Green Party Withdraws Support for Blakelaw & Cowgate Candidate After Another Antisemitism Row

A Green Party candidate in Newcastle has come under fire after a series of controversial social media posts resurfaced, including one that appeared to call for the killing of “every single Zionist.”

Tina Ion, who is standing in the Blakelaw and Cowgate ward, confirmed she was behind the posts, which were shared on Threads under the username “thereal.anne.frank.” Some of the content used highly inflammatory language, describing “Zionists” as “vermin” and “rats,” while other posts echoed harmful stereotypes about Jewish people. In response, the Newcastle Green Party has withdrawn its support for her candidacy.

Ion has pushed back strongly against the accusations. She said the posts being circulated are “isolated fragments” taken out of context and insisted she rejects “any accusation of antisemitism.” According to her, her criticism is aimed not at Jewish people as a group, but at “a political ideology and a set of state actions.”

The account in question featured a profile picture of a young woman wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern scarf. One post suggested the image was chosen because “Anne Frank wearing a keffiyeh pisses Zionists off.” Another included an image of an industrial shredding machine, which Ion reportedly referred to as a “Zionist juicer.”

Addressing the language she used, Ion acknowledged that some of her posts were “dehumanising,” which she attributed to moments of intense emotional distress after watching footage of children being killed in conflict zones. She also claimed the backlash is part of “a weaponised narrative” intended to damage both her and the Green Party.

The Threads account has since disappeared. Meta, the platform’s parent company, confirmed it was removed for breaching community guidelines.

Criticism has been swift. Labour activist Steve Cooke was among the first to speak out, calling the posts “classic antisemitic abuse” and accusing Ion of “hiding behind the Z-word.” He urged the Green Party to drop her as a candidate ahead of the 7 May elections.

In a statement, the Newcastle Green Party said it was “appalled by the racist material” and confirmed it had referred the case to the party’s disciplinary process as soon as it became aware of the posts. The party also announced an urgent review of its candidate vetting procedures.

A spokesperson added that complaints have been passed on to the Green Party of England and Wales, which is now investigating. They stressed that the party stands in solidarity with both Jewish and Palestinian communities, saying those commitments “are not in tension.”

The party also reiterated that it “will not allow antisemitism to go unchallenged” and is planning antisemitism awareness training for its members.

The controversy follows a difficult week for the Newcastle branch, which had already faced criticism after three other candidates were accused of antisemitism. Party deputy leader Zack Polanski later said he condemns antisemitism and expressed confidence in the vast majority of the party’s candidates.