not denial of what happened". |
| BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Chief Rabbi's comments would fuel the Conservatives' calls for an apology from Foreign Secretary Mr Miliband. | BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Chief Rabbi's comments would fuel the Conservatives' calls for an apology from Foreign Secretary Mr Miliband. |
| But he said Mr Miliband would refer to other statements of other Jewish groups in Europe and would broaden the attack to include the Tories' other allies in Europe - including a Latvian party accused of homophobia. | But he said Mr Miliband would refer to other statements of other Jewish groups in Europe and would broaden the attack to include the Tories' other allies in Europe - including a Latvian party accused of homophobia. |
| On Thursday Mr Miliband refused to retract his statement, after an emailed statement from the Chief Rabbi said it was a "grotesque distortion that people are quoting me to prove that Kaminski is an anti-Semite". | On Thursday Mr Miliband refused to retract his statement, after an emailed statement from the Chief Rabbi said it was a "grotesque distortion that people are quoting me to prove that Kaminski is an anti-Semite". |
| Mr Miliband said his main complaint appeared to be about the headline of an article in the New Statesman and he had not "withdrawn the quotation" in the article. | Mr Miliband said his main complaint appeared to be about the headline of an article in the New Statesman and he had not "withdrawn the quotation" in the article. |
| He also said Mr Kaminski had been denounced by one of the Tories' longest-serving MEPs Edward MacMillan Scott. | He also said Mr Kaminski had been denounced by one of the Tories' longest-serving MEPs Edward MacMillan Scott. |