A DUDLEY councillor has been suspended after posting anti-Semitic tweets after claiming a ‘witch-hunt’ was taking place by against Labour politicians who criticised Israel.

Councillor Zafar Islam, who represents the Brierley Hill ward and is deputy chair of Dudley North CLP, received a six-month suspension from Labour Party membership on Thursday (March 24) following the conclusion of an internal disciplinary investigation. 

It leaves the local Dudley Labour group scrambling to find  a new candidate for the upcoming May local elections, with the deadline to confirm those standing just under two weeks away.

Last month, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported that  Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS) had filed a complaint to the Labour party last September about the conduct of councillor Islam.

Tweets posted by councillor Islam between 2018 and 2020 on his account suggested he had defended those claiming anti-Semitic allegations in Labour were a smear.

One tweet, posted in 2019, suggested a ‘witch hunt’ had taken place against Labour politicians who are critical of the Israeli state.

Another referenced ‘the Lobby’, a four-part documentary by Al Jazeera, which investigated the influence of the Israel lobby in British politics.

Councillor Islam has also tweeted about the safety of Covid-19 vaccines, but defended his position to local newspapers, adding: “I’m not an anti-vaxxer, I could not be. I’m a pharmacist.”

The LDRS has approached both leader of Dudley Labour Qadar Zada and deputy leader Judy Foster for a comment, but was referred to the national Labour party. 

But one Dudley Labour member, who attended a meeting on Thursday with the Dudley North branch, said the deputy leader was ‘angry about the timing of it all’.

Euan Philipps, spokesperson for Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS), said: “Councillor Zafar Islam was reported by LAAS to the Labour party in September 2021 after we compiled significant evidence of his promotion of anti-Semitic views. Yet despite this damning body of evidence he has received a wholly inadequate six-month suspension.

“While his suspension should prevent councillor Islam from standing in May’s local elections, it is not the party expulsion his conduct merits. Many in the Jewish community will be wondering what happened to the ‘zero tolerance’ approach to anti-Semitism promised by Keir Starmer many months ago.”

A Labour party spokesperson said: “The Labour party takes all complaints seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures.”

Councillor Islam has been approached for comment.