Steerpike Steerpike

Greens embroiled in anti-Semitism row

Mothin Ali, Green Party councillor for Leeds city council (Credit: Talk TV)

Oh dear. The Green party is in hot water after it emerged that one of its newly-elected councillors labelled a rabbi a ‘creep’ and a ‘kind of animal’. The party is under fire for failing to suspend Mothin Ali, who was elected to Leeds city council in last week’s elections, after the new councillor was revealed to have directed an angry tirade at a Jewish chaplain during a self-made YouTube video recorded in February.

Ali labelled rabbi Zechariah Deutsch an ‘absolute low-life’, ‘absolutely disgusting’ and ‘shameful’ in the clip he made three months ago about the rabbi’s return to his IDF unit. On the day of the 7 October attack by Hamas, Ali also wrote on X that ‘white supremacist European settler colonialism must end’. Golly. Despite the revelations, Ali – who yelled ‘Allahu Akbar!’ when he won election last week – still managed to stand as a local candidate for the Greens.

Steerpike
Written by
Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

Topics in this article

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in