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A Conservative peer has faced allegations of perpetuating antisemitic stereotypes following remarks made during a debate in the House of Lords. Lord Archie Hamilton suggested that the Jewish community should bear the financial burden for a proposed Holocaust memorial in London, asserting they possess “an awful lot of money.”
Lord Hamilton, a member of the peerage since 2005 who held ministerial positions under prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, sparked controversy during the discussion regarding the establishment of the memorial and education center in Victoria Tower Gardens, adjacent to parliament.
In his comments, Hamilton expressed concerns about the park’s size for the memorial and questioned why government funds, which he believed were scarce, should be allocated to the project. He stated, “The Jewish community in Britain has an awful lot of money. It has a lot of education charities that would contribute towards this. I do not understand why they should not pay for their own memorial.”
Ian Austin, a former Labour MP now serving as a crossbench peer, challenged Hamilton’s implication, emphasizing that the memorial was intended for all and not just for the Jewish community. In response, Hamilton remarked that the initiative was primarily driven by the Jewish population in the UK, stating they hold significant property and wealth.
Hamilton further noted his own connection to the Jewish community, claiming to have “plenty of Jewish blood” and being a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel. Nonetheless, Austin criticized Hamilton’s statements after the debate, labeling them as “completely unacceptable” and urging the Conservative Party to take action against such rhetoric.
He remarked, “How many antisemitic caricatures is it possible to get in one speech? It is shocking to hear comments like this in a debate about the Holocaust. It shows that antisemitism remains a real problem – even in parliament – which indicates the necessity for a memorial that highlights anti-Jewish racism.”
Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, condemned Hamilton’s remarks as “ill-judged, racist and false,” suggesting they reflected a profound lack of understanding about both the Jewish community and the purpose of the Holocaust memorial. He further expressed dismay that such comments had gone unchallenged during the debate, stating, “We will be working with parliamentarians to ensure this appalling rhetoric does not remain unchallenged.”
The location for the memorial and education center received official approval in 2021 after a public inquiry, following the announcement of the project by David Cameron’s government eight years prior. While many Jewish organizations supported the memorial, concerns have been raised about the decision to place it in a relatively small green area. Among the critics is crossbench peer Ruth Deech, whose family has historical ties to the Holocaust; she expressed her desire for “fiscal discipline” in a project that may now exceed £190 million in costs.
Efforts to contact Lord Hamilton and the Conservative Party for comments regarding his statements have been made.
Source
www.theguardian.com