Almost exactly a year ago, Liberal Democrat MP David Ward had the whip suspended for the summer recess after refusing to apologise for tweeting “Am I wrong or are am I right? At long last the Zionists are losing the battle – how long can the apartheid State of Israel last?”
With oddly similar timing (parliament broke up for recess today), the Bradford East MP has again shamed himself on Twitter. “The big question is – if I lived in #Gaza would I fire a rocket? – probably yes”, he wrote, before adding: “Ich bin ein #palestinian – the West must make up its mind – which side is it on?”
The remarks are an insult to Israeli civilians and, perhaps most of all, to those Palestinians who don’t fire rockets.
The big question is – if I lived in #Gaza would I fire a rocket? – probably yes
— David Ward (@DavidWardMP) July 22, 2014
Ich bin ein #palestinian – the West must make up its mind – which side is it on?
— David Ward (@DavidWardMP) July 22, 2014
Many are now rightly calling for the Lib Dems to finally withdraw the whip for good from Ward; this is far from his first offence. He was previously reprimanded for his “use of language” after he wrote in a blog published the day before Holocaust Memorial Day: “Having visited Auschwitz twice – once with my family and once with local schools – I am saddened that the Jews, who suffered unbelievable levels of persecution during the Holocaust, could within a few years of liberation from the death camps be inflicting atrocities on Palestinians in the new State of Israel and continue to do so on a daily basis in the West Bank and Gaza.”
A Labour spokesman said: “At a time when all sides should be working for a ceasefire and a peaceful settlement, it defies belief that a Liberal Democrat MP should tweet something so vile and irresponsible. Nick Clegg must act immediately to disassociate his party from this comment.” Conservative chairman Grant Shapps tweeted: “Appalling: No MP should tweet what’s essentially incitement to violence. Mr Ward must withdraw now. Completely irresponsible.”
We await the response of the Lib Dems.
Update: The Lib Dems have now issued a response, stating that they are treating Ward’s comments “as a disciplinary issue”. A spokesman said: “We utterly condemn David Ward’s comments, they are not representative of the Liberal Democrats. The party takes this matter very seriously and will treat it as a disciplinary issue.”
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