A rising star of the Green Party has suggested last Monday’s destruction of four ambulances run by a Jewish charity was an ‘inside job’.
Tope Olawoyin shared a series of social media messages claiming the arson attack in Golders Green, north London, was ‘done by a fellow Jew’.
The burning of the four ambulances used by the Hatzola charity has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum and is being investigated by counter-terrorism police as a potential anti-Semitic hate crime.
Two men, British nationals aged 47 and 45, were later arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, and have now been bailed until April.
But Ms Olawoyin, a close ally of Green Party leader Zack Polanski, shared a claim that the attack was a ‘false flag’ – a term for an action carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it.
A spokesman from the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: ‘Their views are straight out of Nazi Germany… This is a major moment for the Green Party to decide what it is and which side of morality it wants to be on.’
There has been growing criticism of the Greens over a failure to tackle allegations of anti-Semitism in the party. In recent days, leaked WhatsApp messages exposed Green Party activists referring to Jewish people as ‘an abomination to this planet‘.
And last month, a document was sent to party members warning them against sharing messages online that could be viewed as anti-Semitic. It stated: ‘Those who oppose us will be looking for the opportunity to say that we are a bunch of unpleasant, vengeful anti-Semites. They will seek to bait us into making statements emotionally, and smear us whenever they can. Don’t take the bait!’
Tope Olawoyin (pictured), a Green councillor candidate, shared a post on the day of the Golders Green Jewish ambulance arson attacks, calling it an ‘inside job’
Green Party leader Zack Polanski speaks during the ‘Together Against The Far Right’ rally on Saturday, March 28
Mr Polanski was born into a Jewish family and says he is ‘proud of my Jewish heritage’.
But the Daily Mail revealed on Saturday that several members of his family fear they could be forced to leave the UK if he wins power. One said that the Greens were becoming ‘an Islamic party of Britain’.
Ms Olawoyin is a Green council candidate in Havering, east London, at the local elections in May.
She is a member of the party’s London executive board and previously introduced Mr Polanski at the party’s annual conference.
In the aftermath of last week’s attack on ambulances operated by the Jewish charity Hatzola, Ms Olawoyin shared a number of messages suggesting it had been staged.
And following the arrest of two British nationals in connection with the incident, Ms Olawoyin said: ‘I can say with almost absolute certainty that the men arrested are white, probably even Jewish.’
A vote on a policy proposal equating Zionism – support for the state of Israel – with racism was postponed at the party’s conference at the weekend.
The event, held online via Zoom, was marred by technical glitches as more than 1,000 people tried to take part.
The motion, if passed, would see the party formally declare itself ‘anti-Zionist’ and calls for support for ‘resistance’ from Israeli ‘occupation’. The Green Party was contacted for comment.
