Labour MP claims old Guatemalan video is ‘Israeli soldiers beating up Palestinian children’

Fury as Labour MP shares video he claims is Israeli soldiers ‘beating up Palestinian children for the fun of it’ – which was actually filmed in Guatemala

• Grahame Morris, Labour MP for Easington in County Durham, tweeted at 5pm
• He said the shocking video was IDF soldiers 'beating up children for the fun of it' 
• The MP's mistake pointed out almost immediately but the post still remains live
• It comes as the Equality and Human Rights Commission considers whether to launch a formal probe into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party

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This clip, broadcast by Labour MP Grahame Morris, showed Guatemalan soldiers beating and kicking two teenagers - not Israeli troops as he claimed 

The MP for Easington tweeted: 'Marvellous, absolutely marvellous the Israeli Army, the best financed, best trained, best equipped army in the world caught on camera beating up Palestinian children for the fun of it.

'May God forgive them. What would Jim Royle say on an Easter Monday.'

The official English language Twitter account of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) replied with a link to a 2015 Vice News article showing the real facts surrounding the video.

Morris, Labour MP for Easington, in an undated file photo

They wrote: 'The only marvelous thing here are your lies.

'These are not IDF soldiers. Apologies would be in order.'

Mr Morris has not responded to the IDF.

When another Twitter user pointed out his mistake, the  MP replied: 'TY [thank you] - you are right and many apologies for my honest mistake there are lots of verifiable documented examples of the IDF abusing Palestinian child prisoners I have seen for myself in Court in the West Bank - but am harvesting and documenting a few more of my trolls yet thanks.' 

More than 1,000 people responded to the tweet, overwhelmingly calling for Mr Morris to delete, or retract, or apologise for his post.  

The Labour MP's post was a retweet of left-wing blogger Rachael Swindon, whose original tweet read: 'So @IsraeliPM. Why does this secretly recorded video appear to show your cowardly soldiers brutally beating up Palestinian children, again? Disturbing.' 

Ms Swindon has since deleted her post and later apologised for 'not knowing the origin of the video'.

The appalling 1m43s clip, which surfaced in August of 2015 and was shot in late July of that year, shows two teens who allegedly ran from a military convoy in Chimaltenango, in central Guatemala, and defied an order to stop.  

 

Mr Morris's tweet received a handful of likes and retweets, but replies from more than 1,000 Twitter users - most pointing out his error or demanding a retraction

In their reply the IDF accused the MP of 'marvellous lies' and said he should apologise 

A group of soldiers with rifles slung over the backs take turns slapping, punching, kneeing, and kicking the young men.

The row over Mr Morris' tweet comes as the Equalities and Human Rights Commission gathers evidence which it will review ahead of deciding whether to launch a formal probe into the party's handling of anti-Semitism.

It would make Labour only the second British political party to face a formal investigation by the EHRC, after the BNP.

The Jewish Labour Movement earlier this month said it has no confidence in Mr Corbyn's leadership amid the ongoing anti-Semitism crisis.  

Mr Morris replied to one Twitter user to say 'many apologies for my honest mistake' but has not replied to the IDF

In February seven Labour MPs quit the party to form The Independent Group in fury at Mr Corbyn's handling of anti-Semitism and Brexit. 

They included Luciana Berger, a Jewish member who had suffered fierce anti-Semitic abuse online. 

Mr Corbyn has previously acknowledged that the party had been 'too slow' in dealing with cases of abuse'. 

Mr Morris and the Labour Party have been contacted for comment.  

Equalities watchdog expected to investigate Labour Party over anti-Semitism