Dale Vince says Bondi Beach social media comment ‘not intended to excuse terrorism’

Green industrialist Dale Vince has told Jewish News that a post he made on social media in response to the Sydney terror attack was “not intended to excuse or legitimise terrorism, or any form of racism.”

The Ecotricity chief drew widespread criticism with a post on X in the immediate aftermath of the massacre, which killed 15 people attending a Chanukah event on the famous beach.

He wrote: “Commenting on the shootings in Australia today, Netanyahu said, Antisemitism spreads when leaders stay silent. Nothing to do with Israel committing Genocide in Palestine, then. Netanyahu wants antisemitism to be a thing; it validates him – he acts to make it so.”

Senior Conservative politicians, including Kemi Badenoch, called on the Prime Minister to condemn Vince over the remarks.

Asked to justify comments which some claimed had attempted to excuse the atrocity committed on Sunday by a father and son apparently motivated by Islamist extremist ideology, Vince said in a statement:” My words on this subject were not intended to excuse or legitimise terrorism, or any form of racism. What happened at Bondi Beach is an atrocity.”

He added:” My words are aimed at the intervention of Netanyahu, who, in my opinion, overlooks the impacts of his own terrorism.

“If antisemitism is rising in the world today, then surely on any rational analysis the biggest single cause of that will be the Genocide in Palestine. I condemn all acts of violence and all forms of racism. “

Vince is a donor, but not a member, to the Labour Party, and Downing Street was asked for comment on the remarks at the daily press conference on Monday.

A long-time pro-Palestine campaigner, Vince has repeatedly faced criticism over past comments on the topic.

adenoch wrote on X: “Hours after the biggest massacre of Jews since Oct 7th, the Labour Party’s largest donor tweeted ‘Netanyahu wants antisemitism to be a thing’. A morally repugnant statement.”

Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory party chairman, called Mr Vince’s remarks “disgraceful”. He wrote on X: “Any language that excuses or legitimises terrorism gives extremists cover and undermines our values. Labour must return all donations received from Mr Vince, refuse future ones, and make clear that terrorism has no moral ambiguity.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said:* “We are absolutely clear that the antisemitic terrorist attack against Jewish families at a Chanukah event at Bondi beach is sickening.

“There can never and should never be any excuses made for barbaric acts of terrorism. The Labour government and the whole Labour movement stands with the Jewish community in Australia, in the UK, and around the world at this awful time.

“Both before and since we entered government, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has made tackling antisemitism a key priority and this crucial work will continue so that Jews living at home and abroad can live safely, without fear of violence or prejudice.”