Maxine Peake: ‘Being pro-Palestine is not anti-Semitic’ Actress Maxine Peake has defended Ken Livingstone after saying that supporting Palestine does not equate to anti-Semitism. Speaking amid Labour’s high-profile row, Ms […]

Actress Maxine Peake has defended Ken Livingstone after saying that supporting Palestine does not equate to anti-Semitism.

Speaking amid Labour’s high-profile row, Ms Peake said she did not think Mr Livingstone’s comments were anti-Semitic, adding: “I think there’s certain issues you have to be very, very careful about.”

The 41-year-old also said she would not be a Labour supporter if she believed the party was anti-Semitic.

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“I’ve always been very open. I’m very pro-Palestine and anti the occupation but that doesn’t make me anti-Semitic. Not at all.”

‘Crossed wires’

Ms Peake, who appeared in Shameless and Dinnerladies, said: “I think sometimes wires get crossed with people just wanting human rights for people rather than it being about another race and not liking them or not.”

Labour’s anti-Semitism row has led to the suspension of two of the party’s prominent members.

“I’m very pro-Palestine and anti the occupation but that doesn’t make me anti-Semitic. Not at all” Maxine Peake

Accusations have been made that the Labour Party has a deep-rooted problem with anti-Semitism and other forms of racism.

Jeremy Corbyn has since called for an independent inquiry into the issue, to be led by Shami Chakrabarti.

Last week, Bradford West MP Naz Shah was suspended over social media posts that suggested she believed Israel should be moved to the US.

The posts were published before she became an MP and she has since apologised.

Ken Livingstone, the former mayor of London, was also suspended after he defended Ms Shah and said Hitler supported Zionism in the 1930s.

Corbyn is ‘holding his own’

Some have said the row is being used as fuel for Labour critics to undermine Mr Corbyn’s leadership, but Ms Peake said she thought he was “holding his own”.

“Support for [Mr Corbyn] is still very strong. He appears unflappable. He’s a man of the people and I think people can see the Tory attacks.”

On Monday, Nottingham City councillor Ilyas Aziz was suspended over social media posts including a suggestion that Israel should be relocated to the US.