The leader of Brent Council has resigned as the lead member for equalities at a cross-party organisation after he shared a Facebook post that called the Israel a terrorist state.

Cllr Muhammed Butt stepped down from his role at London Councils, which represents all 32 boroughs and the City of London, following the controversy.

The 49-year-old, who is also the councillor for the Tokyngton ward, shared a clip on his page which claimed “Israel is a terrorist state like ISIS.”

The post, which was shared on April 16, has since been removed after the Labour Party was alerted to it by online website Jewish News.

When the Times contacted Cllr Butt he apologised for sharing the post adding that he had not noticed the comment comparing Israel to ISIS.

He added: “I am the leader of the most diverse borough in the country, if not Europe, and there is no way I would create any divisions.

“This is a lesson to make sure that people you have on your Facebook page are your actual friends.”

Cllr Butt went on to send an email to all councillors in Brent advising them to check their privacy settings on their Facebook pages.

A spokeswoman for London Councils said: “We can confirm that Cllr Muhammed Butt has resigned as equalities lead for London Councils.

“A new equalities lead will be appointed by our Leaders’ Committee in due course.”

Related link: Brent Council leader shared Facebook post calling Israel ‘a terrorist state like ISIS’