Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised for attending a wreath laying ceremony at the Palestinian Embassy in Tunisia in October 2014. He has stated that he was present for the wreath laying but “was not involved in it”.
The Labour leader has said that he will not apologise for attending the ceremony where the wreath was laid for those who were behind the 1972 Munich massacre which killed 11 Israeli athletes.
He has been facing a great deal of criticism, namely from Luciana Berger, a Labour Cooperative MP, who stated that Corbyn’s presence at the ceremony was the same as being “involved” and asked for an apology.
On Tuesday, Corbyn responded saying: “No, I’m not apologising for being there at all.”
Corbyn has also been asked if a wreath was laid at the 2014 event for Palestinian leaders who were involved with the Black September terror group at which victims of the Israeli airstrike in Tunisia from 1985 were commemorated.
He replied back stating: “a wreath was indeed laid” for some “who were killed in Paris in 1992” and that he “was present at that wreath-laying” and doesn’t think that he was “actually involved in it.”
“I was there because I wanted to see a fitting memorial to everyone who has died in every terrorist incident everywhere because we have to end it. You cannot pursue peace by a cycle of violence; the only way you can pursue peace [is] by a cycle of dialogue.”
The Daily Mail revealed photos of him holding a wreath at this event where he stood close to the graves of four Palestinian leaders who were allegedly involved with the terror group the Black September. It is believed that the Black September carried out a terrorist attack against Israelis in 1972 at the Olympics in Munich where 11 people had died.
Labour has made it clear that Corbyn attended the event to pay his respects tot he 1985 airstrike victims of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation Offices in Tunis. However, it is believed that Corbyn’s first comments regarding the event indicated that another wreath was laid at the memorial event.
