The Ecotricity founder’s response to yesterday’s shooting has prompted fierce backlash.
Dale Vince’s remarks have been condemned (Image: Getty)
The Conservatives have called on the Labour Party to return all donations from eco warrior Dale Vince, after his response to yesterday’s Bondi Beech attack sparked furious reactions. Commenting on the massacre, which appeared to be deliberately targeted at Jews celebrating Hanukah, the Ecotricity founder posted: “Commenting on the shootings in Australia today Netanyahu said – Antisemitism spreads when leaders stay silent.
“Nothing to do with Isreal committing Genocide in Palestine then. Netanyahu wants antisemitism to be a thing, it validates him – he acts to make it so.” Mr Vince made no other comment on the shooting, that left over 15 dead including a Holocaust survivor. Amid furious backlash, the Tory Party’s chairman has now said Labour should return its funding from Mr Vince and condemn his comments.
The attack at Bondi Beach has left more than a dozen dead (Image: Getty)
Kevin Hollinrake blasted: “This is disgraceful. Any language that excuses or legitimises terrorism gives extremists cover and undermines our values.
“Labour must return all donations received from Mr Vince, refuse future ones, and make clear that terrorism has no moral ambiguity.”
Mr Vince has previously donated more than £5.5 million to the Labour Party, money which has already garnered controversy.
His Ecotricity company has earned more than £3.5 million in contracts for Sadiq Khan-run City Hall since 2020, the period in which he gave Labour his millions.
Spokesmen for both Mr Khan and Ecotricity have insisted there is no suggestion of wrongdoing, and that the contracts are unrelated to his donations.
Mr Vince previously said that while he wants to influence policy, he does not want to do so by buying access.
He has also given large sums to groups like Extinction Rebellion and Animal Rising, the hard-left group that disrupted the Grand National in 2023.
Kevin Hollinrake has said Labour should return Dale Vince’s money (Image: Getty)
His comments about the Bondi Beach shooting sparked wider backlash, with social media users condemning his reaction.
Lord Walney, a former government adviser on political extremism branded the tweet “repugnant”, adding: “Islamist terrorists often try to invoke whatever is the latest complaint about the government of Israel, but the victims on Bondi beach were killed for who they are as they came together to celebrate Hanukkah – as Jewish people have been targeted through history. It is time for Keir Starmer to cut ties with Mr Vince.”
Lord Austin, a former Labour MP, blasted: “These are disgusting remarks from Dale Vince that show his true colours. He cannot shake off his anti–Israel obsession even when Islamist terrorists slaughter Jewish people on Bondi Beach. On the same day as the murders, he also compared turkeys being killed for Christmas to the Holocaust, where six million Jews were murdered. An outrageous comparison that is deeply painful for Jewish people. He needs to apologise.”
Mr Vince has subsequently told the Express: “My words on this subject were not intended to excuse or legitimise terrorism, or any form of racism – what happened at Bondi beach is an atrocity. My words are aimed at the intervention of Netanyahu who in my opinion overlooks the impacts of his own terrorism. If anti semitism is rising in the world today then surely on any rational analysis the biggest single cause of that will be the Genocide in Palestine. I condemn all acts of violence and all forms of racism.”
The Labour Party was approached for comment.
