London – Jeremy Corbyn claimed that Israeli officials control the speeches made by British MPs, in bizarre comments that have been called an ‘antisemitic conspiracy theory’ which ‘casts Jews as sinister manipulators’, MailOnline can reveal.
The remarks were captured on video in 2010, at a meeting of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in London. In a speech about the shooting of Turkish activists at sea by the Israeli commandos, the Labour leader said:
‘[British MPs] all turned up [to the debating chamber] with a pre-prepared script. I’m sure our friend Ron Prosor (the Israeli ambassador) wrote it.
‘Because they all came up with the same key words. It was rather like reading a European document looking for buzz-words.
‘And the buzz-words were, “Israel’s need for security”. And then “the extremism of the people on one ship”. And “the existence of Turkish militants on the vessel”.
‘It came through in every single speech, this stuff came through.’
MailOnline has examined the transcript of the debate in question and could find no evidence that any of Mr Corbyn’s ‘buzz words’ were mentioned by MPs.
In addition, a number of parliamentarians who spoke during the session have confirmed to MailOnline that they received no such ‘pre-prepared script’ or ‘buzz-words’ from Israeli sources.
Alistair Burt, the Tory MP who moved the motion, said: ‘My only script is from the Foreign Office and I then answer spontaneously to the debate. I have no other briefing’.
Labour MP Richard Burden, who also spoke at the debate, said: ‘I certainly don’t recall the Israeli Embassy giving me any kind of pre-prepared script for that debate, or at any other time.’
The claims add to the pressure facing the Labour leader after MailOnline revealed that he had accused British Zionists of ‘not understanding English irony’ last week.
Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, said: ‘Antisemitic conspiracy theories cast Jews as sinister manipulators, pulling the strings and subverting democracy.
‘Without any evidence, Jeremy Corbyn seems to have visions of the Jewish state literally putting words into many of our politicians’ mouths.
‘However, when it comes to malicious influence from the Middle East, the politician who springs to mind is Mr Corbyn himself, with his full schedule of trips to visit genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisations.’
A Labour spokesman has been contacted for comment.
