The United Kingdom’s Green Party is investigating over 30 local council candidates for alleged antisemitism, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

The report came a day before local council elections are set to be held. A Green Party spokesman told the newspaper that cases are being looked into and that some candidates have already been suspended, but also dismissed the problematic members as only a small minority of those running for the party.

Vetting and selection of candidates is carried out by the Greens’ local parties, the report said.

As the left-populist Green Party has seen major gains in recent months under its Jewish leader, Zack Polanski, who is sharply critical of Israel and last week called for the UK to end diplomatic and trade ties with Israel, it has also faced mounting scrutiny over its candidates’ antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric. Polanski admitted during the selection process that vetting was a “real challenge” for the Greens, though he has since said he has confidence in “99 percent” of his candidates.

“There is a growing realization among early party members that this has gone too far and action had to be taken,” an unnamed Green Party source told the Mail.

The source said that the party has now launched a fast-track disciplinary system handled by members of its National Council, rather than using its established disciplinary committee, which can take months to process cases.

However, since the nomination deadline for the upcoming elections has passed, candidates’ names cannot be legally removed from ballots, even if their parties withdraw support or suspend them.

Some of those under investigation have been given “no-fault suspensions,” the........

© The Times of Israel