Israel PM blasts UK's Corbyn over ceremony

Israel's prime minister has accused British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of laying a wreath on the grave of one of those behind the Munich Olympics massacre.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn over his presence at a ceremony where a wreath was laid in memory of Palestinians suspected of being behind the Munich Olympics massacre.

Netanyahu accused the Labour leader of laying a wreath on the grave of one of those behind the 1972 atrocity in which 11 Israeli athletes were killed, during a controversial visit to the Palestinian Martyrs' Cemetery in Tunisia in 2014.

He said the move deserved "unequivocal condemnation" from those on all sides of politics.

Corbyn had earlier said he had been present when a wreath was laid to "those that were killed in Paris in 1992" but he did not "think" he was involved in laying it.

Labour said he attended the event to remember victims of a 1985 Israeli air strike on Palestinian Liberation Organisation offices in Tunis.

Israeli secret service Mossad was accused of killing terrorists behind the Olympics attack, including Atef Bseiso, a Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) intelligence chief, who was killed in the French capital in 1992.

Writing on Twitter, Netanyahu said: "The laying of a wreath by Jeremy Corbyn on the graves of the terrorist who perpetrated the Munich massacre and his comparison of Israel to the Nazis deserves unequivocal condemnation from everyone - left, right and everything in between."

However, Corbyn later hit back, saying the prime minister's claims were "false".

He added: "What deserves unequivocal condemnation is the killing of over 160 Palestinian protesters in Gaza by Israeli forces since March, including dozens of children."

The Labour leader faced calls to quit on Monday over his controversial visit to the cemetery four years ago.

The row erupted after The Daily Mail published pictures of Corbyn holding a wreath in the cemetery, pictures which it said were taken in front of a plaque honouring the founder of Black September.

The Palestinian terrorist group killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Asked about the incident during a visit to Walsall on Monday Corbyn said: "A wreath was indeed laid by some of those who attended conference to those that were killed in Paris in 1992.

"I was present when it was laid. I don't think I was actually involved in it (laying it)."

Home Secretary Sajid Javid earlier suggested that Mr Corbyn should quit over the issue.


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Source: AAP


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Israel PM blasts UK's Corbyn over ceremony | SBS News