(JTA) — Jack Straw, a British lawmaker and former foreign secretary, said “unlimited” funds available to U.S. Jewish groups are used to control American policy in the Middle East.
The comments reportedly were made last week during a debate in the British Parliament’s House of Commons. Former Israeli Knesset member Einat Wilf was at the debate and posted Straw’s remarks on her Facebook page.
Straw said, according to Wilf, that the greatest obstacles to peace between Israel and the Palestinians and her Arab neighbors are the “unlimited” funds available to Jewish organizations and AIPAC in the United States, as well as Germany’s “obsession” with defending Israel.
“I guess he neglected to mention Jewish control of the media …,” Wilf added on her Facebook status.
Straw announced Friday that he would step down as a Parliament member from the Labor Party at the 2015 general election. He has served in Parliament since 1979.
He was home secretary and foreign secretary under Prime Minister Tony Blair, and as secretary of state of justice under Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
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