The Jewish Chronicle

SNP told to fire candidate over ‘disgusting, antisemiti­c’ post

- BY PAUL DRURY

AN SNP candidate is being urged to withdraw from upcoming local government elections in Scotland over the discovery of a “disgusting, antisemiti­c” post on Facebook.

Wullie Graham, who will be standing in the south Glasgow ward of Pollok on 5 May, wrote that it was “sickening that Israeli Jews bring up their kids to hate and kill” — alongside a photo of an American-Jewish family.

The man in the image was kippahwear­ing Bill Bernstein, a former gun shop owner from Nashville in the US, who could be seen posing with his daughter, Gertrude. Both were holding guns in the photo.

The discovery of the seven-year-old post prompted a furious response from political rivals. Thomas Kerr, leader of the Tory group on Glasgow City Council — the body Mr Graham hopes to join next month — said: “It’s clear from his disgusting, antisemiti­c post that this candidate is not fit to stand for

— still less hold — public office. The SNP must sack him as a candidate immediatel­y.”

Labour Group leader Malcolm Cunning added: “Those with ambitions to elected office should not be parroting antisemiti­c tropes or spreading falsehoods on social media.”

Sammy Stein from Glasgow Friends of Israel told The Herald: “I would remind your readers that it is not unusual for Palestinia­n terrorists to attack and kill Israeli civilians and therefore it is not

It is clear that he is not fit to stand for — still less hold — public office

unreasonab­le to ensure that even some children know how to defend themselves. This does not mean they are taught to hate or kill indiscrimi­nately.”

The SNP said: “Mr Graham has apologised for a post in 2015 that he readily admits was stupid and indefensib­le.

“He has taken steps to reach out to the Scottish Council of Jewish Communitie­s as he seeks to make amends and learn from this.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom