British lawmaker Ward facing new discipline over comments on ‘the Jews’

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(JTA) — British lawmaker David Ward may face new disciplinary action by his party for comments he made about "the Jews."

Ward, a member of the Liberal Democrat party, apologized for a remark he made last month, on International Holocaust Memorial Day, saying he was “saddened that the Jews, who suffered unbelievable levels of persecution during the Holocaust, could, within a few years of liberation, be inflicting atrocities on the Palestinians in the new State of Israel — and continue to do so.”

The controversy was renewed when reports emerged that Ward asked his staff if replacing "the Jews" with "the Jewish community" would mollify his critics, leading to another round of complaints.

The London Jewish Chronicle reported that Alastair Carmichael, chief whip for the Liberal Democrats, told British Jewish leaders that Ward’s latest comment  “will be dealt with as a fresh issue.”

After meeting with Jewish leaders, the party said "further decisions" would be made about Ward.

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