Pro-Palestinian groups across the United Kingdom have expressed concern and outrage over the opposition Labour Party’s decision to fully adopt a Zionist-backed definition of anti-Semitism.

The groups say the decision could outlaw free speech on Israel and Palestine, as well as lead to the expulsion of hundreds of pro-Palestine activists from Labour.

On Tuesday, Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), held a debate on the definition which says calling Israel “racist” could be anti-Semitic. Hundreds of pro-Palestine Labour members came out to protest against the move to adopt the multi-national definition, known as IHRA code, urging the NEC not to accept it.

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign released a statement following the NEC meeting, elaborating on the racist nature of the Israeli regime due to its crimes against the Palestinians.

“Israel is the fruit of violent conquest by European colonists who, like the British and Spaniards before them, believed they had a God-given right to pillage, displace or dominate all militarily weaker peoples” read the statement.

There has been months of bitter infighting within the Labour Party on this issue which has pitted pro-Palestinian factions which claim Zionism is a racist ideology against pro-Israel forces who claim critics of Israel are anti-Semites and racists.

Read the rest of the article published by Press TV on 5 September