Diane Abbott criticised after using fake image of Israeli jet over Tehran in Syria bombing row

The always politically correct Diane Abbott has shown either her ignorance or venality again. 

• Diane Abbott has shared a fake image of an Israeli fighter jet carrying out a bombing mission over Iranian capital Tehran while attempting to make a point about Theresa May's decision to involve Britain in airstrikes in Syria.

  The Shadow Home Secretary tweeted the digitally altered image this morning after listening to a BBC Today programme interview with Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, who argued it was correct the Prime Minister did not consult Parliament ahead of the military action.

  Ms Abbott wrote on Twitter: "Shocking to hear Tory minister on BBC Radio4 claim that you can't allow Parliament to vote on war because that would be to 'outsource the decision to people who don't have all the info'. Do these people understand what parliamentary democracy is?"

  But the photo, which was taken from an aviation blog posted in 2012, shows an Israeli F-15 fighter over Tehran, with large explosions in the background. 

  It was created by Al Clark and posted by David Cenciotti on The Aviationist blog in March 2012, along with a clear explanation of what the image shows. 

  It is also unclear why Ms Abbott chose to post the image, which clearly shows an Israeli plane and depicts a day-time raid - whereas the airstrike launched by Britain, the US and France took place in the dead of night.

  But Ms Abbott faced strong criticism on social media for her use of the fake photo.

  Jonathan Arkush, Board of Deputies president, wrote on Twitter: "We are entitled to an explanation for @HackneyAbbott using a fake image of an Israeli plane bombing Tehran.

  "Did she know it was faked up, or is this yet another case of a @UKLabour figure being remarkably careless ? And where did @HackneyAbbott find the image ? Over to you Diane." 

  Leading QC Simon Myerson wrote on Twitter: "And please don't say that a faked image doesn't matter. You're either committed to honesty and transparency or you're not."

  Another social media user wrote: "It is important when it shows you have absolutely no clue what you're doing or talking about."

If I was looking for an image to illustrate a Tweet against the bombing of locations in Syria, a reasonable thing to do, I might use pictures of the sort of American or British planes that took place. I wouldn't use a random picture of a warplanes without checking whose plane and where it was bombing. Diane Abbott's failure to do this either shows a lack of interest in being factual or maybe any slur against Israel is fine for a leading figure in the new riddled with antisemitism Labour Party. 

More here in the JC https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/diane-abbott-criticised-after-using-fake-image-of-israeli-jet-over-tehran-in-syria-bombing-row-1.462370