The Mayor of Bath has apologised “unreservedly” after reposting a post on X which called the burning of four ambulances run by a Jewish charity, an Israeli false flag operation.
Mayor of Bath Dr Bharat Pankhania | Photo © Paul Gillis / paulgillisphoto.com
Dr Bharat Pankhania, who is a Liberal Democrat councillor and 798th Mayor of Bath, had shared the post on his personal account on X (formerly Twitter).
He also reposted two posts suggesting the burning of the Hatzola ambulances was insurance fraud.
He has since deleted those posts, and posted a full apology on X, referring to them as “abhorrent”.
In a statement posted on the social media network, Dr Pankhania said: “I have been made aware that I have reposted or replied to some posts which have never aligned to my values and beliefs, and which are abhorrent.
“I am incredibly apologetic that I have not lived up to the standards I set myself. I have of course deleted them, and I wish to apologise unreservedly.”
Dr Pankhania had reposted a post which referred to the burning of the ambulances as an “Israel false flag”, which said: “People are now asking why do the Jewish community have their own private ambulances in the UK?”.
Established in London following the deaths of Jewish people waiting for ambulances, Hatzola is a volunteer-led ambulance service which responds to anyone within its area who needs help, whether Jewish or not.
The four ambulances were set on fire in Golders Green, an area in London with a large Jewish community, in the early hours of March 23, in what police are treating as an antisemitic hate crime.
Two people were arrested in connection with the incident on 25th March on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
The Mayor of Bath is a purely ceremonial role, held for a year at a time by one of the councillors on Bath & North East Somerset Council who represent a ward within the city.
Dr Pankhania has been a councillor for Combe Down since 2019.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
