West Dunbartonshire Council refuses to sever ties with group whose leaders share antisemitic conspiracy myths

The leaders of West Dunbartonshire Supports the People of Palestine (WDSPP) in Scotland have reportedly shared shocking antisemitic posts on social media, but they apparently continue to enjoy the support of West Dunbartonshire Council. This support allegedly included making council premises available for WDSPP events, publicising the group’s activities on the council’s website, and even providing funding.

A researcher, David Collier, has meticulously uncovered appalling antisemitic conspiracy myths social media by leading members of WDSPP. Some of the graphic examples allegedly include sharing links that accuse the Israeli Secret Service, Mossad, of murdering Princess Diana; accuse a Mossad agent of being responsible for the 7/7 London bombings; accuse Israel of harvesting Ukrainian childrens’ organs; support the idea that Israel controls the US Congress; and allege that the leader of ISIS is a Mossad agent and that Israel is training ISIS terrorists.

They also allegedly shared links to modern-day antisemitic hate preacher, David Icke, to a Holocaust denial website about “Rothchild Zionism” and to an article and caricature claiming that six million Jewish deaths was a lie and only a total of only 271,000 Jews died in Nazi concentration camps.

Mr Collier also reported that these activists are involved with the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC). This comes in the wake of his 160-page report that confirmed widespread antisemitism inside the SPSC. The report, titled “Jew Hate and Holocaust Denial in Scotland” was the result of two years of research and investigation into the activities of the SPSC.

When alerted to the posts, Council Leader Jonathan McColl replied: “The shared posts are quite clearly the worst kind of conspiracy theory nonsense, designed to cause offence, and in no way contribute to sensible debate. That said, having looked at what you have sent, I cannot see anything written by any of the individuals on behalf of the group they are involved in that could be seen as racist.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism calls on West Dunbartonshire Council should show that it is serious about countering antisemitism by formally adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism, and then applying it by having nothing further to do with WDSPP.