Aziz Hakimi on a Green Party leaflet

THE Green Party is facing calls to remove support for one of its council election candidates over reports he used Facebook to share conspiracy theories about 9/11 and the recent Golders Green ambulance arson attack.

Aziz Hakimi, who is standing in the Haverstock ward, is accused of sharing a post in which a speaker blames “Zionists” for the hijacked airplane terror attack on the twin towers in New York in 2001. Screenshots circulated this week also appear to show he posted “stay strong Hamas” in 2018, while more recently shared an article which suggested the attack on the Hatzola ambulances was a “false flag” operation. When a Jewish boy was attacked in Hampstead in what police said was a racially-aggravated attack last year, comments attributed to his account claimed misinformation was being shared and “everyone knows who’s playing the victim card.”

Several other social media posts are under investigation.

The New Journal has attempted to contact Mr Hakimi in relation to his posts and for a full right of reply, but have not received a reply so far.

Labour council leader Councillor Richard Olszewski said: “Aziz Hakimi’s conduct is abhorrent and antisemitic and I’m appalled the Camden Green Party selected him. His views have no place in our borough. The Camden Green Party must drop Hakimi immediately and make this clear to voters in Haverstock that they no longer support his candidacy.

“Camden is a diverse and tolerant borough where every resident from all backgrounds is welcomed. We firmly stand against any forms of antisemitism, hatred and conspiracy theories in our politics in Camden.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Tom Simon, the leader of the opposition, added: “If the Green Party is serious about standing against antisemitism, racism and hatred, they must act decisively, disown him as a candidate immediately and expel him from the party. To fail to do so would mean the Green Party is condoning his views.”

Mr Hakimi appears to share an article calling the Hatzola article 

It is too late for the Greens to change their council election candidates ahead of the postal ballots and voting day on May 7, as the deadline for final entries was last Thursday. A final list of who is standing was published on Friday.

The party has not taken the step of suspending Mr Hakimi, however – and if he was to be successful in the elections he would be a Green Party councillor at the Town Hall pending the result of an internal investigation.

If this did happen, the Green group leader on the council would have the power to immediately remove the party whip from him and it is understood that this would be the most likely outcome. Camden’s only current Green councillor Lorna Jane Russell has confirmed she would take this action in any group she might lead after the election.

Haverstock is a ward which the Greens have been circulating leaflets telling residents that it is a neck and neck race with Labour, although the ruling party currently holds the three seats in the ward and has done since 2010.

A Green party spokesperson said: “These comments do not reflect the views and values of the Green Party. We are investigating them.”

Cllr Russell said: “Camden Green Party unequivocally reject antisemitism and all forms of racism. We take these allegations extremely seriously and while the party’s investigation is ongoing, I want to reassure our community that these views are unacceptable. Our focus across Camden remains on running a positive, hopeful campaign, while holding Labour to account for their failures and poor record on housing.”

The party’s leader Zack Polanski told Politics Home last week that the booming interest in joining the party and standing for election came with problems. “I recognise we’re dealing with an immense amount of people very quickly, and so I won’t be surprised if we have the odd candidate where we have to distance [ourselves] from them,” he said.