Saturday, February 13, 2010
Not nearly hard enough for my taste (dirty minds, dirty minds, do try to maintain your digestion), but at least there's some small consequence for her earlier idiocy: Baroness Tonge fired over outburst against Israeli soldiers in Haiti
Baroness Tonge, a Liberal Democrat frontbencher, has been sacked after calling for an inquiry into allegations that Israeli soldiers supporting the relief effort in Haiti had been involved with organ-trafficking.
Party leader Nick Clegg removed Lady Tonge as a Lib Dem health spokeswoman in the Lords on Friday, describing her remarks as ''wrong, distasteful and provocative''.
It is the second time she has been fired for making controversial comments about Israel.
The latest row followed accusations in the online Palestine Telegraph - of which Lady Tonge is a patron - that members of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) had been harvesting body parts in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.
She subsequently told the Jewish Chronicle: ''To prevent allegations such as these - which have already been posted on You Tube - going any further, the IDF and the Israeli Medical Association should establish an independent inquiry immediately to clear the names of the team in Haiti.''
Fellow Lib Dems were said to have complained to Mr Clegg about her comments.
In a statement issued this evening, the leader said the peer ''apologises unreservedly''.
''Following discussions with the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, Lord McNally, I have decided that Jenny Tonge will stand down as Liberal Democrat health spokesperson in the Lords following her unacceptable comments suggesting an inquiry into highly offensive allegations against the IDF humanitarian operation in Haiti,'' Mr Clegg said.
''The comments were wrong, distasteful and provocative and I recognise the deep and understandable distress they have caused to the Jewish community.
''While I do not believe that Jenny Tonge is anti-semitic or racist, I regard her comments as wholly unacceptable. Jenny Tonge apologises unreservedly for the offence she has caused.''...
[h/t: Yisrael Medad]
At Harry's Place, an excellent post showing how many in the party are defending Tonge. See how deep the rot goes.
Yes and the worst of it is, Clegg doesn't even think her comments were antisemitic.
It works both ways.
The british security service should investigate jenny tonge to determine the amount of aid she provided to the 7/7/05 bombers of the London bus and underground.