The Green Party is currently investigating one of its newly elected councillors, Mothin Ali, who shouted “Allahu Akbar!” during his victory speech after winning the Gipton and Harehills ward in Leeds with over 3,000 votes in Thursday’s local elections. Mr. Ali declared his victory as a “win for the people of Gaza.”
The 42-year-old father of three, who works as an accountant and runs a gardening blog, has previously made controversial statements. He described a Jewish chaplain, Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch, as a “creep” and a “kind of animal.” Rabbi Deutsch had been forced into hiding due to threats from protesters. Mr. Ali’s comments have raised concerns within the Green Party.
During his victory speech, Mr. Ali boldly stated, “We will not be silenced. We will raise the voice of Gaza. We will raise the voice of Palestine. Allahu Akbar!” These historic comments have prompted the Green Party to launch an investigation. A party spokesperson stated, “We are investigating issues drawn to our attention in relation to Councillor Mothin Ali. However, we are clear that we never support anything that extols violence.”
Despite the ongoing investigation, Mr. Ali has not been suspended by the Greens and will continue to represent the party as a councillor. Videos posted on his social media channels following the October 7 attacks, during which Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis, reveal Mr. Ali’s views. He claimed that Israel would use the pretext of Hamas fighters’ retaliation to launch attacks on civilians. He labelled Gaza as the “biggest concentration camp the world has ever seen” and urged viewers to “support the right of indigenous people to fight back.”
Mr. Ali further described Israel as a “settler, colonial, occupier” that seeks to “erase the legitimacy of a native population.” He criticised Israel’s actions and accused it of using anti-Semitism as a weapon to silence critics.
