THREE pro-indy wannabe MPs were last night blasted for “disturbing” and “extremely threatening” anti-semitic comments including that Israel was “acting like Nazis in Gaza”.
Research from the Campaign Against Antisemitism also showed them claiming Israel was committing “The Holocaust”, that Israel was making Gaza a “concentration camp” and claiming the US President Joe Biden is a “puppet” of Israel.
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The group said the claims included “conspiratorial tropes of Jews controlling world governments”, and added: “These candidates appear to have managed to breach nearly every example provided by the International Definition of Antisemitism.”
The candidates include two standing in England and one former SNP MP standing as an independent in the Western Isles - and all have close links to Alex Salmond’s Alba Party.
They include ex-Nats MP and independent Western Isles candidate Angus MacNeil - who was suspended by the SNP following a row with their Commons chief whip - and received the official endorsem*nt from Mr Salmond on May 31 who said he was a “fine MP”.
Mr MacNeil’s comments were blasted by Scottish Labour - who view the seat as one of their top targets - as being “unfit” to be an MP.
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Also listed in the 19 page report from the CAA were Yvonne Ridley - who is standing as an independent in Newcastle Central and West and was the Alba Party’s Women’s Convener - and ex-diplomat and Alba member Craig Murray who is standing for George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain in Blackburn.
The dossier includes more than two decades of alleged anti-semitic comments from the three candidates, compiled by the anti jewish hatred campaign group.
The international definition of anti-semitism includes repeating the myth about a “world Jewish conspiracy” or of Jews controlling a government or the media.
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It also lists making claims that the existence of Israel is a “racist endeavour”, claims of Jews killing Jesus, and “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis”.
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Other acts defined as anti-semitic include holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel and accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel or “alleged priorities of Jews worldwide” than the country’s they live in or of their birth.
Comments unearthed from Mr MacNeil include him labelling the devastation in Gaza, specifically Rafah, as “The Holocaust” on March 22 this year.
A week earlier, the wannabe MP posted a picture of an Israeli soldier whose reflection in a mirror shows him as a Nazi soldier.
He also called upon “decent Israelis” to “step up”, adding “even Nazi Germany had Claus von Stauffenberg” - the Germany army officer behind the Valkyrie bomb plot against Adolf Hitler.
Mr MacNeil has also labelled US President Joe Biden a “puppet of a ‘murderous gang’ aka the current apartheid Government of Israel”, and claimed Israel was “trying to make Gaza into a modern equivalent of a Nazi concentration cam[p]”.
Ms Ridley - who has posted election material online claiming that a vote for Labour is a vote for genocide - shared a post on Facebook which included the Virgin Mary cradling the head of Jesus alongside an image of a Palestinian woman holding the head of a young man, alongside the original poster commenting: “Two mothers watching over their sons. Same place in teh world, Palestine, over 2,000 years apart.”
On June 4 this year, she posted a video with pictures from Nazi Germany and Gaza, adding: “Tell me why it is wrong to contrast and compare Zionism with the Nazis after war crimes in Gaza.”
Mr Murray - who is standing for George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain in Blackburn - has also repeatedly attacked “zionist lobbyists” and has said “there is no zionist who is not a genocide supporter”.
In March this year, he claimed: “I have been explaining for years that the US and Israel are behind ISIS. See it now?”
And he added on March 27: “Zionism is in very essence an ideology of evil, founded inescapably on racism and ethnic cleansing. There is no such thing as a ‘good zionist’. Zionism is never excusable.”
The comments were blasted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism who said the language was “extremely threatening to the Jewish community” and added it is a “disaster for our political culture”.
A spokesperson added: “From comparisons of the Jewish state to Nazis, to blood libel, to claims that Zionism – the expression of Jewish self-determination – is racist and evil, to conspiratorial tropes of Jews controlling world governments, these candidates appear to have managed to breach nearly every example provided by the International Definition of Antisemitism.
"Alex Salmond's Alba Party has serious questions to answer about these members. The Party would be wise to urgently examine the recommendations of the EHRC."
A Scottish Labour spokesman also slammed Mr MacNeil for his “unacceptable comments”.
They said: “There must be zero tolerance to antisemitism and all forms of hatred in politics.
“Angus MacNeil is not fit to be an MP and voters in the Western Isles have an opportunity to vote for change with Scottish Labour.”
In response, Ms Ridley said she was “not an anti-semite” and that she has the “utmost respect for the great faith of Judaism.
She said: “I am not an anti-semite. Several of my tweets originate from Jews for Torah in America and anti Zionist Jews.
“I have the utmost respect for the great faith of Judaism, work on interfaith relations both home and overseas and enjoy good relations with many Jewish organisations including their rabbis.
She added: “As long as I have the continued support of my Jewish friends around the world, I will continue to call out the current Israeli government for what it is: an extremist coalition with overwhelming military and economic power that is subjugating a group of people who are mostly powerless.
“That in no way should reflect on Jewish people in general. Just as the findings of the ICC and the ICJ on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the extremist government of Israel will not be a reflection of the Jewish people in general.”
And the Alba Party’s general secretary Chris McEleny blasted the report from the Campaign Against Antisemitism and labelled it a “nonsense story”.
He said: “This is a ridiculous story by the Scottish Sun. I am genuinely surprised the Sun is stooping to this level after rebuilding its reputation over the last decade to become Scotland’s best newspaper.
“The 2019 General election was taken over by allegations of anti semitism being weaponised but by putting a nonsense story like this to print.
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“The editorial of the Scottish Sun must be on cloud cuckoo land if they think Sun readers will support attacks on anti war campaigners that have been calling out the alleged war crimes - under investigation by international courts - that Israel is perpetrating on Palestine.”
Mr MacNeil and Mr Murray were contacted for comment.
