LONDON, The United Kingdom – British-Nigerian minister and Member of Parliament, Kate Osamor, has been suspended from the UK’s Labour Party following her controversial remarks linking Israel’s activities in the Gaza Strip to genocide.
The suspension comes despite Osamor’s immediate apologies for her statement made on Friday, January 26, 2024, the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day.
Osamor, in her weekly newsletter, added Gaza to the list of ‘recent genocides’ and posted a photo of herself signing the Holocaust Education Trust’s commemoration book in Westminster.
Her statement read, “Tomorrow is Holocaust Memorial Day, an international day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, the millions of other people murdered under Nazi persecution of other groups and more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and now Gaza.”
This statement sparked outrage, leading to Osamor’s quick retraction and apology posted on social media.
She wrote, “Holocaust Memorial Day is a day to remember the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and the genocides that have occurred since. I apologise for any offence caused by my reference to the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza as part of that period of remembrance.”
Holocaust Memorial Day is a day to remember the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and the genocides that have occurred since.
I apologise for any offence caused by my reference to the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza as part of that period of remembrance.
— Kate Osamor Labour & Co-op MP for Edmonton (@KateOsamor) January 26, 2024
Her remarks drew criticism from several organizations, including the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Labour Movement, and the Holocaust Educational Trust.
A Labour source confirmed to MailOnline that the Chief Whip suspended Osamor pending an investigation.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned Osamor’s remarks, stating that comparing Israel to Nazis falls under the International Definition of Antisemitism, which the Labour Party has adopted.
The spokesperson commended the Labour Party for taking swift action against Osamor and expressed vigilance for the outcome of the matter.
Furthermore, a Jewish Labour Movement spokesperson described Osamor’s actions as “wholly inappropriate” and “wrong and offensive,” emphasising the importance of appropriately commemorating the Holocaust and subsequent genocides as recognised by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
