Image via Wikipedia – Baroness Jenny Tonge (former Liberal Democrat)
Anglican Friends of Israel welcomes the news that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has taken decisive action against Baroness Jenny Tonge for remarks she made at an “Israel Apartheid Week” event.
Mr. Clegg demanded that Tonge apologise for her remarks, which he said were “wrong and offensive and do not reflect the values of the Liberal Democrats.”
Labour leader Ed Milliband and the Board of Deputies of British Jews were among those calling for Mr Clegg to take action against Tonge.
Tonge was sacked in 2010 as the Liberal Democrat’s health spokesperson in the Lords over her demands for an investigation into allegations of body parts harvesting by the Israeli Defence force in Haiti. These allegations were utterly reprehensible and shocking and should have been met with an immediate withdrawal of the Liberal Democrat whip.
Tonge has been accused by Nick Clegg in the past of making ‘ludicrous claims’. He may regret not acting sooner.
Jenny Tonge’s resignation statement (from the Jewish Chronicle)
“The comments I made have been taken completely out of context. They followed a very ill tempered meeting in which Zionistcampaigners attempted continually to disrupt proceedings. They mouthed obscenities at the panellists, to the extent that University security attempted to remove them from the premises.
“The comments I made were in protest at the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and the treatment of Israeli Arabs.
“I am disappointed the leadership of my party did not consult me before issuing a press release and seems always to abet the request of the pro-Israel lobby. Israel is acting against international law, the Geneva conventions, and Human Rights. They do this with impunity and if our political parties will not take action then individuals must.
“I have been asked to apologise but refuse to do so and resign the whip of my party.
Tonge will no doubt remain a vocal opponent of Israel. Her rhetoric may develop even more extreme characteristics. She will however no longer have the ‘respectability of association’ with mainstream party politics.