Prospective Tory MP forced to apologise for claiming Jews returning from Israel are ‘brainwashed extremists’ Amjad Bashir, a former Ukip MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, was selected as the Tory candidate for Leeds North East last week

A prospective Conservative MP has been forced to apologise for referring to British Jews returning from Israel as “brainwashed extremists”.

Amjad Bashir, a former Ukip MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, made the remarks in a 2014 speech in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Mr Bashir, selected as the Tory candidate for Leeds North East last week, told The Jewish Chronicle he was sorry for causing “alarm and distress” with the comments which he claimed came from his “personal experience”.

The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

A resurfaced video posted on YouTube by his former party showed Mr Bashir telling the MEPs he could “testify” to rabbis and politicians in the Near-Eastern country “brainwashing” Jews who travelled there from his constituency.

Former UKIP MEP

“Young men are going over from England where I come from, people of the Jewish faith who my grandchildren have grown up with as decent young men,” he said in the video.

“But have come back as extremists, as people that are brainwashed.

“They will not listen to reason. There is something very peculiar and wrong going on in Israel.”

“As far as brainwashing by the rabbis and the politicians are concerned, I can testify to that,” he added.

Soon after the video resurfaced, Liberal Democrat candidate Jon Hannah, who is running against Mr Bashir in Leeds North East, tweeted: “Is it just me or have the Tories lost the plot?

“Putting an ex-Ukip MEP who talks publicly about how the Israeli state brainwashes English Jews up as a candidate in Leeds North East.

“Repellent antisemitism. It seems it isn’t just Labour with a problem.”

‘Borne from a personal experience’

Still no official statement I have seen from Leeds NE Tories. Are you standing down your Ex-UKIP MEP candidate? It is an insult to our Jewish communities to allow him to stand? Voters deserve better @conservatives @EandRTories — Jon Hannah ???? #stopdv #fbpe #ubinow (@JCHannah77) November 18, 2019

In a statement, Mr Bashir told The Jewish Chronicle: “I deeply regret the comments I made around brainwashing – this was borne from a personal experience but it was completely wrong and I apologise unreservedly for it.

“I have always been a strong advocate of a two state solution between Israel and Palestine so we can finally put an end to this conflict and the bloodshed and pain it has caused on both sides.

“Having visited Gaza in the past, I did speak with a degree of emotion about the humanitarian situation I witnessed there, and frustration about the lack of progress towards establishing a lasting peace for the benefit of both Israel and Palestine, but I accept the tone I took has caused alarm and distress within the Jewish community, for which I apologise.”

He added: “I continue to believe that the only hope for lasting peace for both Israel and Palestine is constructive dialogue and I will continue to work with both communities to do whatever I can to help achieve that, in particular our strong Jewish community in Leeds North East.”