Amnesty International takes disciplinary action over official's tweet targeting Jewish parliamentarians

The leading human rights group Amnesty International (AI) has started disciplinary action against a senior member of staff at its London headquarters after he posted an offensive tweet targeting Jewish members of the British parliament. In a message he posted on Tuesday, Kristyan Benedict, AI’s campaign manager, said “Louise Ellman, Robert Halfon and Luciana Berger walk into a bar... each orders a round of B52s #Gaza.” Benedict was alluding to B-52 long-range strategic bombers, which is also the name of a popular cocktail, in his reference to three Jewish members of parliament.

In a later tweet Benedict said he had thought the initial message was a “giggle” and “light-hearted… some didn’t – so apols to those who booed”. He also linked to a second message he had posted which stated: “Those justifying the killing of civilians need to spare me the sanctimony – you know who you are #Gaza #Israel (and #Syria for that matter).”

Amnesty International distanced itself from Benedict’s tweet and said the matter had been referred to its internal, and confidential, processes. “This was a private tweet, sent from a private account. We do not believe that humor is appropriate in the current circumstances, particularly from our own members of staff,” said Amnesty’s campaigns director Tim Hancock.

This statement was disputed by Jewish community leaders. Jeremy Newmark, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), said that the Twitter account used by Benedict incorporated the Amnesty logo. “I have called upon Mr. Benedict to issue a proper apology and have asked Amnesty International director Kate Allen to take disciplinary action,” Newmark said on behalf of the JLC and the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

“Mr. Benedict’s activities have been the source of controversy in the past. Whatever the intent, this tweet was published from a Twitter account which incorporates the Amnesty logo and risks further jeopardizing Amnesty’s already fraught relationship with our community. We have raised concerns about this kind of discourse with them very recently. This incident, at a time when our community is feeling particularly vulnerable, shows a regrettable lack of sensitivity and awareness,” Newmark was quoted by the ‘Jerusalem Post’ as saying.