WIKIPEDIA•GUIDO FAWKES Labour MP Naz Shah is at the centre of an anti-Semitism row

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Naz Shah, MP for Bradford West, today apologised “for the offence I have given” over a series of controversial social media posts before she was elected to Parliament. She has also quit her as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Mr McDonnell, but is facing further calls to stand down from the House of Commons’ Home Affairs Select Committee. The influential group of MPs is currently conducting an inquiry into anti-Semitism.

The Guido Fawkes blog found a Facebook post from August 2014 in which Ms Shah shared a poster titled ‘Solution for Israel-Palestine Conflict’ and ‘Relocate Israel into United States’. The poster argued the ‘transportation cost’ of deporting Israelis out of the Middle East would be ‘less than 3 years of defense [sic] spending’ by the US and Israel, while the ‘America will no longer have to spend $3billion tax payer money per year for Israel’s defense’. It added: ‘Israel can have a real safe Jewish state surrounded by friendly state’. In her post, Ms Shah commented: “Problem solved and save u bank charges for £3BILLION you transfer yearly!” She later suggested it would “save them some pocket money”. The Jewish Chronicle newspaper later found another Facebook post from 2014 in which Ms Shah urged users to vote on a poll in an online newspaper article asking whether Israel had committed war crimes during that year’s conflict in Gaza. Posting a link to the poll, she wrote: “URGENT ACTION… WILL TAKE TEN SECONDS. “The Jews are rallying to the poll at the bottom.”

GUIDO FAWKES The Labour MP's Facebook post from 2014

I deeply regret the hurt I have caused by comments made on social media before I was elected as an MP. Naz Shah

The Jewish Chronicle also alleged Ms Shah used a Twitter post to link to an article which likened Zionism to terror group Al Qaeda. Announcing her resignation as Mr McDonnell’s PPS, Ms Shah said: “I deeply regret the hurt I have caused by comments made on social media before I was elected as an MP. “I made these posts at the height of the Gaza conflict in 2014, when emotions were running high around the Middle East conflict. “But that is no excuse for the offence I have given, for which I unreservedly apologise. “In recognition of that offence I have stepped down from my role as PPS to the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. “I will be seeking to expand my existing engagement and dialogue with Jewish community organisations, and will be stepping up my efforts to combat all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism.”

PA Ms Shah has resigned as an aide to shadow chancellor John McDonnell

I am truly sorry and I will be putting out a more detailed explanation later. pic.twitter.com/x74FDKNCJE — Naz Shah MP (@NazShahBfd) April 26, 2016

Ms Shah was elected an MP last May after a bitter battle to oust the Respect Party’s George Galloway from his seat. Earlier this month, Ms Shah wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron to complain about a speech by the deputy chairman of the Bradford Conservative Association, in which she accused him of ‘endorsing anti-Semitism’. Cllr Simon Cooke, Conservative leader on Bradford Council, has today written to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urging him to suspend Ms Shah from the party “while a full investigation is conducted”. He has also called for Mr Corbyn to consider whether the MP should be allowed to continue her Home Affairs Committee role. Mr Cooke’s letter said: “I note that the Labour Party has taken, quite rightly, firm action against councillors and ordinary members who make anti-Semitic comments. “I am confident that the same firm stance will be taken when the person in question is a Member of Parliament.”