Cries of ‘shame’ as Green candidate brands Israel apartheid state at Jewish hustings

A Green Party local election candidate has said she is “really sorry” that many in the Jewish community fear the rise of Zack Polanski’s party because of widespread antisemitism claims, insisting “vetting has happened, but things slip through”.

Haringey Green Party candidate Jo Kuper, who confirmed she is herself Jewish, was greeted by cries of “shame” from parts of the audience after she branded Israel an “apartheid state”, adding: “You can shout shame on you as much as you like, but I’d say it was antisemitic to chase down people who have different views to you.”

Kuper joined Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Reform UK candidates at a packed Jewish Hustings event organised by the Board of Deputies and London Jewish Forum at Muswell Hill United Synagogue.

The debate began in a calmer fashion, as all the candidates introduced themselves, and remained largely civil throughout until, discussing issues such as local housing in some detail, but all of that changed once questions about Green’s antisemitism issues, and on Israel were raised from the audience.

Journalist Nicole Lampert, a member of the north London shul, said that she had been left “terrified” by Greens ahead of the May 7 elections, with so many clear examples of antisemitism amongst the party’s candidates.

Kuper said: “I am really sorry that is what you are feeling, and what you are seeing. I have always called out antisemitism wherever I saw it.”

Defending her own party, she added, “I know there has been an incident today, it’s under investigation. I know somebody has been removed recently. It is a party that is growing at some scale. Vetting has happened, but things slip through.

“This is not exclusive to the Greens; it has happened to Labour, and this has certainly happened in Reform. It’s the reality of a democracy. There’s the Jewish Greens, there are many Jews in the party, our leader obviously is Jewish.”

Kuper then turned to her views on Israel, along with those of the Greens. “The Green Party has voted to recognise Israel is an apartheid state,” she told the audience.

“That is not going to be a popular opinion with many people in this room…. but I am sorry, I am also Jewish, and I do believe Israel is acting as an apartheid state.”

While some in the audience shouted “shame on you!” others said Kuper should be allowed to express her opinions.

She responded with her claim it was “antisemitic” for some to attempt to silence her over her views on Israel.

Haringey Labour Group leader Peray Ahmet was also asked to defend her position on Israel and Palestine, and also on the recent outcry over the booking of rapper Kayne West for the now cancelled Wireless Festival.

Labour currently holds a significant majority in Haringey, and holds all cabinet positions, but is facing a challenge particularly from the Polanski-led Greens, and from the Lib-Dems at next month’s elections.

Rejecting claims from an audience member of pro-Palestine bias, Ahmet said, “In terms of Zionism, I believe a Jewish state has the right to exist. My views are quite open; I also believe a Palestinian state has a right to exist as well. I have been very clear on that. I believe in a two-state solution.”

Ahmet had earlier spoken of her regular engagement with Haringey Jewish representatives, who meet quarterly to discuss emerging issues, and also her commitment to preserving diversity in the borough, through groups such as the multi-faith forum. Unlike neighbouring boroughs like Brent, which had controversially twinned itself with the West Bank city of Nablus, Ahmet said she did not allow foreign policy into the council chamber.

Pressed on recent anger over the booking of antisemitic rapper Kayne West, she told the audience that the local council were responsible for the contract with the festival organisers, but this did not give them oversight of the line-up for the event.

Ahmet said she had written to local Jewish leaders expressing her concern about the booking of the rapper, and had been scheduled to meet with festival managing director Melvin Benn days before he called off the event after West was banned from entering the country.

Audience member Sarah Deech pressed Ahmet on why she had posted so many tweets about Israel-Palestine on her social media page on X.

She denied only posting about the issue, and added:”It’s my personal account and I will post what I like.”

Conservative candidate Nathan Steinberg, who is standing in the Highgate ward, told the audience he had been a long-time member and fundraiser for the party.

He said he had recently engaged in conversation with Kemi Badenoch over the pro-Palestine marches, and she had told him “we got it wrong” when in government.

Steinberg said: “I would go after the current government and make sure they prevent all these marches, which are absolutely appalling against Israel, which is a sham for antisemitism.”

He added: “It is basically promoting antisemitism.”

Steinberg also said he recognised that if elected next month, he would need to work in a “collegiate” way with whichever party led the council on all manner of issues, but that he would seek to make sure his voice was heard.

He added, “I support Israel, and will always support Israel no matter what somebody says to me.”

For the Liberal Democrats, Scott Emery told the event that his party had led the opposition to Kanye West’s appearance. The current Highgate Councillor also said it was important not to lose focus on the “real roots” of what it means to be in power locally. “Fixing potholes, fixing lights, helping people with their problems – I think that’s a really important thing we can do, get on with the job.”

Emery also accused the current government of failing to boost frontline policing numbers, after they removed police and crime commissioners. “That’s something that’s very important, getting more police on the streets, being able to speak to a policeman.”

He also clashed with Ahmet, a long-time councillor in Noel Park ward, over the council’s housing priorities, accusing them of overlooking areas of deprivation in his ward and instead concentrating on other areas.

Standing for Reform UK in the Seven Sisters ward, Miguel Koseleff said that antisemitism in this country had, over the past two and a half years, risen to levels “my grandmother used to tell me happened in Germany and Austria.”

He also defended his own party’s vetting processes and suggested Reform UK was not a party where antisemitism was found, and that the party was a pro-Israel one.

Koseleff said: “If there is someone in my party who might be an antisemite, he would be suspended and, after investigation, expelled. There is no place for antisemitism in Reform UK.”

He later added, “There is only one Jewish state in the world. We have 33 Muslim states. They want to destroy the only Jewish state… They want to destroy it so it doesn’t exist.”

Koseleff added: “Since 1948, of the invasion of the five Arab countries that did not want Israel to exist, there has been war. It didn’t happen on Oct 7, it happened in May 1948. Since then, there has been antisemitism against the existence of the Jewish state.”

Elsewhere in the debate, housing proved to be a big issue, both in terms of the unaffordability of property locally for many, and the high-cost of renting, as well as discussion about the supply of council housing.

Muswell Hill Synagogue Deputy Judith Prinsley ended the evening by thanking both candidates and the audience for participating in the hustings, which was chaired by Rachel Brahams.

Also in attendance at the event was Board senior vice-president Adrian Cohen, along with Andrew Gilbert, chair of the the European board of Global Jewry.