The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) unequivocally condemns Labour MP Kim Johnson’s inflammatory remarks at a recent pro-Palestinian rally, where she once again labelled Israel an “apartheid regime.” These comments are not only factually baseless but also dangerously feed into the growing wave of antisemitism masquerading as political activism.
It is deeply troubling that an elected Member of Parliament, who previously apologised in the House of Commons for using this exact terminology, has now chosen to repeat these remarks. By invoking apartheid – a loaded term utterly inappropriate for describing a democratic state like Israel – Ms Johnson trivialises the real suffering experienced under South Africa’s apartheid regime and delegitimises the Jewish state’s right to exist and defend itself.
Gary Mond, Chairman of the NJA, stated: “Kim Johnson’s words are not a critique of policy; they are a calculated attempt to vilify Israel and stoke hostility toward the Jewish community. Her remarks embolden those who seek to erase Israel’s legitimacy and fuel the disturbing rise in antisemitism we are witnessing across the UK. This is not just irresponsible – it is dangerous.”
Johnson’s calls for arms embargoes and her comparison of Israel to South Africa are deeply offensive and ignore the realities on the ground. Israel, a liberal democracy facing existential threats from terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah, operates under an entirely different context than the apartheid regime of South Africa. Such comparisons distort the truth while betraying Johnson’s total lack of seriousness about achieving peace.
The NJA calls on the Labour Party to take decisive action against Kim Johnson and others who use their platform to spread such divisive rhetoric. “Labour cannot claim to be a party of equality and justice while tolerating voices that delegitimise the Jewish state and inflame antisemitic sentiment,” Mond added.
If the Labour Party cannot control the extreme and prejudiced views of its MPs, it has no moral credibility to govern or claim to represent the principles of fairness and justice. The NJA demands accountability now before Labour becomes irreparably complicit in mainstreaming antisemitism in the UK.
