Green Party councillor: ‘Supremacist Jews find antisemitism everywhere’

The Green Party is believed to be investigating comments made by a  councillor who responded to social media posts from the Chief Rabbi by saying “It would help Jews to be happy if supremacist Jews stopped finding antisemitism everywhere”, and said that “we can’t ignore the factors giving rise” to an arson attack on a synagogue. 

Councillor Kevin McKeon, who is set to become mayor of the town of Horwich this summer, joined the Green Party in February, with the Bolton Green Party saying it was “delighted to welcome” him. McKeon left the Labour party in October 2024, due to what he described as “disgust at the support the Labour government was giving to Israel in its genocidal policies.”

Two weeks ago, in response to a Facebook post from Chief Rabbi Mirvis about the attempted firebombing of Kenton United Synagogue two weeks ago, McKeon responded: “Of course attacks on Jewish buildings are unacceptable and we must oppose antisemitism but we can’t ignore the factors giving rise to these things. Jews in the UK must disassociate themselves from the genocidal state of Israel.”

In response to an article posted by Chief Rabbi Mirvis on Facebook in late 2025 with the headline “Jews do have a long-term future in the UK, but more must be done to protect the community”, Cllr McKeon said: “It would help Jews to be happy if supremacist Jews stopped finding antisemitism everywhere. Groups like the Campaign Against Antisemitism do the Jewish community no good by accusing critics of Israel of antisemitism. Nobody takes any notice now.”

Similarly, in the comments section of a 2025 post by the Board of Deputies of British Jews about meeting government Ministers to discuss antisemitism, Cllr McKeon’s initial response was “First of all define antisemitism. It has lost all meaning now that it is widely used to condemn critics of Israel.” This was later followed up with “I’m afraid the term ‘antisemitic’ has lost all meaning because it is used by Zionists and Israeli apologists to label all critics.”

McKeon, who is a retired teacher and priest, told the Bolton News in an article in March, after he became Mayor-elect, that among the qualities he would bring to the role were “good humour, friendliness and willingness to listen to people and to being open to good conversation.”

In late 2025, McKeon responded on social media to a video shared by Labour Friends of Israel, in which Mark Seward MP warned in the House of Commons that “A speaker on the streets of Leeds, during one of the protests, called for all synagogues and all Jewish schools to be held to account, for the crime of, as they say, harbouring Zionism.” Cllr McKeon’s response was “Of course Jewish safety must be guaranteed but Jewish people in the UK must be aware that their religion is being used to justify a genocide. I read Jewish American commentators pointing out that there will be s [sic] reckoning as history tells the story of the genocide. Those Jews who have accepted and celebrated the Zionist narrative will be held to account.”

In another LFI post last year, the group warned that “The IRGC is targeting British Jews at home in the UK. MI5 has uncovered plots, student intimidations, and IRGC-linked criminal gangs spying on the community.” Cllr McKeon’s response was: “It is disgusting that Labour Friends of Israel repeat Israeli talking points. Of course there will be Iranian spies and agent provocateurs in the UK as there will be British agents in Iran but trying to stoke anti Iranian feeling is to distract from the genocide in Gaza and the death and destruction Israel inflicts on its neighbours. Has Iran bombed its neighbours?”

Since then, Iran has struck eight different countries in the Middle East, not including Israel.

A Green party spokesperson said: “”Many of the comments referred to were made before the councillor was a member of the Green Party. We will investigate anything brought to our attention that doesn’t fit with Green Party values and views.”