While the Walt/Mearsheimer paper has been roundly condemned in America as shoddily researched, factually incorrect, immoral and anti—Semitic, the rest of the world seems to have greeted the paper with equanimity or support. Now it seems as if one British Member of Parliament and the European Parliament may have been taking his talking points from the paper.

A leading British MEP resigned yesterday after he was revealed to have sent anti—semitic and abusive emails to a voter.

Chris Davis, the Liberal Democrat's leader in the European Parliament, was summoned to the office of party head Sir Menzies Campbell n Thursday to explain himself. And just hours later he had quit his position.

Although he will be replaced as group leader by Baroness Ludford, it has been reported that Davies will be continuing as an MEP.

The situation arose after Davies received an email questioning his comments condemning Israel as "an apartheid state".

The politician replied "Sounds like racism to me. I hope you enjoy wallowing in your own filth".

And in a further email Davies, the leader of the 12 Liberal Democrat MEPs in the European parliament, stated that if he were to stand for reelection he would 'denounce the influence of the Jewish lobby that seems to have far too great a say over the political decision—making process in many countries.'

Ed Lasky   5 05 06