London – Jewish Envoy Not Loyal to UK, Says Labour MP

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    Rabbi Isaac Shapira, Ambassador Matthew Gould and Rabbi Israel Lau with the Ambassador's new mezuzah.in Israel office. Oct. 2010London – A British lawmaker was criticized Thursday after suggesting the country’s ambassador to Israel may be biased because he is Jewish.

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    Labour legislator Paul Flynn told a parliamentary committee last week that two constituents had complained that ambassador Matthew Gould “was serving the interest of the Israeli government.”

    Flynn added: “I do not normally fall for conspiracy theories, but the ambassador has proclaimed himself to be a Zionist.”

    The Jewish Chronicle newspaper later quoted Flynn as saying the ambassador to Israel should be “someone with roots in the UK (who) can’t be accused of having Jewish loyalty.”

    Fellow lawmakers condemned the remarks.

    Independent legislator Denis MacShane called Thursday for the government to show “we do not have a religious bar on diplomatic service, we do not say Jews can’t serve in Israel (or) Catholics can’t serve in Catholic countries.”

    George Young, the leader of the House of Commons, said the Foreign Office was “an equal opportunities employer.”

    “It would be inconceivable it would apply any sort of prejudice of the type you have referred to in deciding who should be our ambassador in any part of the world,” he said.

    But Flynn called allegations of anti-Semitism “ludicrous.”

    He wrote on his blog Thursday that he was “a lifelong friend of Israel and Jewish causes.”

    “Never before in my long political life has such an accusation been made,” he wrote. “But I have been accused of being too friendly to Israel on many occasions.”


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    8 Comments
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    12 years ago

    I mean most people I know vote for politicians based solely on their attitudes towards Israel. Also many people/politicians are sick of being called “Anti-Semitic” or “self-hating” every time they criticize Israel and its policies. I actually must disagree with the Labor MP. Jews are usually more loyal to Israel. We worship anyone who makes Aliyah, we say the Hatikvah at gatherings and we donate mostly to Israel and FIDF. So yea diaspora Jews are more loyal to Israel.

    12 years ago

    Does Flynnn’s remarks really surprise anybody? Flynn should research the non-even handedness which the UK exhibited before and after the 1947 partition resolution at the UN, and during the 1948 War of Independence. The UK backed the Arabs behind the scenes, and was not too happy about an independent Jewish state.

    MosheM
    MosheM
    12 years ago

    Another anti-semite. Next. It’s so normal. The exceptions should be reported as it’s abnormal.

    Avreich1
    Avreich1
    12 years ago

    I knew a frum Jewish officer who served in the United States Army as a defense attaché at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. We were discussing the issue of loyalties, and I asked him where he stood.

    He responded, “First I am a Virginian, then I am an American. Yes, I am an orthodox Jew, but loyalty to my country will always be paramount”.

    Aryeh
    Aryeh
    12 years ago

    How is this any different than appointing a Catholic ambassador to Rome or the Vatican lehavdil? I don’t think any Jewish person, Zionist, Satmer, Lubavich or secular would ever sell out a Jewish State. Then again, I do not think that the UK or the US would put them in the position to do so.

    itzik18
    itzik18
    12 years ago

    More reasons zionism is bad for the jews

    Reb Yid
    Reb Yid
    12 years ago

    Perhaps Flynn, with his obvious Irish ancestry, should not be representing a British constituency.