An anti-Semitic terrorist was a ‘martyr’, the October 7 attack was a ‘false flag’ and Israel is a colony of ‘rapists’… say the Green Party hopefuls running for election

Their mission was to raise and educate the next generation. But now they are fueling their own political ambitions by participating in local elections, raising alarm about their views and fears of the young people they influence.

A primary school governor, secondary school teacher and recently retired university professor, all Green Party candidates in next week’s polls, face charges of ‘serious anti-Semitism’, an investigation by the Daily Mail has revealed.

They posted or shared shocking images on social media in various ways, including claims that the 7 October atrocities were a ‘false sign’. [a covert Israeli operation] or that the perpetrators had the right to self-defense and that a terrorist who stabbed two Jews to death in 2016 was a ‘martyr’.

As Kemi Badenoch warns of an ‘epidemic’ of anti-Semitic attacks following this week’s Golders Green knife attack, significant questions are being raised about the decision to elect these prospective councilors in an election in which the Greens are expected to make significant progress.

The latest poll from Conservative MP and election expert Lord Hayward predicts the Greens will gain 500 councilors next week.

Lord Polak, the same man who led the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) for 25 years, told the Daily Mail: ‘The Green Party has not carried out any due diligence on its candidates; or if they did, then the British people should have no doubts about the disgusting views of those supported by and representing the Green Party.’

This was criticized after the Greens leader was criticized for retweeting a post about

Ms Ifhat Shaheen is the Greens candidate who lives in Stoke Newington, north London. He promised that if elected, ‘civility will come to the fore in decision-making processes’

He shared a post – with an applause emoji – describing the oppression in Israel as Palestine’s ‘struggle’ against ‘Zionist oppression’

A Green Party spokesman said: ‘If examples are brought to our attention that do not align with the Green Party’s views we investigate them.’

So who are the educators whose views would disturb so many people?

Primary school governor, ‘parent advocate’ and board member at local Sure Start [a government initiative to help the development of children under five]Ms Ifhat Shaheen is the Greens candidate who lives in Stoke Newington, north London.

He promised that if elected he would ensure ‘compassion is at the forefront of decision-making’ and that ‘compassion permeates every aspect of support for residents’.

His social media suggests a very different story. On the day Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Shaheen, who used an account named Ifhat Smith, defended the killing of approximately 1,200 people, the rape of women and the kidnapping of 240 civilians as Palestinians tried to ‘defend themselves’.

He also shared a post describing the atrocities occurring in Israel as Palestine’s ‘struggle’ against ‘Zionist oppression’, with a clapping emoji.

Months after the attack, he published the conspiracy theory that Hamas was not responsible for all the killings and that some of the victims were shot down by Israeli helicopters.

He recently republished and supported claims that no women were raped in Hamas attacks, despite the UN finding on 7 October that “sexual violence”, including rape and gang rape, occurred “in multiple locations”.

Over the last four years, the Muslim-led ‘advocacy’ group has variously described Cage as a ‘vital organisation’ that has been doing good work for ‘decades’ and has repeatedly urged its followers to donate to the organisation.

On the day Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Shaheen, who used an account named Ifhat Smith, defended the killing of approximately 1,200 people, the rape of women and the kidnapping of 240 civilians as Palestinians tried to ‘defend themselves’.

He recently republished and supported claims that no women were raped in Hamas attacks, despite the UN finding on 7 October that “sexual violence”, including rape and gang rape, occurred “in multiple locations”.

The aftermath of the incident in Golders Green on March 23, when four Hatzolah ambulances were set on fire overnight next to the Machzike Hadath Synagogue.

This was despite Cage describing Islamic State executioner Jihadi John (real name Muhammad Emwazi) in 2015 as a “beautiful young man.”

After the arson attack on four Jewish ambulances last month, also in Golders Green (a short distance from his ward), Shaheen initially published a message blaming the mainstream media and politicians.

Shortly afterwards he reposted a message saying, “With Golders Green now in the news, I would like to take this opportunity to let people know that the Jewish community in North London is home to the IDF.” [Israel Defence Force] They gather soldiers in their synagogues and raise money for the IDF during ‘family fun day.’

