Earlier this week, seven members of the British Parliament resigned from the Labor Party in protest of Jeremy Corbyn's positions on Brexit and anti-Semitism. Two more MPs have since quit the party citing the same reasons, and have formed what they are calling the Independent Group. It did not take long for the conspiracy theories to start flying.
In a Facebook post, Labor MP Ruth George agreed with a constituent that Israel might be secretly funding the dissidents. She wrote,
Support from the State of Israel, which supports both Conservative and Labour "Friends of Israel". . . is possible and I would not condemn those who suggest it, especially when the group’s financial backers are not being revealed.
Needless to say, the alleged influence of secret Jewish money, presumably paying MPs to quit their party, was the furthest thing from her mind. Rather, she explained, “It’s important for democracy to know the financial backers for any political group or policy.”
George hastily apologized, saying she had "no intention of invoking a conspiracy theory." Other Labour Party members, however, saw no harm in her comment. Prominent among the anti-Semitism deniers is MP Jenny Manson, who leads Jewish Voice for Labour, a group that was set up to defend Corbyn. According to Manson, such "conspiracy theories, while dangerous, did not necessarily equate to anti-Semitism."