Hendon candidate says he is ‘worried’ by intervention in election campaign

By Alex Hayes

THE Labour candidate for the Hendon Parliamentary seat has said the intervention of an anti-Zionist Muslim group in his election campaign is “worrying”.

Andrew Dismore has been attacked by the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC) for his pro-Zionist views and record in Parliament.

After a hustings at Hendon Mosque the group distributed 2,000 leaflets urging people not to vote for Mr Dismore, who is vice chairman of the Labour Friends of Israel, and instead vote for the Lib Dems or Tories.

Mr Dismore said: “What’s worrying is this intervention in the election runs the risk of creating real divisions in the community.

“We’ve had traditionally good relations between the communities in Hendon and we could do without this interference from outsiders.

“I suspect there’s nothing between us on the politics of Palestine.”

Lib Dem candidate Matthew Harris, a vice chariman of his party’s Friends of Israel, has also rejected the backing of the group.

In a statement on his website he said: “I am pleased and proud to be a friend of Israel, campaigning for a two-state solution that will bring peace, justice and security to Palestinans and Israelis alike.

“I strongly dislike MPAC’s policies and its campaigning methods. But if anyone is thinking of voting for me because MPAC has advised them to vote Lib Dem or Tory as a way of ousting Hendon’s Labour MP, I would advise them to vote for someone else – I reject MPAC’s support.”

However, Tahir Shah, a spokesman for MPAC, said the group were not against Jewish people, but opposed Zionists.

He said: “Whatever faith the candidates are makes no difference politically. We are against Andrew Dismore’s record in Parliament.

“He has shown hostility towards the people of Palestine with his voting record.”

Mr Shah said MPAC’s focus was to get more Muslims involved in politics with the major parties to prevent extremism in the community.

12th April 2010