Jewish community groups have voiced sadness and concern following the readmission of veteran MP Diane Abbott to the Labour Party. Abbott, who represents Hackney North and Stoke Newington, was suspended in July of last year over remarks she made about Jewish people.
Her initial suspension followed a letter to a newspaper in which she stated that while Jewish, Irish, and Traveller people experience prejudice, they are "not all their lives subject to racism." Abbott had previously apologized for these comments. However, in a BBC interview the following year, she defended her initial remarks and stated she did not regret the incident.
Further complicating matters, Abbott published a social media post in July last year referring to the Israel Defense Forces as the "Jewish Defence Force." She stated in a note on Thursday night that she had received a formal warning over this post. Apologizing for the tweet, Abbott acknowledged using wording that "conflates the actions of the state of Israel with the Jewish community" and expressed deep regret for any hurt caused.
A Labour spokesperson confirmed Abbott's readmission and the restoration of her party whip, stating that the decision followed the conclusion of an independent process and that she had apologized. The spokesperson emphasized that the party expects high standards from its elected representatives and that breaches are assessed independently.
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, expressed his disappointment. "I'm sad because in many ways, Diane Abbott is an icon… the longest-serving female MP, the first black female MP," he told BBC's Newsnight. "And so you'd hope that we would find common cause in fighting racism in all its different guises. But over and over again, she's making these statements that are offensive to the Jewish community at a time when there is heightened anti-Semitism, deadly anti-Semitism as we saw at Heaton Park."
The Jewish Leadership Council released a statement noting that Abbott's comments "downplayed the seriousness of racism against Jewish people." The council added that given her perceived lack of contrition prior to the announcement, her reinstatement might be seen as an exoneration of her past actions. They acknowledged the independence of the process, which followed the EHRC report into antisemitism within the Labour Party, but questioned how Abbott's return aligns with a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism.
Louise Haigh, First Secretary of State and a close ally of Labour leader Andy Burnham, welcomed Abbott's return and apology. "She's Labour to her bones, and I welcome the decision by the independent process to re-admit her, and I really, really welcome her apology," Haigh stated on BBC Breakfast.