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UK Labour Party Commemorates Passover With A Loaf Of Leavened Bread

LEFT: Bart Lenoir/Shutterstock RIGHT: Master1305/Shutterstock)

Jon Brown Associate Editor
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The official Twitter account of U.K.’s Labour Party displayed ignorance of basic Jewish history Friday when it commemorated Passover with an image featuring a loaf of leavened bread.

“As Jewish people prepare for Passover,” the tweet began, “we’re wishing everyone in the Jewish community chag sameach. #Passover” Beneath the friendly greeting was an image featuring a Star of David along with what appear to be the elements of the Eucharist in some denominations of Christianity: a chalice of wine and a fluffy, fully-leavened bread loaf. The image concluded with the words, “Happy Passover from everyone at Labour Party.” (RELATED: Mike Pence Condemns Rep. Omar For Push ‘Anti-Semitic’ Tropes)

According to Exodus 12, Jews celebrated the first Passover as they were preparing to flee from their bondage in Egypt. Specifically, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was symbolic of the haste with which they were commanded to escape the land cursed by God for its idolatry and oppression of His people.

Leaven would become a recurring symbol in Hebrew literature for the negative influence of idolatry and sin.

Though quietly deleted and replaced with a tweet that did not feature the Christian symbols, the gaffe did not go unnoticed.

Numerous elements of the Labour Party have been accused of anti-Semitism in recent years, and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has been a frequent subject of such criticism. Since the party implemented a new “complaints procedure” in April 2018, Labour members have faced 673 allegations of anti-Semitism, which led to the sanction of 296 people, as of January. (RELATED: House Overwhelmingly Approves Motion To Condemn Anti-Semitism Amid Omar Fallout)

Nevertheless, journalist Yair Rosenberg maintains that the recent tweet was likely just a case of incompetence and historical illiteracy:

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