(JTA) — A British lawmaker suspended for sharing a post on Facebook that said it is a Jewish ritual to drink blood admitted to publishing the articles after initially denying it.
Damien Enticott, a councillor in Bognor Regis, a town on England’s southern coast, told the Jewish Chronicle last week that he had not published the post. Enticott said he lives in a shared house and has a computer that does not have passwords, suggesting that someone else made the post in his name.
But on Monday, Enticott in a new post acknowledged that the posts were his, the UK Jewish News reported.
“I do accept that I posted all the articles in question and that I was confused as to what the papers were asking me about on the phone as I was in the middle of shopping,” according to the post.
Enticott said the post headlined “Jewish Ritual – They drink blood and suck baby’s [sic] d***,” referred to a rite practiced by the haredi Orthodox during a bris, or ritual circumcision. He also said that he published a post saying “Hitler would have the solution to the Israeli problem” due to “frustration at seeing unarmed civilians being shot by Israeli soldiers.”
“I am anti-Zionist, not anti semantic (sic),” he also wrote.
Enticott said that he believes the Labour Party will “do the right thing” and reinstate him, and added that he would refuse to attend any courses if required. He said if he is expelled from Labour, he will remain in his councillor position as an independent.
He also wrote in his post: “Lastly, I will continue to express myself freely for my electorates and my apologies will only be to the people of Hatherleigh Ward if requested. It is only the residents of Hatherleigh Ward that I truly represent as a councillor and who I am accountable to.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Board of Deputies of British Jewry called for the expulsion from the Laboyur Party of Peter Willsman, a member of hte Party’s national executive committee and an ally of party leader Jeremy Corbyn, over comments he made about Jewish Trump fanatics” during the party leadership’s discussion of the adoption of a definition of anti-Semitism.
Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl also questioned why the leaders at the party meeting did not ommediately censure Willsman when the public slur was made.
The remarks, which were recorded, were first reported Monday by the London-based Jewish Chronicle.
Willsman told the July 17 meeting: “Some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump – they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it.”
“So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up information without any evidence at all,” he also said.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