In other posts he questioned whether ‘Zionist financing’ was behind the marches organized by racist thug Tommy Robinson. He also claimed Jeremy Corbyn would be a ‘fantastic’ Prime Minister but ‘the Zionist lobby is working hard to keep him out’.

Despite her shocking claims, the party’s London mayoral candidate Zoe Garbett described herself and two colleagues as ‘fantastic candidates’ in a video launching the Greens’ Stoke Newington campaign.

Lambeth Green Party candidate Mark Bittlestone, a privately educated Cambridge graduate who now teaches sixth-form history at a south London school, has republished material suggesting the 7 October atrocity was a covert ‘false flag’ attack.

Bittlestone, a part-time comedian, also shared posts from others describing Israel as a ‘colony of relatives, rapists and thieves’.

He also republished claims that Israel should be invaded because it has no right to exist and that Labour’s lack of criticism on the issue was ‘a silence bought with donations’.

His drift into hatred comes despite a near-perfect middle-class upbringing. Bittlestone has previously described coming from a very ‘privileged’ background, being the child of a loving and wealthy family who sent him to the ‘magnificent’ King’s College School in Wimbledon, south London.

He then went to the University of Cambridge, where he was in the famous Footlights comedy troupe, and earned a master’s degree in business management and film.

Lambeth Green Party candidate Mark Bittlestone, a privately educated Cambridge graduate who now teaches sixth form history at a south London school, has republished material suggesting the 7 October atrocity was a covert ‘false flag’ attack

Bittlestone, a part-time comedian, also shared posts from others describing Israel as a ‘colony of relatives, rapists and thieves’.

He said he had previously lost his job at the school after ‘falling ill’ to avoid attending a parent-teacher meeting so he could attend a comedy show.

The Green Party’s campaign profile describes how he has now returned to teaching but was encouraged to side with the party after feeling ‘shameless, unrelenting anger’ at Israel’s war in Gaza.

‘Screaming about it on social media and raising funds for Medical Aid to Palestinians failed to assuage his anger, and realizing the interconnected nature of the struggle, he decided to channel that anger into fighting local injustice.’

Recently retired Professor Kamel Hawwash taught civil engineering at the University of Birmingham for more than 36 years, where he said he interacted with ‘thousands of students and staff’.

He now stands as the Green Party candidate for Stirchley in England’s second city.

But in 2024, while still teaching students – commenting on a news story about an Israeli attack killing children in Lebanon – he claimed on Twitter that Israel was massacring civilians to ‘demonstrate Jewish superiority fueled by Zionism’.

At the time of the October 7 attacks he described the atrocities as an ‘operation’, adding ‘occupied people have the right to resist the occupation’.

He also claimed that, despite the mass killings in kibbutzim near the Gaza border, Hamas’ “cruelty against civilians in settlements” during the October 7 terror “was not the target of the attack.”

In 2022, Hawwash was presented with an award by Zaher Birawi of the Palestine Forum in Britain for his Palestinian activism, and in January this year he was sanctioned by the US for alleged ties to Hamas.

Recently retired Professor Kamel Hawwash stands as the Green Party candidate for Stirchley in Britain’s second city

In 2016, he described Islamic Jihad terrorist Mohand Halabi, who stabbed two Israeli men to death and wounded a woman and toddler before being shot dead by police, as a ‘martyr’ who committed an ‘act of revenge’.

Mr Birawi, who is originally from the West Bank, has always denied links to the terror group and described the accusations as ‘baseless’.

In 2016, he described Islamic Jihad terrorist Mohand Halabi, who stabbed two Israeli men to death and wounded a woman and a toddler before being shot dead by police, as a ‘martyr’ who committed an ‘act of revenge’.

If others find his actions ‘unacceptable… that’s up to them,’ he told a Palestine Return Center event in Parliament. ‘He was killed by the Israeli soldier, therefore he is a martyr for us.

‘I actually see what he did as revenge for what the Israeli occupation did to the Palestinians.’

At the time, Prof Hawwash told the Daily Mail he was using Halabi as an example to show that if there was a way to find peace, people needed to understand the wider context and what led him to carry out the attack.

He said he ‘does not condone actions like his that resulted in the death of innocent civilians’.