Fresh probe into antisemitic posts by former mayor

A further investigation has been ordered into complaints about a former city mayor reposting antisemitic conspiracies on social media.

In March Dr Bharat Pankhania, who was then Mayor of Bath, shared posts on X that incorrectly claimed an arson attack on Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green in London was insurance fraud and an "Israeli false flag operation".

The councillor for Combe Down deleted the posts and apologised "profusely" for his actions before stepping down as city mayor.

Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council's monitoring office has since looked into seven complaints about the posts, and the council said they have been referred to an independent standards investigation.

Four people have been charged in connection with the arson attack on Jewish community ambulances in north-west London in March that was mentioned in the social media posts.

Evan Rudowski, a member of the Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation, based in Bath, was one of the members of the public to complain.

He welcomed the prospect of further investigation into the posts, which he said "really played into the most ugly, age-old antisemitic tropes about Jewish behaviour".

When Pankhania apologised for the posts in March, he said they "never aligned" with his beliefs.

In response to the complaints, the former mayor then said his X account had always been a personal one, which had never been used in his capacity as a councillor or Mayor of Bath.

But in his report, the council's monitoring officer said more investigation was needed to determine whether the social media account was solely personal.

The council's legal chief also said the posts "could reasonably be interpreted as antisemitic and as contributing to fear and division, contrary to the community cohesion councillors should promote".

He added that he was not persuaded by Pankhania's account that he "only realised the posts were 'abhorrent' once 'made aware' and then deleted them", because he is an experienced social media user who has engaged with anti-Israel content in the past.

"Although they have apologised, they have not explained why they chose to interact with content from others, including a person charged with hate offences," the report said.

The monitoring officer said that reposting "incendiary material without challenge" risked creating the impression that he "endorses, promotes, or aligns themselves with those views".

BANES said: "In line with the council's code of conduct complaints procedure, a number of complaints that have been made against a councillor have been referred to an independent standards investigation."

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