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Labour suspends three councillors over Israel comments

Labour has suspended three councillors over controversial messages posted on social media, in the latest development in a party row over alleged anti-semitism.

Burnley councillor Shah Hussain; Blackburn with Darwen councillor Salim Mulla; and Nottingham City councillor Ilyas Aziz were all suspended pending investigation.

The suspensions come a day after Jeremy Corbyn claimed Labour is "united" in fighting anti-semitism and all forms of racism at a May Day rally.

The row began last week following the suspension of Labour MP Naz Shah and highly-controversial comments made by Ken Livingstone linking Hitler and Zionism.

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Labour suspends second councillor over Israel comments

Credit: Twitter

Labour has suspended a second councillor amid the party row over alleged anti-semitism.

The suspension of Blackburn with Darwen councillor Salim Mulla, a former mayor of Blackburn, came just hours after the suspension of Ilyas Aziz, a Labour councillor in Nottingham.

The Guido Fawkes website reported that Mr Mulla had shared a message suggesting Israel should be relocated to the US - the same post as Ms Shah which led to her apologising in the Commons and having the whip withdrawn.

Another post, from 2014, apparently showed footage of a Palestinian boy being arrested with a comment from Mr Mulla saying: "Apartheid at its best. Zionist Jews are a disgrace to humanity."

When asked for comment, Mr Mulla told blogger Guido Fawkes: "It was probably just forwarded to me.

"I don’t agree with Zionism at all. I have very, very many Jewish friends."

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Labour suspends three councillors over Israel comments

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