February 8, 2013

 (JTA) — A British lawmaker may face new disciplinary action by his party for comments about “the Jews.”

David Ward, a member of the Liberal Democrats, apologized for comments he made last month, on the occasion of International Holocaust Memorial Day, that he was “saddened that the Jews, who suffered unbelievable levels of persecution during the Holocaust, could, within a few years of liberation, be inflicting atrocities on the Palestinians in the new State of Israel — and continue to do so.”

But the controversy was renewed when reports emerged that Ward asked his staff if replacing “the Jews” with “the Jewish community” would mollify his critics, leading to another round of complaints.

The London Jewish Chronicle reported that Alastair Carmichael, chief whip for the Liberal Democrat party, told leaders of British Jewry that Ward’s latest comment  “will be dealt with as a fresh issue.”

After meeting with Jewish leaders, the party said “further decisions” would be made about Ward.

Help us tell the Jewish story with reporting from around the world. Please donate to JTA.

Click to write a letter to the editor.

This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Donate to JTA now.