“I ain’t got no Respect” Israel-hating MP George Galloway Defeated in UK Election

Former UK Respect Party MP George Galloway  Campaigning in West Bradford

Source: Getty Images

The results of  the Westminster Parliament  elections in the UK appear to be a victory, Prime Minister, David Cameron and his  Conservative Party trouncing Labor’s Ed Milliband. Milliband may  have been done in by the resurgent Scottish National Party copping all but one of the 59 seats in the Westminster Parliament, previously a Labor bastion in the north.  But no less important was the defeat by the Labor Candidate Naz Shah of George Galloway,  the notorious  Israel hating  Respect Party MP in the  predominately South Asian Muslim  Bradford West riding, parliamentary district.

The Bradford West riding is emblematic of  rising presence of the largely clan dominated South Asian Muslim Pakistani émigré  community in the UK. Galloway was defeated by Naz Shah , a  Muslim woman and Labor candidate by a resounding plurality of 11, 420 plurality.  Galloway had won a surprise election in 2012 and believed his contest might have been an easy romp. Festooned with a black fedora riding around his riding during campaigning in an double decker bus with Pakistani and Palestinian flags flying,  one would have thought it was a proverbial shoo in, as we say here in the US. Not.  He ran a divisive campaign  and mean spirited campaign.  The Guardian  reported  one example of  Galloway’s  campaign against Shah:

He repeatedly insinuated that Shah was pro-Israel, despite her insistence that she had attended marches for Gaza and Palestine. At one point he tweeted a picture of Jews waving Israeli flags with the caption: “Thank you for electing Naz Shah”, juxtaposed with flag-waving Palestinians and the caption: “Thank you for electing George Galloway.”

  The Independent  noted  Shah’s  victory remarks :

I thank all my opponents, with the exception of one, who all convicted themselves really deeply to, and fought to be elected on, issues and in the spirit of friendly rivalry. To Mr.  Galloway I say that your campaign demeaned our democracy but personal attacks on me have not worked. The people of Bradford West have seen through this and you have been sent on your way.

During the campaign someone had deposited a dead crow on Ms. Khan’s doorstep stuffed with grass.

The Jerusalem Post reported an angry Galloway’s concession speech:

Galloway emphasized that this is not the end of his political career, adding that “The venal and the vile, the racists and the Zionists will all be celebrating.”

“The hyena can dance on the lion’s grave, but it can never be a lion. In any case, I’m not in my grave. As a matter of fact,  I’m going off now to plan my next campaign,” he said.

Galloway may have been done in by  his incessant trolling for dollars for Hamas in Mosques across  the UK and  this country for  his personal charity  Viva Palestina.   The United West  video team  led by Tom Trento here in Florida had compiled a video record  of Galloway’s violations of US fund raising  that gave rise to Congressional calls for investigations.  We had written about  Galloway’s  frequent trips to  the US  to raise funds for Hamas in a September 2010 NER, expose,   Coming to a Mosque Near You, Pimping for Terrorists. 

 Apparently, the leopard hadn’t changed his spots as evidenced by a parliamentary office  aide, spilling the beans about his abuse of public office and misappropriation of  public funds to run the Viva Palestina  ‘charity’ fund raising. The UK charity authority has apparently  impounded  funds in Viva  Palestina  Galloway’s private charity. The Jerusalem Post reported:

His former parliamentary assistant Aisha Ali-Khan lodged a legal complaint against Galloway, filed on her behalf by Asserson Law Offices, over allegations that she was paid during her work hours to organize Viva Palestina’s fundraising events, organize its media coverage, organize and promote a “Women’s Convoy” to Gaza, recruited Viva Palestina volunteers and prepare promotional material.

“During her employment, Ms Ali-Khan was instructed to carry out a number of activities which were clearly not parliamentary and some of which were expressly prohibited…except when on leave,” according to the legal statement. Ali-Khan also alleged in the statement that she was charged with helping to plan Galloway’s wedding and assisting his soon-to-be bride.

In the six months that she worked as Galloway’s assistant, she claims that 75 percent of her work time was spent on non-Parliamentary matters. British law puts the onus on parliament members for making sure that funds, such as salaries for assistants, are used only in relation to governmental matters.

Last year, standing in front of a Palestinian flag Galloway declared the northern city of Bradford, an “Israel-free zone.” “We have declared Bradford an Israel-free zone. We don’t want any Israeli goods. We don’t want any Israeli services. We don’t want any Israeli academics coming to the university or college. We don’t even want any Israeli tourists to come to Bradford, even if any of them had thought of doing so. We reject this illegal, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel,” he said.

In August of 2014, when asked about alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria, Galloway said that if it was true, Israel was the one supplying al-Qaida with the sarin gas used. “If there has been use of chemical weapons, it was al-Qaida,” he said. “Who gave al-Qaida chemical weapons? Here’s my theory. Israel gave them the chemical weapons.”

How anti-Semitic and anti-Israel is Galloway and the Respect Party South Asian organization was vividly documented in a Politico UK chronicle by the author Ben Judah who had the chutzpah to go into the lion’s den during the waning stages of Galloway’s campaign, “A Jew in Bradford”.  Note what occurred:

A few months ago I had reported from the city for a Jewish online publication, and had been critical of Galloway’s anti-Zionist rhetoric. I reported that he has inflamed a hissing conspiracy theory where Jews were blamed for 9/11, for all wars all over the world, and were seen as the new Nazis

The woman from Respect does not approve.

I inform her that Respect’s Bradford HQ has given me the address and told me I can come. She then disappears, makes calls, and talks to several of the Asian men at the doorway. She returns saying I have to leave.

The press officer — whose name I miss — says she has called Bradford HQ and they now “know who I am”: I must leave immediately.

I walk out and onto the sidewalk, and take a picture of the Respect activists and the seven Asian men milling about outside the Church. They have come to see Galloway: The event is described on social media as a rally for supporters.

A burly Asian man in a black suit and sunglasses rushes up and grabs me round the neck, pinning me to a low perimeter wall. “Get out, you fucking Jew,” he shouts. I am being throttled as around ten Asian men surround me. My teeth chatter as a man in a tracksuit punches me in the head.

“Delete, delete,” they shout at me, “delete the photos.”

An older man in a shiny crooner’s suit is shouting. “Let’s call the police. Let’s get him arrested.”

Galloway is like the proverbial cat with nine lives.  We can only hope that the abuse of public office and misappropriation of funds  charges against Galloway  for  raising money for Hamas out of his riding office can be brought to trial and  result in his conviction. Perhaps he might spend a term in a British prison commiserating with a Muslim cell mate about how those  damnable Jews have done him in.  Small hopes.