A PROSPECTIVE city councillor has come under fire for a tweet about anti-Semitism.
Alex Braithwaite, a Labour candidate for Wish Ward in Hove, has been criticised by Jewish representatives.
Last week, she retweeted an article which described a Sunday Times investigation into anti-
Semitism as a “smear against Jeremy Corbyn”.
The investigation detailed leaked emails which showed Labour members posting comments such as “Heil Hitler” and “F**** the Jews” were not expelled from the party.
She retweeted an article by Vox Political entitled A general election is in the offing – time for another anti-Semitism smear against Jeremy Corbyn’
In response the Sussex Jewish Representative Council sent this tweet: “We are very concerned by a tweet from Labour candidate, Alex Braithwaite.
“Once again she has questioned and belittled the allegations of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party.
“More than this, she again suggests that it is concocted to ‘smear’ Jeremy Corbyn.”
But in response to that criticism she told The Argus she did not agree with the contents of the retweet and is strongly opposed to any form of anti-Semitism.
Ms Braithwaite is standing as a Labour candidate in Wish Ward along with Adam Imanpour in the May 2 local elections.
They are hoping to take the seats of the current incumbents, Conservatives Robert Nemeth and Garry Peltzer Dunn.
Ms Braithwaite describes herself as a “proud” member of the Labour Party, Momentum and Unite and a “strong” supporter of Jeremy Corbyn.
Speaking about the retweet, she said: “I don’t agree with it, I tweeted it and it’s up for people to make up their own minds, I’m not advocating anything to anyone.”
She said she is strongly against anti-Semitism and feels she is under attack unjustly.
She said: “We need to deal with anti-Semitism.
“I’m a black person so I also face abuse.
“I’ve been a Labour Party member since 1973 and there has always been anti-Semitism going back decades because it is a societal problem.
“The fact is Jeremy’s had nothing but attacks, there’s anti-Semitism in society, and it’s not exclusive to the Labour Party, we need to deal with it and deal with it as a societal problem.”
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