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Jeremy Corbyn refused to describe Hamas as terrorists on at least 15 occasions during a heated live interview with Piers Morgan.
The former Labour leader was asked repeatedly whether Hamas is a terror group when he appeared on TalkTV’s Piers Morgan Uncensored alongside Len McCluskey, the former general secretary of the Unite union, on Monday.
James Cleverly, the new Home Secretary, shared a video of the interview on social media and tweeted: “As Home Secretary, I can confirm that Hamas are a terror group.”
David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, told the Commons on Tuesday: “I’d like to register my shock that not every member of this House can say Hamas are terrorists.”
Mr Corbyn and Morgan clashed frequently during highly-charged exchanges as the Islington North MP was accused of being “simply incapable” of answering two questions put to him.
The flashpoint came near the end of the 18-minute segment, which began with Morgan highlighting Mr Corbyn and Mr McCluskey’s new book, Poetry for the Many: An Anthology, a collection of working class poetry that inspired them.
Tensions were raised when Morgan asked Mr Corbyn if he thought Hamas should stay in charge of the Palestinians in Gaza. Mr Corbyn said it was “not for us to decide” who is in charge or not.
Later in the interview, with both men raising their voices as they interrupted one another, Morgan repeatedly asked Mr Corbyn about whether he thinks Hamas are terrorists.
Piers Morgan Uncensored tweeted that Mr Corbyn refused to answer Morgan on 15 occasions. The Telegraph counted the question being asked 19 times when watching the interview in full.
Morgan said: “I’ve asked you two questions, should Hamas stay in power and are they a terror group? You’re refusing to answer either of them. That is very telling, and you wonder why people think you had a problem with Jewish people.”
In response, Mr Corbyn told Morgan: “You shout at people all the time” and said the host’s “inability to keep quiet for 30 seconds” meant he was unable to answer the question.
“Why can’t you ask something about the behaviour of the Israeli army and the Israeli government?” he said. “Why can’t you have a discussion about how a ceasefire would come about? Why can’t you ask about a process for the future which brings about peace for everybody?”
When pressed by Morgan, Mr McCluskey said he believed Hamas is a terror group and does not believe it should remain in power.
Earlier in the interview Mr Corbyn accused Morgan of being “obsessed with tittle-tattle politics”, while the presenter challenged the veteran politician over remarks in which he described Hamas as “friends” during a talk in Parliament in 2009.