Jacob Rees-Mogg quoted a far-right anti-Muslim German party and people are outraged

Jacob Rees-Mogg has sparked outrage by quoting a far-right anti-Muslim German party in a tweet.

The Conservative MP and top Brexiteer tweeted a video of a speech by the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) parliamentary leader Alice Weidel.

Her party have been described as racist, Islamophobic and antisemitic, and has been accused of having links to neo-Nazi groups.

Rees-Mogg quoted a section of Weidel’s speech which attacked the EU, in which she said “Is it any wonder the British see bad faith behind every manoeuvre from Brussels?”

The AfD have repeatedly run anti-Muslim adverts in elections with posters promising to “Stop Islamisation” and promote “Islam-free schools”.

In January, the party was banned from attending Holocaust remembrance services in Thuringia, Germany, over comments which undermined the significance of the Holocaust.

Björn Höcke, the AfD’s leader in Thuringia, criticised Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial as a “memorial of shame” in the capital city and said Germany needed to “make a 180-degree change in their commemoration policy".

His comments were widely-criticised as antisemitic but Höcke was allowed to remain in the party.

Rees-Mogg’s tweet follows another prominent Brexiteer, Daniel Hannan, who endorsed the anti-immigration Forum for Democracy party in the Netherlands last week.

Rees-Mogg was condemned by fellow MPs for the tweet.

And many other commentators questioned why he was appearing to align himself with a party that has an overtly-racist history.

Rees-Mogg has not apologised for quoting a member of the far-right party.

Although some people were tricked by this April Fool’s joke…

On LBC this morning, Rees-Mogg denied that he was endorsing the AfD.

When asked about the tweet by Nick Ferrari, he said:

No, I'm not supporting the AfD.

This is a speech made in the Bundestag of real importance because it shows a German view of Brexit…

I don't think retweeting is an endorsement of things that other people stand for. It's just pointing out that there's something interesting which is worth watching.

indy100 has contacted Jacob Rees-Mogg for comment.

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