[Missing Credit]
A different member of the WhatsApp group questioned whether it was appropriate to share “press releases from proscribed terrorist groups” on the chat.
“There is no shortage of groups advocating for Palestine who don't feel the need to put ‘Israeli’ in scare quotes”, they added, referencing Hamas’s refusal to recognise Israel.
Boyd then responded: “Who is the terrorist group? The occupational force committing genocide or the indigenous people fighting for their own land that's systematically being taken from them one atrocity at a time?”
“In World War II [sic] were the French resistance terrorists or were they fighting for their own land? Were the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto the terrorists for fighting against an occupational force?”, the councillor for Thatcham Colthrop & Crookham added.
Boyd continued: “Just because the UK, through the Balfour agreement, is in part responsible for what is happening in Gaza doesn't mean that we can't accept mistakes have been made but endeavour to do the right thing when we can see with our own eyes the Zionist game plan.”
[Missing Credit]
Four different members of the group then “liked” Boyd’s lengthy post.
The same person who disagreed with the sharing of Hamas content then responded that while, in their opinion, Israel “has done inhumane things”, “Hamas, who hold dictatorial control of the government of Gaza, are an evil, racist, terrorist organisation who have also slaughtered innocent civilians purely because of their ethnicity”.
But a third member of the group questioned whether it was wrong not to engage with Hamas when the terror group was democratically elected in Palestinian legislative elections back in 2006 (no elections have been held in the Strip since).
“Instead we declared them a terrorist group until they accepted Israel's right to exist. Despite the current extremist Zionist government in Israel effectively denying Palestinians right to their own land the West somehow continues to regard them as our 'friends' and provides total impunity to their war crimes”, they said.
[Missing Credit]
After some further discussion, Boyd said that: “Hamas is the product of the Israeli occupation and I dare say if any of us were put in the same position we would want somebody fighting for our side when the rest of the world is too afraid not to support the Zionist oppression.”
“I say Zionist because of course there are many Jews who are opposed to what is going on in Israel. It is not antisemitic to criticise a Zionist regime for their actions of committing genocide, and as long as they are given immunity of their actions, they will continue to do so,” he added.
[Missing Credit]
A Liberal Democrat spokesperson told the JC: "These comments are highly offensive as well as inappropriate and do not reflect the party's position, we have been unequivocal in condemning Hamas' atrocious terrorist attacks on October 7."
However, the JC understands that, despite his remarks, Boyd remains a member of the Liberal Democrats, even though a formal complaint was submitted about them.
A Lib Dem source said that “a complaint regarding this case was assessed” under the party's “independent complaints process”, however it was declined “on the grounds there was insufficient evidence”.
The source claimed that they were unaware of the specific content in the messages revealed by the JC and said that should a new complaint be received, it would “be looked at under the party's independent complaints process”.
However, this isn’t the first time this year that a Liberal Democrat councillor has come under criticism for comments about Israel.
Earlier this year, the JC revealed that Gordon Birtwistle – a councillor in Burnley and the town’s former MP – said in a hustings during the general election campaign that he hadn’t called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide” because “Jewish groups” had previously tried to get him kicked out of the Liberal Democrats.
“I will call it that in parliament when I have the protection,” he added.
The JC understands that despite a complaint being submitted about Birtwistle being assessed by the party's independent complaints process, his membership has not been suspended.
On Thursday, he was confirmed as a Liberal Democrat candidate for the upcoming Lancashire County Council elections.
John Boyd has been contacted for comment.
