Dozens of pro-Palestine candidates elected as councillors in Britain
Dozens of pro-Palestine candidates elected as councillors in Britain
Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists have been elected as councillors in the UK even as students’ protest over the war in Gaza reached British university campuses. One of the councillors shouted “Allahu Akbar” after being elected and is being investigated by his party, the Green Party.
More than 40 pro-Palestinian campaigners have won seats as councillors in England, according to The Daily Mail. They focused on the Gaza conflict during their campaigns and got lots of support from voters, changing things in town halls across the country, according to the British daily.
Some of these new councillors wore badges with the colours of the Palestinian flag, and others said their victories were for the people of Gaza.Â
One winner, Mothin Ali, even shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” and dedicated his victory to the people of Gaza.
Ali’s party, the Green Party, is investigating the councillor, according to The Telegraph.
Mothin Ali, who won the Gipton and Harehills ward in Leeds, had said that Palestine had the right to “fight back” on the day of the October 7 terror attacks.
He has previously described a Jewish chaplain forced into hiding by threats from protesters as a “creep” and a “kind of animal”, according to The Telegraph.
The newly elected councillors, in at least 12 town halls, defeated the Labour candidates. This made Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition, promise to win back the trust of voters who felt he didn’t support Palestine enough.Â
The Muslim Vote group even gave Starmer a list of 18 demands, including ending Britain’s military ties with Israel and recognising the state of Palestine, reported the Daily Mail.
WORRIES THAT PALESTINE MIGHT BE DISCUSSED IN UK COUNCILS
Top Tories expressed their concern that the elections might lead to town halls being filled with discussions about foreign affairs instead of focusing on local services.Â
“People are entitled to their views, but foreign affairs is a matter for the House of Commons, not local councils. This is a consequence of the Left’s attempt to segment society and create a coalition of minorities rather than a unified whole. This is very divisive for the country at large,” Ex-Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
“I find it disturbing when you have people standing for election not because they care about making a contribution to building a better Britain, but because they are more interested in events overseas,” he added.Â
Tory candidate and former No 10 chief of staff Nick Timothy said, “It worries people when politicians shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ about a foreign war in a British local election meant for deciding who picks up the bins.”
The war has been a big deal in Westminster since Hamas’s terror attack on October 7 led to serious war with Israel.
Sir Keir faced a big challenge to his leadership in November when ten of his top team members quit because he didn’t call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
In the UK, these local elections were the first time so many pro-Palestine campaigners ran for office, especially in places like the North West with a sizeable Muslim population. This has made some people worry that British politics is getting more divided, especially in places like Oldham, where independent candidates won eight of the 21 seats with most of them explicitly campaigning in support of Palestine, reported the Daily Mail.Â
PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTS AT UK UNIVERSITIES
The election of the activists to the councils came even as pro-Palestinian protests started at several UK campuses last week.
Protesters in several UK cities, including Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds, have set up encampments outside university buildings, according to a BBC report.
Tents have been set up at Warwick University’s piazza while students at Goldsmiths, University of London, have occupied the library, according to the report.Â