UK Conservative Candidate Suspended for Condolences to B’nei Brak Terror Attack Victims

A candidate for Britain’s Conservative Party in a local race has been suspended after giving condolences to the victims of the recent B’nei Brak terror attack in Israel.

The Jewish News reported that the candidate, Dr. Shadman Zadman, had posted on social media that the terror attack was the third in a week in Israel and shared his “deepest condolences” to the victims’ loved ones. Zadman was told by the local party leader, Nick Jones, via WhatsApp to take down the post because they need to keep the election “local.” Zadman refused, and thus Jones suspended him.

Jones told The Jewish News, “I have categorically not told candidates they cannot post pro-Israel sentiments. However, I have made clear that the social media must be local about the Conservatives plan to deliver a cleaner, greener, safer borough.” A friend of Zadman’s told The Jewish News that Zadman was “surprised” by Jones’ actions, saying that Zadman “has made no secret of his support for the state of Israel in the past, and wanted to express his sympathies to those affected by the terror attacks over the past few days that have taken place there.” 

Jewish groups denounced Zadman’s suspension.

“Wrong UK politician lost his job,” the Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted. “Conservative party official should be out. Expressing condolences to victims of terror is not political – it’s human decency.”

Wrong UK politician lost his job. Conservative party official should be out. Expressing condolences to victims of terror is not political – it’s human decency. https://t.co/2NoJEaVBRN via @JewishNewsUK

— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) March 31, 2022

Stop Antisemitism tweeted that Zadman’s suspension was “outrageous.”

Outrageous – a political candidate in England, Dr. Shadman Zaman (pictured right), was ordered to take down a Facebook post expressing condolences for the 11 Israelis killed in terror attacks over the past week.

When he refused, his party suspended him! https://t.co/ZG1orjeoU6

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) March 31, 2022

Zadman moved to Britain in 2017 after becoming the first Bangladeshi national to visit Israel. Bangladesh does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, although the Bangladeshi government has removed their travel ban to Israel.