Andy McDonald has received an apology from the BBC and several national newspapers after it was widely reported that he had been suspended from the Labour Party over “antisemitic remarks”.
McDonald, the MP for Middlesbrough, lost the Labour whip in October last year after he told a pro-Palestine rally: “Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea, can live in peaceful liberty.”
The phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is alleged to be antisemitic as it appears to call for the eradication of Israel and for Palestine to have all the land from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean.
But McDonald did not call for either Palestine or Israel to control the land “from the river to the sea”, instead only calling for all people in that area to live in peace.
On Tuesday, BBC News reported that McDonald “was suspended by Labour for an alleged antisemitic remark”, which isn’t true.
Posting on social media, McDonald pointed out: “@BBCNews have got this totally wrong and I am [in] touch with them and expect an apology, retraction and correction in the same medium tonight.”
The BBC later issued an on-air clarification.
It reported: “Andy McDonald is the MP for Middlesbrough and just to clarify for viewers, he is accused of bringing the Labour Party into disrepute after he made some comments at a pro-Palestinian rally where he called for peace for Israelis and Palestinians between the river and the sea.”
Responding to the clarification, McDonald said it was not enough.
The MP wrote: “I do not consider the clarification to be sufficient and I have, in addition, asked for a full apology, retraction and correction.
“I am assured that this will be done.”
The BBC and several news outlets have since published further clarification and an apology, which McDonald has accepted.
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