Tories investigate ex-minister over Israel comments

The Conservative Party is investigating its former Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan, after he attacked other party members over Israel.

The former MP told LBC the Conservative Friends of Israel group was "doing the bidding" of the Israeli prime minister.

He also called for two Tories linked to the group, Lord Polak and Lord Pickles, to be removed from the House of Lords.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said he was "invoking classic antisemitic tropes of Jewish power and disloyalty".

Sir Alan, who stood down as an MP in 2019, said the Conservatives had not provided "substantive grounds for their action".

He had not been contacted by the party but had been "told by many in the media that the Conservative Party has issued a statement to say that I am to be investigated by them with a view to expulsion".

"If this is indeed their intention, I will probably be the only person ever to be reproached for upholding his party's policy and for defending the principles of international law and justice in the face of others who would undermine them," Sir Alan said.

"Should they choose to pursue this, they should not be surprised if it rebounds on them massively and proves dangerously harmful to their own reputation."

In an interview with LBC, Sir Alan criticised those in British politics who "refuse to condemn settlements" by Israel in the West Bank.

"The time has come to flush out those extremists in our own parliamentary politics," he said.

The Conservative Friends of Israel group was "doing the bidding" of Benjamin Netanyahu and "bypassing all proper processes of government to exercise undue influence at the top of government", Sir Alan said.

"What you have now is a lot of people sitting around Rishi Sunak who are giving him appalling advice.

"Let's start with the head of CFI - or had been for many years - Lord Polak.

"He should be removed from the Lords because he is exercising the interest of another country not that of the Parliament in which he sits, joined by Lord Pickles - the Laurel and Hardy who should be pushed out together."

Lord Stuart Polak is the CFI's honorary president, while Lord Pickles chairs the group in the House of Lords and is the UK special envoy for post-Holocaust issues.

Sir Alan's comments were criticised by groups including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, who said his words "effectively accuse two Conservative peers, one of whom is Jewish, of dual loyalties.

"This is disgraceful," the group said.

"We understand the Conservatives have opened an investigation into Sir Alan's conduct and we believe the party should consider whether his position as a party member is tenable."

A Conservative Party official said: "Following his comments on LBC this morning, Alan Duncan has been informed in writing that he is under investigation by the party."

Investigations by the party generally take a couple of weeks and can result in expulsion.

The CFl's website says its twin aims are "supporting Israel and promoting Conservatism in the UK".

Responding to Sir Alan's interview, the CFI said it was "not affiliated to any political party in Israel".

"We enjoy cordial relations across the political spectrum in Israel," it said.

"We support the Conservative government in its aim of a two-state solution and a peaceful resolution in the Middle East conflict."