Mark Adderley, the husband of television personality Nadia Sawalha, has been elected as a councillor in south London despite facing suspension from the Green Party over a series of inflammatory online comments widely condemned as antisemitic.
The Daily Mail reported that Adderley, 55, won a seat representing Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood in Croydon. However, due to his suspension from the Green Party, he is expected to sit as an independent councillor rather than under the party banner. His election has sparked criticism because of repeated remarks in videos posted to his YouTube channel, where he compared Israel to Nazi Germany and promoted conspiracy theories involving Israeli intelligence agencies.
Among the most controversial comments was Adderley’s comparison between Israeli policy and Adolf Hitler’s territorial ambitions. In a video uploaded in March, he referenced the Nazi term “Lebensraum" and claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was pursuing an expansionist agenda similar to that of Nazi Germany. He further declared that Israel posed “the biggest threat to the sovereignty of every nation on this planet," describing the Jewish state as “a cult."
Adderley also advanced conspiratorial claims involving Israel’s Mossad intelligence service. Speaking about the killing of American political commentator Charlie Kirk, he alleged without evidence that the incident was orchestrated by “the deep state, Mossad intelligence, CIA." In another video discussing a drone strike on a British military base in Cyprus, Adderley questioned whether the attack had been an “Israeli false flag."
His comments extended to British politics as well. Following a government decision to appeal a ruling concerning Palestine Action, Adderley launched into an expletive-filled attack on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, accusing her of being a “puppet of the Zionist state."
Critics say the remarks cross the line from criticism of Israeli policy into outright antisemitism. Former Labour MP Lord Walney accused the Green Party of becoming consumed by “Israel-obsessed" activism and condemned the rhetoric associated with Adderley’s online activity.
The Green Party has distanced itself from Adderley’s statements, insisting that his views do not represent party policy.