‘Zionism is Nazism’ Green appointed to ‘healing and sanctuary’ council role
Hau-Yu Tam is Deputy Leader of Lewisham council, which was won by the Green Party in local elections earlier this month
A Green party councillor in Lewisham who previously compared Zionism to Nazism and backed legal efforts to de-proscribe Hamas in the UK has been given the council’s “healing and sanctuary” cabinet role after the party won control of the borough.
Hau-Yu Tam shared a post on Twitter that declared, “Zionism is pure evil and must be abolished.” Just six days later, she shared another post that read, “Zionism was undoubtedly and unquestionably the Nazism of our time.”
In April, Tam, who has also been appointed Deputy Leader of the Greens in Lewisham, also expressed support for lawyers acting on behalf of Hamas in a legal bid to have the group removed from the UK’s list of proscribed terrorist organisations.
Reacting to the announcement from London firm Riverway Law, Tam posted, “Extremely proud of my brilliant comrade and lawyer Frank Magennis for being among those blazing the way on this intervention.”
Originally a Labour councillor, Tam was suspended from the party in 2022, after being accused of helping organise a pro-Palestine protest at a council meeting, a charge she denied. She officially left Labour in July 2024, initially serving as an independent before joining the Green Party.
Tam has also been widely criticised after referring to Justice Secretary David Lammy as a “coconut” in a since-deleted social media post.
At the time, Abena Oppong-Asare, the Labour MP for Erith & Thamesmead, said the comment was “completely unacceptable”. She said: “It is a racist slur that has long been used to suggest someone is ‘not really’ part of their own community, reducing identity to the colour of their skin and policing who does and doesn’t belong. That kind of language is divisive and has no place in our politics.”
Labour Party Chair, Anna Turley, said: “It doesn’t matter what your politics are. Going after public figures based on the colour of their skin should be condemned.
“It is therefore totally astonishing that Zack Polanski’s Green Party is now rewarding racism.
“Hau-Yu Tam should have been sacked as a candidate long before she became a councillor. She’s not fit for public office.”
Responding, Lewisham’s Green Party Mayor, Liam Shrivastava said: “Councillors have a responsibility to foster good community relations regardless of political beliefs.
“I know that Cllr Tam has reflected on this and the impact of what she has said in the past on social media.”
Just how much “reflection” Cllr Tam has done appears evident on her social media, where she shared a post from the Green party’s co-deputy leader, Mothin Ali, in response to Labour’s criticism of her, reading: “Who gets to define racism? Certainly not Labour! Worth reading for all the liberals that think they can tell black and brown people what they can and can’t say!”
Tam joined the Green party in March 2025. As reported by The Times, that month she responded to an incident where protestors picketed the launch of a book at LSE which they saw as engaging in apologetics for Hamas.
“Your lot support genocide, the genocidal nation & its war criminals who’re in step with our own complicit UK leaders & Govt,” Tam replied to a pro-Israeli post. “Let’s be clear — these are the real crimes and students were correct to defend the Hamas book. Resistance to occupation is permitted in international law.”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
