Green Party antisemitism storm as 'compassionate' candidate claims Jews 'love genocide'

A Green Party candidate reportedly claimed that "Zionists killed 20 million Christians' in the Soviet Union and that they "love genocide". Feda Shahin, who is standing for the Central ward on Bournemouth town council, allegedly claimed Jews are "trying to control the world".

The party has been accused of choosing local election candidates who promote anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Meanwhile they also boast of "compassion" in campaign leaflets, as well as "safe and inclusive communities". As well as Shahin, Aziz Hakimi was chosen to stand for the party in Camden, north London, despite blaming "Zionists" for terror attacks on the World Trade Centre in 2001. Meanwhile, Raja Ateeq, standing in Walsall, referred to "Jewish cockroaches" after the October 7 attacks.

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It has also emerged that Saiqa Ali, who has quit as a Green candidate in the Streatham St Leonard's ward in Lambeth, previously shared an image of an armed man in a Hamas headband under the slogan “resistance is freedom”.

Meanwhile, Sabine Mairey, the candidate for Clapham Town, is alleged to have posted a picture of a man holding a placard that reads “ramming a synagogue isn’t anti-Semitism, it’s revenge” above a picture of two children that it says have been “murdered by Israel”.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the Green Party previously said it was investigating the comments. A spokesman said the party discovered Mr Hakimi's comments after candidate nominations had closed, adding: "These examples don't represent the views of the Green Party."

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The Palestine Solidarity Movement, a local Bournemouth-based activist group led by Feda Shahin, organised around 80 people to gather outside the town's then Conservative MP, Tobias Ellwood, in 2024. They chanted: "Tobias Ellwood, you can’t hide, you signed up for genocide."

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They also picketed the MP and called him a "war criminal". Mr Ellwood said: “Advertising [my] private address to mobilise an aggressive, intimidating rally at an MP’s property… for me is a step too far. MPs cannot be fair game to be directly attacked in this way.”

Shain also claimed at a rally of the group in February this year that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's island “is a symbol of the headquarters of the Zionists who are trying to control the world.” She also accused Israel of being acountry that "sucks the blood of [Palestinian] children".