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Jeremy Corbyn is set to be dragged into a defamation case against former colleague George Galloway after a row broke out on Twitter between the expelled Labour politician, comedian David Baddiel and head of Momentum Jon Lansman.<\/p>\n
Baddiel, who is Jewish, accused Galloway \u2013 a former MP and ex-colleague of Corbyn \u2013 of being anti-Semitic, in a row which erupted on social media.<\/p>\n
The fight began on Twitter when Galloway accused Baddiel of being an \u201cIsrael fanatic,\u201d<\/em> after the comedian retweeted Labour MP Stella Creasy\u2019s post calling for a mass protest at the upcoming visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK.<\/p>\n Galloway used Creasy\u2019s voting record over military action in the Middle East against her \u2013 but also attacked Baddiel, writing: “There will be no supporter of the Palestinian people marching behind vile Israel-fanatic \u201ccomedian\u201d David Baddiel. There will be no opponent of imperialist wars marching behind Stella Creasy.”<\/em><\/p>\n The ex-MP later deleted the Tweet, but not before a Twitter spat had broken out.\u00a0<\/p>\n I was wrong to tweet that David Badiel was an \u201cIsrael-fanatic\u201d, he is not and I have deleted it. I should have said that David Badiel routinely slanders Israel-critics like me as \u201canti-Semites\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2014 George Galloway (@georgegalloway) January 30, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n The comedian insisted Galloway\u2019s only reason for calling him an \u201cIsrael-fanatic\u201d<\/em> would be because he is Jewish.<\/p>\n Ex-MP for Labour and the Respect party, Galloway made the accusations despite Baddiel previously saying\u00a0he is neutral on the Middle East and once making the claim: \u201cI don’t give a f*** about f***ing Israel.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The founder of the Corbyn supporting grass-roots movement Momentum, Jon Lansman, jumped\u00a0to Baddiel’s defence.<\/p>\n Galloway threatened them both with legal action.<\/p>\n Members of the public rounded on the comedian in support of Galloway.<\/p>\n Since I’ve always made it entirely clear that my attitude to that country is entirely meh, I think we can only conclude that by “Israel-fanatic” George just means Jew. Vile Jew. And that therefore he is an anti-Semite. Now let him come at me with his stupid fucking lawyers. pic.twitter.com\/zJ1rLol3qG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 David Baddiel (@Baddiel) January 29, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Baddiel refused to back down, responding to some of those that supported Galloway’s position.\u00a0<\/p>\n You said ppl who use term “Zionist cabal” are “close to anti-semitism” (2:40 here: https:\/\/t.co\/ppXw96in5v<\/a>). Anti-Zionism is never anti-semitism. If you don’t care about Israel, why do you repeat their propaganda equating anti-Zionism and anti-semitism? @georgegalloway<\/a> is right.<\/p>\n \u2014 Haunted Toilet 🇰🇵 (@Haunted_Toilet) January 29, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Simultaneously, a petition to have Galloway reinstated in the Labour party after his 2003 expulsion over comments on Iraq is gathering steam.<\/p>\n Several thousand signatures were gathered in a matter of weeks as Galloway’s supporters claimed former-leader Tony Blair was wrong to oust him.<\/p>\n\n\n
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