Labour MP Duncan Webb has stirred the pot yet again, this time with a surprising clarification. Addressing recent backlash over his comments concerning a “strong Zionist lobby,” Webb insisted that his remarks were entirely misunderstood.
“I wasn’t talking about politics,” he announced with a pained smile during an impromptu press briefing. “I was reminiscing about a particularly grand hotel lobby I visited years ago in New York. It was Jewish-owned, yes, but my comment was purely about the interior design.”
Webb described the lobby as “magnificent,” citing its polished granite floors, towering gold-plated columns, and what he referred to as “a chandelier as bright, and as dignified as the majestic as Al Aqsa Mosque.”
The MP went on to explain that the lobby had left such a lasting impression on him that it occasionally pops into his mind during debates, regardless of whether it is relevant to the topic at hand or not.
Asked why he used the word “Zionist,” and why suddenly comment on hotel lobbies in the middle of a speech critical of the Jewish state, Webb paused. “I have always acknowledged that Jews are good at creating stuff, be it states or hotel lobbies. I suppose, when it comes to Israel, however, my comment would be, “Just because you can build a state, doesn’t mean you should build a state. Does that make sense?”
Unsurprisingly, Webb’s explanation has not been universally well-received. Critics have accused him of offering a “laughably implausible” explanation to wiggle out of controversy, with one commentator joking, “He’s trying to turn antisemitic tropes into a five-star TripAdvisor review.”
This isn’t the first time Webb has been asked for clarity regarding controversial comments on Jews. When last year he caused outrage by seeming to accuse Israel of “wanton killing”, Webb claimed his comments were in reference to a Christchurch based Israeli chef who specialised in Chinese food and whose “wontons made a killing for the restaurant he worked at”.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he has been given no reason not to believe either of Webb’s clarifications, and that out-of-place references to hotel lobbies and fast food are easy faux pas for a professional politician to make considering how long they spend away from home and dining out courtesy of the taxpayer.
This piece was originally published on the https://chimpchronicles.substack.com/
