The Green Party’s former leader has been strongly criticised for backing a “hateful” anti-Israel campaign in Bristol.
In a video posted to social media Carla Denyer MP, who served as co-leader of the Green Party from between 2021-2025, expressed her support for “Bristol Apartheid Free Zone”.
The video, which was originally posted by the group in December last year, has re-emerged on social media after a similar recent campaign in Brighton came under media scrutiny and opponents of it claimed was “campaign of intimidation”.
In the video, Denyer – who was elected in 2024 as the MP for Bristol Central – says Bristol Apartheid Free Zone is a “brilliant grassroots community organised campaign in solidarity with people in Palestine”, boasting that it had “got over 5,000 households already signed up to boycott apartheid goods from occupied Palestine – and I am one of those people who have signed up”.
She also claims that over 100 businesses had backed the campaign and went to visit some of them, posing with a framed image displayed by one of the shops saying: “This shop doesn’t support Apartheid. This shop won’t sell products made or grown in Israel. Boycott Israel. Free Palestine.”
The Green MP was strongly criticised by the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), who described her support for the campaign as “chilling”.
“Many within the Jewish community will hear this language as a coded call for a ‘Jewish Free Zone’.”
A spokesperson for the group continued: “Activists in Brighton marching door to door with similar demands for a political purity pledge on Palestine has made Jewish people fearful in their own homes.
“At a time when anti-Zionist activism is increasingly being used as a vehicle for hatred and incitement against Jews, political leaders must consider the consequences of their language. The Green Party must confront the growing perception that antisemitism, when disguised as anti-Israel activism, is being tolerated within its ranks."
Denyer was also criticised by a Labour MP.
Luke Akehurst told the JC: “Carla Denyer's support for an 'apartheid-free zone' in Bristol is a hateful campaign that intentionally excludes Israelis based on their nationality - an appalling denial of their rights and freedoms in Britain. Israel is a democratic state with full rights for Arab citizens, and there's no comparison with South Africa.”
The supporter of Labour Friends of Israel continued: “Extremist BDS campaigns like this that demonise Israel are morally wrong and will bring us no closer to the lasting peace we all want to see in Israel and Palestine."
Denyer was first elected to Parliament at the 2024 general election, where she unseated shadow cabinet member Thangam Debbonaire, one of the party’s few losses in an otherwise overwhelming victory.
During the campaign, Denyer and the Greens were criticised by Dame Louise Ellman, a Jewish Labour Party grandee, for using evocative imagery of the conflict in Gaza in their electoral literature.
Ellman accused the party of “stirring division”.
The Green Party, however, defended their former leader’s support for Bristol Apartheid Free Zone.
A spokesperson for the party told the JC: "The Green Party's commitment to peace, justice and freedom for Palestinians is well known and sits alongside our strong opposition to antisemitism and support for community unity and cohesion. It is no surprise therefore that our MPs are taking action in support of Palestinians in their constituencies, alongside meeting and listening to the Jewish community and all faith communities in the city."
Carla Denyer has been contacted for comment.
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