A Norfolk MP has hit back against claims of antisemitism after comparing far-right violence in the UK with Israel's war against Hamas.

Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South, has spoken out after campaign group Labour Against Antisemitism urged the party to take action over his comments on social media. 

Mr Lewis took to X, formerly Twitter, to suggest the Israeli government was responsible for rising Islamophobia in the UK. 

The post resulted in calls for his suspension from the Labour Party, but Mr Lewis has now defended his actions and condemned others for "silencing" him.

Norwich South MP Clive LewisNorwich South MP Clive Lewis (Image: UK Parliament)

He wrote on X: "Combatting antisemitism and advocating for Palestinian human rights and addressing broader Islamophobia, are not mutually exclusive goals.

"We have a responsibility as politicians to ensure all minorities feel safe here in the UK and to advocate for the upholding of human rights abroad.

"Differences of opinion as how best to do this should, of course, always be encouraged.

"But attempting to shut down and silence those seeking to highlight these issues is a dangerous path and one that is fundamentally, wrong."

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Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS) made an official complaint to UK Labour over Mr Lewis' comments about the war in Gaza, saying his original post was "highly irresponsible" and breached the official definition of antisemitism.

However, it is understood no further action will be taken.

Mr Lewis' wrote in his original post: "The link between the daily inhumanity being metted [sic] out to Palestinians and rising Islamophobia in the UK, are not unconnected.

"The inhumanity being shown to one is giving 'permission' for the other. These actions diminish us all."

He also linked to a newspaper article about how dozens of people were reported dead after an Israeli attack on a school in Gaza.

Alex Hearn, LAAS co-director, called for Mr Lewis to be suspended and said: "Jews living thousands of miles away are not responsible for racism by the far-right in Britain."