The national spotlight is being shone on Isle of Wight parish councillor Sophus Magill, who allegedly created a private WhatsApp group involving Green Party members in which controversial comments were made about Israel, Zionism and British Jews.
Magill, who was co-opted, rather than elected, onto Wootton Bridge Parish Council in January this year, made comments in a private WhatsApp group called Greens Against Imperialism, which he created. The group was not an official Green Party group channel.
The messages were revealed by The Times newspaper on Monday and have since been reported by The Telegraph, with the national newspapers highlighting a series of controversial comments about Israel, Zionism and British Jews.
During one exchange, Magill – who unsuccessfully stood for the Green Party in the Fairlee and Whippingham ward in May’s Isle of Wight Council local elections – is said to have written that ‘Zionism has to go’, adding:
“The only solution is one equal state.”
When another participant asked whether that meant wanting Israel ‘wiped off the map, in essence?’, Magill replied:
“Yes, I would like that.”
He went on to say he did not consider it violent to want what he described as an “illegitimate apartheid state gone from all maps”, comparing the change he envisaged to the end of Rhodesia.
Magill added that Israeli citizens who were not war criminals and agreed to coexist peacefully with Palestinians had a right to live there.
Other members of the group created by Magill also made controversial comments. One discussed whether being an ‘extreme anti-zionist’ could mean supporting ‘killing Zionists’, but described such a position as “wrong”.
Another participant described British Jews as a ‘brilliant weapon’ for the Israeli state.
Another discussion referred to the majority of Israeli Jews as ‘genociders’ and described hostility towards Jews arising from the conflict as ‘understandable’.
It is not the first time Magill has been linked to controversial Green Party WhatsApp campaigning…
In June, the Jewish Chronicle revealed that Magill had distributed a letter opposing moves which could lead to action against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The campaign came despite serious concerns over Iranian activity in Britain. MI5 had revealed that UK authorities had responded to at least 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots since 2022.
The IRGC has been accused of backing terrorist organisations and plotting attacks overseas. The United States has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, while the European Union designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation earlier this year.
Despite this, the letter distributed by Magill declared:
“The IRGC is not a terrorist organisation; it is a national institution on the front line of a brutal, illegal war fuelled and cheered on by our own government, protecting its nation and people from Western warmongering.
“To support this proscription is to support this genocidal Israeli plan… It makes the Green Party complicit in the violence of US imperialism.”
Magill has meanwhile become a prominent figure in anti-racism campaigning on the Isle of Wight.
He has been involved with Isle of Wight Stand Up To Racism and took part in protests during Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s visit to the Island, accusing Reform of promoting far-right-wing politics and contributing to a ‘culture of hate and division’.
A spokesperson for The Green Party has told The Times:
“We do not comment on internal party forums or discussions on WhatsApp groups that are not official party group channels.”
UPDATE WEDNESDAY – Wootton Bridge Parish Council has now responded to Magill’s comments.
Read more at https://www.islandecho.co.uk/parish-council-distances-itself-from-councillor-over-controversial-whatsapp-remarks/.
I mean just look at the fucking state of it what a deranged party they are…
Parish council, seems to explain area they need to focus on.
Anyone in that area should refuse to pay the parish council precept.
Dear Island Echo, I think the house rules prohibit profanity. Can you please remove this comment. Thank you
Well you certainly live up to your name
Hopefully details will also be of interest to the Police as what has been said amounts to hate crime!
Extremist, bigoted views against jews and whites, are ignored by the police. As seen when a senior appeaser in the Met police, tried to prosecute a white whistle-blower. Who dared to inform of a serious case of corruption.
Hate crime–exactly what Zionists are guilty of 1000s of times daily.
What a truly disgusting individual. How anyone can be so uninformed and absolutely pig-ignorant is beyond me.
It’s stupid little bastards like this, that are ruining Britain.. they live in cuckoo land.. get a proper job dipstick and in your spare time read up on history perhaps you will learn something
Midwit antisemitism will be the DEATH of any reasonable and sensible discussion around Palestine, can’t these types of morons see how detrimental they are to their own cause?
where is the sense in labelling people as monsters when you disagree with them politically? It just continues the cycle forever on and on
What an insect. Anti-Semitic. Oh and Rhodesia turned into Zimbabwe. What was once the fertile farm basket of Africa has now become yet another failed African state.
For once I am lost for words.
He seems to have been deliberately misreported to wind people up (and successfully by the look of things here) Just think what could be done with what you may have said over the years, with a little editing.
He? Looks female to me.
Perhaps the so-called Green Party needs to be proscribed?
Disgusting individual. This is how far the Green environmentalists have fallen. The Greens won’t comment, that shows you what this sinister organisation is, they should have thrown him out of their Party. Embarrassment for the Island. Clear off and look and learn you Green voters.
He looks like he’s about 12
She, and she is confused about a lot of things.
Really? must put specs on!
I do not condone his comments, unfortunately we make a greater fuss about words than actions, the Israeli government are killing people on a daily basis, including using kids for target practice, they are restricting aid, incl medicine, destroyed all hospitals, stealing land. And yet there is no condemnation of the Zionists actions on here or in our main stream press, what is wrong with the world.
Thee Israeli government is carrying out genocide in Gaza, is that right then?? It has gone far beyond self defence.
Seriously? is this the best we can muster to be on our councils and supposedly represent voters. Magots like this worm their way in through the back door and eventually do have some power. What are Wootton Bridge Parish Council going to do knowing this vile individual is in their midst?
Another one of “wightlink” and “sunshine”s loony left mates showing exactly what those sort of people stand for.
SCUM!
Let these greens go over to gaza and see how long they last think mental asylums need to reopened
I think the lovely Miss Magill is confused about a lot of things.
Is that not a young girl ?
It looks massively entitled, if not mentally ill.
Jog on kid, have yourself a little grow up.
After having a second look, I’ve used better toilet paper than that brainwashed fool.
How strange that our wonderful Vix is keeping her head down on this one, she’d usually go to the opening of an envelope if it got her photograph in the Island Echo. Perhaps this weirdo, who probably hasn’t gone further east than Seaview and hasn’t a clue what they’re on about is even too much for her? Still if whatever this is is showing support for a proscribed terrorist organisation hopefully it won’t be long before there’s a knock at its door.
oh dear – poor Green Party really isn’t doing very well lately.
Also disturbing is that they, either nationally or locally have not issued any statement about this! Maybe they are supporting her instead condemning her vile, hateful comments!
WOW! He is seriously deranged my boy. He should be committed to the care of a secure mental hospital. Possibly for life.