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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be concerned about Green candidates and antisemitism?

262 replies

Twiglets1 · 24/04/2026 08:23

Ironically, given that the Green party is led by a Jewish man, the party has become home to political candidates causing distress and fear for many in the Jewish community.

Dr Phil Brookes, the Green Party candidate for Manor Park, Newcastle stated in a social media post that “it takes serious effort not to be a tiny bit anti-Semitic”.

Then there’s Sabine Mairey, the Green candidate for Clapham Town in south London. She posted a video on social media stating that a terrorist attack on a synagogue was “not anti-Semitism” but “revenge”.

Councillor Hau-Yu Tam is the Green candidate in the Deptford ward of Lewisham. She has expressed support for her “brilliant comrade and lawyer” Franck Magennis whose law firm Riverway to the Sea has sought the de-proscription of Hamas – the anti-Semitic terrorist group responsible for the mass murder and rape of October 7. She said she was extremely proud of Magennis for “blazing the way on this intervention”.

Ifhat Shaheen is a Green candidate in Stoke Newington. She has defended the October 7 attacks and suggested that Israel is harvesting organs from Palestinians.

Also in London is council candidate Saiqa Ali who posted an image of the Earth being strangled by a snake clothed in an Israeli flag, accompanied by the caption “It’s time to cut the head of this snake”.

Chandni Chopra is the Green Party candidate for Heaton, Newcastle. She has questioned whether Hamas used rape during their attacks despite the horrific evidence and previously described Zionism as a “mental illness”.

A second irony is that many Green Party voters will pride themselves on their anti-racist credentials. Why then is there growing support for a party whose candidates expressed such overt racism towards one of Britain’s minority communities?

OP posts:
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10
ThatCyanCat · Today 20:28

Twiglets1 · Today 19:51

I think Polanski has been getting a lot of heat for the antisemitic comments made by Green candidates and even he seems to realise now that he has to distance himself from it a bit. Plus yes, the famous wife will have made this idiot's comments more visible.

Given that he's only there to sanitise and deny their antisemitism and he's constantly exploited his ethnicity to that end, it does seem weird that he doesn't seem to have realised this would happen. Then again, a) he's really not very clever and b) people who let themselves be used as a cover for hatred do always think the haters will make an exception for them, because they're not like other girls/Jews, and they get shocked when they find out their puppetmasters do in fact hate them too.

OrangeAxolotyl · Today 20:30

EasternStandard · Today 20:24

It’s awful. You get more people amplifying and chuckling over tik tok propaganda than talking about what they’re doing to citizens. Celebs silent, politicians nothing and added to the digital blackout.. nothing 😢

I read a report about Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, visiting a camp in Chad, and hearing the stories of the women and girls who had been subjected to sexual violence. It was not an easy read.
I couldn't find a report on any of the mainstream news bulletins.

OrangeAxolotyl · Today 20:32

https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2024-10-14/the-duchess-of-edinburgh-visits-chad
On the royal website.
Not widely publicised.

anotherside · Today 20:35

SharonEllis · Today 16:55

I disagree with you here, Im passionately internationalist and believe we can focus on both. What I object to is the irrational focus on one country alone, motivated by racism.

But we’re not focusing on them. They’re still our close allies. We’re still trading with them, selling them weapons, the US handing them billions of dollars every year, and Europe inviting them to pop song competitions. If and when we DO start focusing on them in a meaningful way I’m sure some of noise will quieten down.

Flossette · Today 20:42

We sell everywhere weapons. It’s a big industry paying big taxes to keep our public services running. I have no qualms about this whatsoever.

OrangeAxolotyl · Today 20:43

anotherside · Today 20:35

But we’re not focusing on them. They’re still our close allies. We’re still trading with them, selling them weapons, the US handing them billions of dollars every year, and Europe inviting them to pop song competitions. If and when we DO start focusing on them in a meaningful way I’m sure some of noise will quieten down.

You know that Eurovision isn't Europe, don't you?
I've no idea what your last sentence means.

