Robert Jenrick has been spotted wearing a jumper emblazoned with the words “Hamas Are Terrorists”.
The frontrunner in the Tory leadership contest, who has described himself as “the father of a Jewish family”, was pictured jogging in the sweatshirt in central London. The slogan could be clearly seen printed in green, white and red, the colours of the Palestinian flag.
Mr Jenrick has previously made a point of labelling Hamas terrorists, criticising the high-profile arrest of a counter-protester carrying a banner branding the group as a terrorist organisation in April. The 38-year-old demonstrator, who was holding a sign reading “Hamas is terrorist”, was pulled to the ground and handcuffed by officers after an incident took place close to a march through central London. Scotland Yard insisted the arrest was not related to the placard, and the man was de-arrested and released shortly afterwards.
Mr Jenrick also lashed out at the BBC for failing to use the term as a matter of fact in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre.
The broadcaster has said it will use the label when it is “attributed to others”, such as the UK Government, which has proscribed the group as a terrorist organisation. It has meant that Hamas have been variously described as “fighters” or “militants”, rather than “terrorists”, in the media, sparking a furious backlash from Jewish groups.
Mr Jenrick is not Jewish himself, but his wife is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. The couple’s three daughters are also being brought up in the Jewish faith.