Labour candidate apologises after use of slang term ‘gassed’ prompts antisemitism claims

Comments made on Twitter in 2012 spark row over racism and diversity

A Labour candidate has been forced to apologise after her use of the popular slang term “gassed” prompted accusations of antisemitism.

Peymana Assad, who is of Afghan heritage, came under fire after she wrote: “Some man I just met thought I was Israeli so I cracked the 10 lost tribes of Israel joke to him and he got gassed.”

Her 2012 comment was unearthed on Monday by GnasherJew, a Twitter account “run by Jewish investigative journalists and ex-Labour members” dedicated to exposing left-wing antisemitism, who called the remark “exceptionally distasteful”.

Within hours, the Labour candidate for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner issued a statement saying she had used the word “in the sense of the common slang term for being happy and excited”.

She added: “It didn’t occur to me at all that it would have other connotations and I’m completely mortified that I didn’t realise this. I unreservedly apologise.”

Ms Assad elaborated on the encounter that prompted the tweet in question.

“A man came up to me and asked if I was from Israel," she said.

"I’m used to people asking where I’m from and assuming that I’m not from Britain. I said I was Afghan but that there’s a theory that Afghans descend from one of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel, we laughed about it being a kind of strange theory that’s never been proved.

"He was really intrigued by it and said he’d look it up when he got home.”

There has long been the suggestion of a link between Israel and the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan, who some believe could be one of the ten lost tribes described in the Talmud.

In 2010, Israel commissioned a study into the link but it is not clear what the findings were. Several previous studies have proven inconclusive.

Responding to Ms Assad's apology, GnasherJew said: “We believe that she probably didn’t mean to offend, but, there is no doubt it was very offensive.”

The row broke out shortly after Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis condemned Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to tackle antisemitism, suggesting he was “unfit for office” and that “the very soul of our nation is at stake”.

The Labour Party is currently subject to an investigation into antisemitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

Adam Wagner, a lawyer involved in the EHRC probe and founder of RightsInfo, said it was clear the comments were “innocent”.

(Twitter)

“Once the candidate explained the comments, it is clear that they were an innocent joke and the use of the term ‘gassed’ was meant to mean ‘excited’,” he told The Independent.

“She shared a number of tweets in 2012 relating to different context where she used the term in that way.”

Rafael Shimunov, co-founder of The Jewish Vote and board member of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice said: “From a Jew in NYC, I see how this clarification is necessary but anyone with a basic understanding of youth culture in 2012 would have easily known how innocent your use was, and those who continue to smear you after this statement have cynical anti-left political agendas.”

As news of the alleged antisemitism broke, some suggested the accusations pointed to a larger problem within politics and the media.

“If you are a London media person and you don’t know what ‘gassed’ means it says more about the class and race of your newsroom more than anything else,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another said: “It’s so unfortunate that young people of colour and those from working class backgrounds are now being vilified for innocently speaking in their own vernacular.”

Ms Assad also shared numerous examples of herself using the phrase in various contexts in late 2012 and early 2013, as well as instances where she had denounced antisemitism, calling herself “absolutely committed to standing in solidarity with Jewish people and to fighting antisemitism”.

She wrote: “I’ve been outspoken against any pro-Palestinian campaigners blaming Jewish people for Israel’s actions and about antisemitism in our party.

She said she would continue to promote the Board of Deputies’ of British Jews “Ten Commitments”.

The Labour Party did not respond to request for comment and Ms Assad deleted her Twitter account at around midday on Tuesday.