Desperatelyseekinglazysusan · Today 20:48

Jewish people in the UK are not selling Israelis weapons. The UK has little to no influence over the Eurovision Song Contest or the US. If you don't like us buying Israeli goods it's fairly easy to boycott them. This does not involve pretending Jews are firebombing their own ambulances and then denying that they are threatened in the UK, even after several arson attacks and attempted arson attacks in the space of a few weeks.

SharonEllis · Today 21:01

anotherside · Today 20:35

But we’re not focusing on them. They’re still our close allies. We’re still trading with them, selling them weapons, the US handing them billions of dollars every year, and Europe inviting them to pop song competitions. If and when we DO start focusing on them in a meaningful way I’m sure some of noise will quieten down.

You seem a bit confused. Of course regular protests, flags flying, endless memes, petitions and social media posts, banning & harassing Israeli & Jewish performers etc is all focus'. The UN has passed more than double the resolutions against Israel than any other country.

Israel is not 'invited' to Eurovision, its broadcasting organisation is a member of the body that runs it.

We sell Israel a tiny amount of military components and equipment. I dont see what the US has to do with us?

Though none of this has anything to do with Jews in this country they are still being harassed and attacked and murdered, so what makes you think that any change in policy towards Israel would make the slightest bit of difference?

ForWittyTealOP · Today 21:05

anotherside · Today 20:35

But we’re not focusing on them. They’re still our close allies. We’re still trading with them, selling them weapons, the US handing them billions of dollars every year, and Europe inviting them to pop song competitions. If and when we DO start focusing on them in a meaningful way I’m sure some of noise will quieten down.

Am I misunderstanding or are you saying that if the UK stops trading with Israel and essentially treats them as a parish state, people will stop shouting antisemitic abuse (and worse) at British Jews? What will happen if everyone cuts ties with Israel and how long will that thing take?

Also nobody is shouting about Sudan, nobody is marching to end the ethnic genocide there yet the UK sells quite a lot of arms to the UAE, hundreds of millions of pounds worth every year in fact. And the UAE funds the RSF which is massacring so many in Sudan. So if there's radio silence on that bloodshed here in the UK, by your logic - how is that still happening?

SharonEllis · Today 21:16

And the UK has sold huge amounts of weapons to Saudi throughout the horrific war in Yemen. The arms argument is just Bullshit. And if the US didn't fund the Iron Dome we know EXACTLY what would happen to Israel.

Twiglets1 · Today 21:28

ThatCyanCat · Today 20:28

Given that he's only there to sanitise and deny their antisemitism and he's constantly exploited his ethnicity to that end, it does seem weird that he doesn't seem to have realised this would happen. Then again, a) he's really not very clever and b) people who let themselves be used as a cover for hatred do always think the haters will make an exception for them, because they're not like other girls/Jews, and they get shocked when they find out their puppetmasters do in fact hate them too.

He may be very slightly out of his depth in the political sphere. Where most of his opponents will have a degree in Law, Economics or PPE from Oxford, Zack studied Drama. At Aberystwyth.

Nothing against Drama or Aberystwyth, but it’s probably not the best background for someone aiming at being our next prime minister.

OP posts:
1dayatatime · Today 21:31

SharonEllis · Today 21:16

And the UK has sold huge amounts of weapons to Saudi throughout the horrific war in Yemen. The arms argument is just Bullshit. And if the US didn't fund the Iron Dome we know EXACTLY what would happen to Israel.

UK arms sales 2024:
Saudi £2.9 billion
UAE £100 million
Israel. £11 million

If you really think that anti semetic attacks in the UK would end if this £11 m of arms sales to Israel was stopped then you are deluded.

The reason that there are anti semetic attacks in the UK is simply because hating Jews has now become acceptable in certain circles, even if they have to dress it up with the cover word of "Zionists".

Student arrested after chanting about putting Zionists 'in the ground' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8gdelw79po

A man with blonde hair and glasses who is wearing a white and black scarf over his shoulders speaks into a microphone

Oxford student arrested after chanting about putting Zionists 'in the ground'

Video appears to show Samuel Williams allegedly leading the chant at a pro-Palestinian march in London.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8gdelw79po

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