The comments came in a WhatsApp group of Salisbury city councillors on Nov 28 last year, which began with Mr Hoque sharing a picture of a Salisbury Journal newspaper letter written by a Jewish woman that criticised the local Tory MP John Glen for voting against a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza.
Mr Hoque captioned the screenshot with the words “faith restored”, which led to a fellow Tory councillor disagreeing by saying that “a letter accusing Israel of genocide [and] calling it a Zionist state is not one I think we should be lauding”.
Mr Hoque then responded by defending much of the letter and claiming that ministers “will lose their post if they suggest 2 estate (sic) solutions not Jewish people but Zionist the pay mastered (sic) will NOT accept it’s not in their narrative to do so”.
Conspiracy theory
Following a recital of the Quran, Mr Hoque concluded his 300-word message by remarking how “don’t forget who planted the crucifixion of our beloved Jesus Christ peace be upon him, they are good at that…”.
Sources close to the case said this was an apparent reference to the Jewish deicide, a historic conspiracy theory that Jews of all generations are collectively responsible for Jesus’s death which has led to pogroms and massacres of Jews during the Crusades, the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions and others.
The Telegraph understands that the message exchange formed part of the complaint made against Mr Hoque.
The comments have sparked outrage. A source close to the case told The Telegraph: “I was stunned to receive these messages from Cllr Hoque which use various anti-Semitic tropes. Whatever one’s views on the Israel/Palestine conflict, it surely cannot be right to speak of ‘Zionist paymasters’ or make the inference that Jewish are blasphemous for their alleged role in the death of Christ.”
Mr Hoque has been a Conservative city councillor for St Edmund’s ward since 2015.
The Salisbury Conservative Association said in a statement: “Upon receiving a formal complaint, our party initiated a thorough investigation, in accordance with our robust complaints process. This process ensures that individuals have the opportunity to present their perspective and allows for a fair and impartial assessment of the situation.”
The party added: “Following a careful examination of the evidence, it has been determined that councillor Hoque’s comments are in clear breach of the standards expected from individuals holding public office.
“As a result, the Conservative Party has taken the decision to expel Councillor Atiqul Hoque from the party.”
Labour delay
The row comes after Labour was forced to take action against two parliamentary candidates within 24 hours after their anti-Israel comments came to light.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, suspended Graham Jones, the prospective parliamentary candidate for Hyndburn, after it emerged that he referred to “f—ing Israel” at a public meeting.
He was pushed into the decision less than a day after he was forced to remove support for Azhar Ali, his candidate for the Rochdale by-election.
In a statement, Mr Hoque told The Telegraph: “I am disappointed the story has been sent to the media when I was told to keep the matter confidential. There is no truth whatsoever in the allegations that I am anti-Semitic. I will be fighting to clear my name as I am entirely innocent of these allegations.
“My track record speaks for itself; over many years I have worked for all the people of Salisbury, regardless of their religion or ethnic background. I am proud of having Jewish friends and supporters, and those I have heard from have sent me messages of support.
“As someone who has experienced occasional racism and discrimination myself, I believe there is no place for either at all. In due course I will be happy to share all the communication with everyone [who] was involved as I have nothing to hide.”
