The Board of Deputies of British Jews has called on the Conservatives to ditch him as a candidate, saying the selection “beggars belief”.
It is understood the party has now offered the Board, as well as the Jewish Leadership Council and the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, a meeting with Bonehill-Paine so they can discuss their concerns directly.
But the meeting invite has been declined.
In a statement, the Board and the Jewish Leadership Council said: “The severity of Joshua Bonehill-Paine’s crimes targeting Luciana Berger and others mean that he still faces ongoing legal restrictions.
“Whilst we do believe in the possibility of rehabilitation, this should not in this case entail selection as a candidate for a political party, and the impact of this decision on the victims ought to be a central consideration.
“We have agreed to meet the Conservative Party to discuss their decision making processes and to urge them to rescind this decision.”
When Bonehill-Paine’s selection was announced, Karen Newman, vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews – the largest body representing Jews in the UK – said that the board had contacted the Conservatives to “set out our concerns and call on them to rescind his selection and review their vetting processes.”
Bonehill-Paine also holds previous convictions for assaulting a police officer, burglary of a police station and malicious communications.
On Tuesday, he was selected to stand as the Tory candidate in the new Somerset Council seat of Crewkerne South in 2027. He said he wanted to “give back” to a community which had supported him.
Bonehill-Paine said he reformed his previous views when he learned of the murder of MP Jo Cox in 2016, and subsequently undertook a de-radicalisation programme. He now delivers counter-extremism sessions around the UK.
He said: “When I was first released from prison in 2018, I was supported by many of the people in my local community who understood that I had made some awful mistakes but was wanting to change my life around.”
Bonehill-Paine is also the founder of the The Crewkerne Gazette, a viral satirical X page that publishes deepfake AI-generated videos of politicians, such as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Badenoch.
The decision to field Bonehill-Paine as a candidate has also been criticised by other political parties.
Liberal Democrat MP Adam Dance, whose Yeovil constituency includes Crewkerne, said the Conservative Party needed to explain “why it believes this candidate is fit to serve”.
A Labour Party spokesperson said his selection was “a total disgrace”.
But Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, said while he did not know the individual circumstances the case, he did believe in rehabilitation.
Speaking at a news conference, Polanski condemned antisemitism but added “I don’t believe anyone should be pushed out of public life permanently”.
“I do believe there should be spaces for people to rehabilitate, no matter what they say, no matter how heinous what they do is,” Polanski said.
