The Conservative Party has begun to investigate comments made by former Tory minister Sir Alan Duncan Sir Alan Duncan, after he mentioned the need to 'get rid of extremists' in the party who are 'doing what Israel wants.'
According to an LBC reporter Henry Riley, a party representative said: 'Alan Duncan is being investigated by the party after his comments on LBC.' Riley reported that Duncan didn't know about the probe until approached for comment by LBC.
Many Jewish organizations criticized Duncan’s remarks. The Board of Deputies of British Jews called Duncan’s comments 'disgraceful,' while the Jewish Leadership Council accused him of promoting 'anti-semitic tropes.' The Campaign Against Antisemitism called for Duncan to be removed from the party.
On Thursday morning, Duncan didn’t hold back during an appearance on LBC in his strong criticism of politicians with ties to the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) parliamentary group.
“I think the time has come to get rid of those extremists in our own parliamentary politics,” he said.
The former cabinet minister then began by calling out members of the CFI, accusing them of “skipping proper government processes to exert excessive influence at the top of government” on behalf of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Duncan named, among others, MP Priti Patel, suggesting she should be reinvestigated for her 'secret trip' to Israel in 2017 as International Development Secretary, when she had an undisclosed meeting with Netanyahu, and called for Security Minister Tom Tugendhat to be fired because he 'doesn't believe in International Law' in his support of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
He also accused Lord Stuart Polack and Lord Eric Pickles, who he referred to as “Laurel and Hardy” in connection to the slapstick comedy duo, of 'serving the interests of another country' as members of the CFI and recommended that they be 'removed from the [House of] Lords.'
