Labour meltdown over backing for Israel: Keir Starmer will face anger of Muslim MPs at meeting today after mosque accused him of ‘misrepresenting’ visit and slew of councillors quit

Keir Starmer is scrambling to quell a growing Labour meltdown over his backing for Israel today.

The Labour leader is due to meet Muslim MPs and peers this afternoon as he tries to defuse anger about his strong stance on the right to respond to Hamas terror attacks. 

Sir Keir is also embroiled in a bitter row with a mosque in Wales after community leaders accused him of ‘gravely misrepresenting’ their discussions during a visit at the weekend.

Long-standing tensions within Labour have flared since the atrocities in Israel, with a slew of councillors quitting and left-wing MPs deeply unhappy. 

Criticism has focused on an LBC interview where Sir Keir seemed to suggest Israel has the ‘right’ to cut off power and water on Gaza.

Keir Starmer is scrambling to quell a growing Labour meltdown over his backing for Israel today

A number of leading Labour MPs have suffered local councillor resignations in their constituencies over the party’s stance on the Middle East crisis

Sir Keir is embroiled in a bitter row with a mosque in Wales after community leaders accused him of ‘gravely misrepresenting’ their discussions during a visit at the weekend

He has since denied he ever endorsed Israel withholding humanitarian aid, insisting his remark related to a different question.

However, the clarification has done little to ease the row. Sir Keir will try to placate furious members of the Parliamentary party in a meeting after PMQs.

Shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones insisted it was a ‘routine’ engagement, also expected to be attended by deputy leader Angela Rayner. 

He told Times Radio: ‘It is perfectly normal for MPs — we all represent different constituencies around the country — to want to speak to the leader of our party.

‘I’m sure it is the same in other political parties where there are issues that constituents are raising with us. And the meeting this afternoon is another example of that.

‘And understandably, this is a very sensitive and emotive issue, both for people who have connections and relatives to the Palestinian people as well as the Israeli people, and it is perfectly normal for Keir to sit down and listen to colleagues in the parliamentary party and indeed our councillors and other members from across the country.

‘So, a routine meeting and this is another example of that.’

Meanwhile, he has been accused of having ‘gravely misrepresenting’ a meeting with Muslim leaders in south Wales over the weekend.

Sir Keir visited the centre on Sunday, posting images showing him meeting figures from the local community. 

In a post on X, he said: ‘I was grateful to hear from the Muslim community of the South Wales Islamic Centre.

‘I repeated our calls for all hostages to be released, more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, for the water and power to be switched back on, and a renewed focus on the two state solution.’

Sir Keir said he was ‘questioned by members’ and ‘made clear it is not and has never been my view that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines. International law must be followed’.

But in a statement last night, the South Wales Islamic Centre apologised for the ‘hurt and confusion’ caused by hosting Sir Keir.

The centre’s statement said: ‘We wish to stress Keir Starmer’s social media post and images gravely misrepresented our congregants and the nature of the visit.

In a statement last night, the South Wales Islamic Centre apologised for the ‘hurt and confusion’ caused by hosting Sir Keir

A total of 37 Labour MPs have signed a parliamentary motion expressing their ‘deep alarm’ at Israel’s military bombardment and siege of Gaza. The motion, tabled by former shadow minister Richard Burgon, also attacks the ‘collective punishment of the Palestinian people’ and demands an immediate ceasefire

‘We affirm, unequivocally, the need for a free Palestine. We implore all those with political authority to uphold international law, and to end the occupation of Palestine.’

The centre said it wanted to ‘apologise for the hurt and confusion that our hosting of this visit has caused’.

It added: ‘Our intention was to raise the concerns of the Muslim community around the suffering if Palestinians, and so we hosted an event initially with local representatives on the issue, and the knowledge of Keir Starmer’s attendance was given at short notice.

‘There was a robust and frank conversation which reflected the sentiments Muslim communities are feeling at this time. Members of the community directly challenged Keir on his statements made on the Israeli Government’s right to cut food, electricity and water to Gaza, warranting war crimes as well as his failure to call for an immediate ceasefire.’

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