Scottish National Party MP Reinstated After Suspension for Antisemitic Posts, Promises to ‘Make Amends’ With Jewish Community
by Benjamin Kerstein
A Scottish National Party (SNP) member of parliament has been reinstated following a suspension for posting antisemitic content on social media.
The BBC reported that Neale Hanvey was admitted back into the party after he agreed to complete a Holocaust education course, meet with representatives of Scotland’s Jewish community and apologize for his previous actions.
In a statement released last November, Hanvey said he was “genuinely and deeply sorry” for two posts, one of which contained an antisemitic caricature of billionaire Jewish philanthropist George Soros and another that equated Israel’s policies toward Palestinians to the German Nazi regime’s treatment of Jews.
“Although I do not in any way consider myself antisemitic,” he stated, “on reflection the language I used was, and this is clearly unacceptable.”
Hanvey said he wished to “make amends” to the Jewish community for his antisemitic language.
The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities said in a statement that the SNP “demonstrated that it is able to engage with the Jewish community on these issues, and has committed to a disciplinary action.”
However, the group said that an apology and suspension were not enough.
“This goes beyond imposing penalties,” they stated. “Education is absolutely vital.”
“Although Mr. Hanvey has apologized, meaningful engagement and education are crucial to demonstrating that he understands the seriousness of his actions and the impact that anti-Jewish racism has on real people,” the group said.