Andy McDonald threatens to sue Tory MP over Hamas claim

Andy McDonald has threatened a fellow MP with legal action, over a social media post about his speech at a pro-Palestinian rally.

He accused Conservative Chris Clarkson of making "a highly defamatory statement" about him on X.

In his post, Mr Clarkson claimed Mr McDonald had sought "to justify the murderous actions of Hamas".

But Mr McDonald, who has been suspended as a Labour MP, said his speech had "called for peace".

Mr Clarkson has been approached for comment.

The MP for Middlesbrough was suspended from Labour's parliamentary party earlier this week, pending an investigation, after Labour said he had allegedly made "deeply offensive" comments at a demonstration on Saturday.

He is sitting as an independent while the party investigation takes place,

In his speech Mr McDonald, a former shadow minister under Jeremy Corbyn, said: "We will not rest until we have justice. Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea, can live in peaceful liberty."

The phrase "between the river and the sea", which refers to the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean, features in a chant which has been heard at pro-Palestine protests.

Critics of the chant, including Israel and most Jewish groups, argue it implicitly calls for the destruction of Israel.

This interpretation is disputed by some pro-Palestinian activists who say that most people chanting it are calling for an end to Israel's occupation of the West Bank and blockade of Gaza, not the destruction of Israel itself.

Mr McDonald has previously said his words were intended as "a heartfelt plea for an end to the killings in Israel, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank, and for all peoples in the region to live in freedom without the threat of violence".

Sharing a video of the speech on X on Sunday, Mr Clarkson, the MP for Heywood and Middleton in Greater Manchester, wrote: "'Between the River and the Sea' is a deeply sinister antisemitic trope - seeing a Labour MP use it whilst seeking to justify the murderous actions of Hamas should be shocking. Sadly, it's barely surprising."

Mr McDonald said the post was "highly defamatory and caused serious harm to my reputation".

"I am not prepared to stand by, while an MP or others peddle the lie that I have sought to justify the actions of Hamas on 7 October 2023, including the awful murder of 1,400 people in Israel," he said in a statement.

"Much of what I have said in the last few days about the recent events in Israel and Palestine has been deliberately distorted and misinterpreted."

Mr McDonald said his lawyers had taken "the first steps in commencing legal proceedings against Mr Clarkson" by sending him a letter of claim for libel.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr McDonald said: "I beg everybody to look at the words that I've used. Calling for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peaceful liberty together."

He added: "I would condemn anyone who would call for the destruction and the eradication of the nation state of Israel or indeed a putative and viable Palestinian state - so the words I used are clear. I would never, ever make comments that would cause such hurt."

The MP declined to apologise for using the phrase "from the river to the sea", saying he believed his explanation of why he used it would be enough to convince the Labour Party to restore the whip.

Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist group by the UK and other governments, killed more than 1,400 people in an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 9,000 people have been killed in the territory since then, after Israel launched a bombing campaign in response.

Mr McDonald's suspension followed days of internal Labour tensions over the party's position on the Israel-Gaza war.

The move provoked a backlash from some on the left of the party, who argued Mr McDonald's words were misrepresented, as well as the Labour Muslim Network.

A growing number of Labour MPs and councillors are calling for the party leadership to back an immediate ceasefire in the region.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he understands calls for a ceasefire but that this would leave Hamas's infrastructure intact, enabling them to carry out future attacks.

Instead he has backed humanitarian pauses to help aid get in to Gaza and allow hostages to get out.