Easington Labour MP apologises after Israeli 'attack' tweet

Grahame Morris was accused of spreading "lies" by sharing the video

A Labour MP who shared a video wrongly claiming it showed Israeli soldiers beating Palestinian children "for the fun of it" has apologised.

Grahame Morris was criticised after posting the footage on Twitter.

A post by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused the Easington MP of spreading "lies".

Mr Morris said he was "sorry for sharing a post which purports to show the IDF hurting children but it was in fact the Guatemalan Army".

"My error demonstrates the dangers of fake news online and I will be more diligent in future in checking my sources," he said.

The Jewish Leadership Council tweeted that the apology was "half-hearted" and that Mr Morris had chosen "hostility and the spreading of fake news over sincerity and accuracy".

'Should know better'

Mr Morris' tweet, which has now been deleted, shared a video from another Twitter account.

He believed the footage showed an attack by the Israeli army.

His tweet read: "Marvellous, absolutely marvellous the Israeli Army, the best financed, best trained, best equipped army in the world caught on camera beating up Palestinian children for the fun of it.

"May God forgive them. What would Jim Royle say on an Easter Monday."

But a number of Twitter users replied to point out the soldier in the video, dressed in camouflage and seen beating a young boy against a wall, was Guatemalan.

One comment - by the TV and radio comedy writer James Felton - said, as an MP, Mr Morris "should know better".