A Labour MP who was suspended after utilizing the phrase “between the river and the sea” at a pro-Palestine rally final yr has had the whip restored.
In a speech urging peace between Israelis and Palestinians at a rally in October, the previous Shadow Cabinet Minister Andy McDonald stated: “We won’t rest until we have justice, until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea can live in peaceful liberty.”
Mr McDonald had the Labour whip suspended after the get together stated the feedback have been “deeply offensive”. He has since sat within the Commons as an unbiased.
But after a five-month investigation, Labour stated on Wednesday the probe had “concluded that he had not engaged in conduct that was against the party’s rulebook”. It reminded him “the importance of elected representatives being mindful”.
Ms McDonald stated he is “grateful” to have the Labour whip restored, and is “pleased” the investigation discovered he did not breach the get together’s guidelines. He added: “It was never my intention to use words that would cause anyone distress or anguish and I bitterly regret the pain and hurt caused. Accordingly, I will not use that phrasing again.
“I’ll proceed to denounce the abominations of antisemitism and Islamophobia wherever they increase their ugly heads. These are key explanation why I joined the Labour Party 45 years in the past.”
The phrase “from the river to the ocean” has been branded deeply offensive by the Campaign against Antisemitism. It said it refers to the land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, and “solely is sensible as a name for the destruction of the world’s solely Jewish state”.
But pro-Palestinian protesters have contested this definition. The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and other campaigners argue that the slogan refers to “the suitable of all Palestinians to freedom, equality and justice”.
A Labour Party spokesman stated: “The Chief Whip has at the moment restored the Labour Whip to Andy McDonald MP. This follows a full investigation by the Labour Party into complaints obtained about public remarks that he made in October 2023.
“The investigation concluded that he had not engaged in conduct that was against the Party’s rulebook but reminded him of the importance of elected representatives being mindful, not only of what they say in public, but how their words may be interpreted, especially in reference to controversial or emotive issues. The Chief Whip met with Andy following the outcome of the investigation and received assurances that he understands the need to be mindful and about his future conduct.”