Starmer faces backlash after expressing ‘delight’ at return to UK of Egyptian activist who said ‘kill Zionists’

Keir Starmer faced a storm of criticism last night for celebrating the arrival in the UK of an Egyptian activist who advocated the killing of ‘Zionists’ and British police.

Conservative and Reform British politicians have united to condemn Prime Minister Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s welcome return to the UK after spending more than a decade in Egyptian prisons.

The Prime Minister said: ‘I am delighted that Alaa Abd El-Fattah has returned to the UK and been reunited with his loved ones, who must have felt a deep sense of relief.’

His arrival was also welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper.

The Conservatives’ justice spokesman Robert Jenrick condemned Sir Keir’s comments.

Writing in today’s Mail on Sunday, Mr Jenrick said: ‘At a time when anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise, Jewish communities feel threatened and policing is under intense pressure, the signal this sends is a strange one.’

He added: ‘The Prime Minister is no longer a private campaigner or a hired gun. ‘His words carry weight and represent us all.’

Reform leader Nigel Farage said: ‘This Government is getting worse. These violent tweets are not mentioned in the BBC News report either.’

Al-Fattah, along with his sister Sanaa Seif, right, was released in September but has only just returned to the UK.

Sir Keir Starmer faces backlash after expressing ‘delight’ at the return to the UK of Egyptian activist Al-Fattah, who said ‘Kill the Zionists’

Al-Fattah, 44, wrote most of the tweets between 2010 and 2011, some of which appear to have been deleted. In one he said: ‘I consider it heroic to kill colonists and especially Zionists, we need to kill more.’

In another he wrote: ‘There was no genocide against the Jews by the Nazis; As a result, many Jews remained.’

Shortly after this he tweeted: ‘Dear Zionists, please never talk to me, I am a violent person who advocates the killing of all Zionists, including civilians, so go away.’

He also said: ‘Police are not human beings, they have no rights, we must kill them all.’

On August 8, 2011, as London was gripped by riots, Mr Al-Fattah wrote: ‘Go burn the city or Downing Street or hunt down the police you idiots.’

He also said: ‘So do the British dogs and monkeys really think terrorists will announce their plans on Twitter?’

Born and raised in Egypt, El-Fattah was granted British citizenship in 2022 because his mother, Laila Soueif, was born in the United Kingdom.

In 2011, as the Arab Spring was sweeping the country, he became an internationally recognized freedom activist. He was arrested and jailed during the protests, but was released months later.

Sir Keir Starmer says he is pleased with El-Fattah’s return

Yvette Cooper also celebrated the reunion

Alaa Abd El-Fattah spent years in and out of prison thanks to his pro-democracy activism

In June 2014, Mr. El-Fattah was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for his activities against the regime of Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, but was released in 2019.

He was sentenced again to five years in prison in December 2021 for allegedly spreading fake news about torture on social media.

The activist was pardoned and released in September, but was not allowed to leave the country until Boxing Day.

And last night critics questioned how the Prime Minister and his ministers were unaware of Mr El-Fattah’s previous tweets.

In a letter to Sir Keir and seen by the MoS, Mr Jenrick wrote: ‘Did you know about these statements before publishing your ‘delighted’ message? Do you condemn them unconditionally… will you set the record straight by withdrawing unadulterated approval?’

Mr El-Fattah has become a notorious case in the UK and around the world, and has been praised by celebrities such as Judi Dench.

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: ‘Either the Government did not do any basic research, or they knew about it and didn’t think it was important enough to warrant saying anything. We have no idea which of these it is, and we’re having a hard time deciding which is more worrying.

‘Following deadly terrorist attacks on Jews from Manchester to Bondi, there is now another resident in the UK who wants “Zionists” killed; unless, of course, the time and long stay in Egypt has led to a radical rethinking on the part of Alaa Abd El-Fattah.’ Mr. Al-Fattah could not be reached for comment.

ROBERT JENRICK: Do you want to eliminate anti-Semitism, Sir Keir? So stop welcoming your fans with open arms

Just a few days ago Keir Starmer had promised to ‘eradicate anti-Semitism in the UK’. Then this week he did the opposite.

Prime Minister X went on to say that he was ‘delighted’ to have Alaa Abd El-Fattah back in Britain. He described the case as a ‘major priority’ for his Government.

He even thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for granting amnesty.

This is not secret diplomacy. This is a very personal welcome from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And it is indefensible. Because this is not just the story of a relieved family. This is also a story about who the Prime Minister chooses to celebrate.

Mr. El-Fattah’s public record contains statements that would make any responsible leader pause before putting the authority of the government behind him.

In his own social media posts, he supported the killing of ‘Zionists’ and called for more to be done. He also reportedly called for the killing of Israelis in chilling terms. And he seemed to deny that the Holocaust ever happened.

This is not just limited to Israel. In July 2011, he wrote that ‘police are not people’, ‘they have no rights’ and ‘we should kill them all’.

In August 2011, amid chaos on the streets of London, he called on people to ‘burn down the city or Downing Street or hunt down the police’. He even said he hated white people and called us Brits “dogs”.

Sir Keir Starmer lights a candle during Hanukkah celebration in Downing Street

Read again. A man publicly welcomed by the Prime Minister has, in his own words, advocated violence against Jews and violence against the police, incited attacks on the seat of government and insulted the British people.

In today’s two-tier justice system, people are arrested at the airport or knocked on by the police for tweeting about less important things; In fact, they are imprisoned for 30 months for saying these things.

This is a very strange signal at a time when anti-Semitic incidents are increasing, Jewish communities feel threatened, and the police force is under intense pressure.

The government must stand with victims of hatred and violence. Instead, the Prime Minister rejoices in bringing a man with a record of provocation to this country and presenting it as his personal victory.

There can only be two explanations. Sir Keir either didn’t know what he was exaggerating – which would have been a stunning omission from those at the top of the government – or he did and decided to press ‘mail’ anyway. That would be worse.

No one disputes that families want their loved ones to be at home. No one supports arbitrary detentions abroad. But the Prime Minister is no longer a private campaigner or a hired gun. His words carry weight and represent all of us as a nation.

He must withdraw his unmitigated support for this man, condemn these statements without evasion and explain how this became his ‘number one priority’.

If Sir Keir is serious about stamping out anti-Semitism, he should start by not cheering and welcoming his supporters to the arrivals hall with open arms.