Social media influencer James Melville spreads antisemitic conspiracies and disinformation

James Melville is the managing director and founder of East Points West, a consultancy specialising in sponsorship, communications, and public affairs. He is also a social media influencer with over 595,000 followers on X and appears regularly as a commentator on GB News and Talk TV. Additionally, he is the founder of the ‘No Farmers, No Food’ campaign.

However, many followers may not realise that beyond his advocacy for civil liberties, Melville increasingly uses social media to share veiled antisemitic tropes. His posts include portrayals of Israel as a malevolent power that secretly undermines the sovereignty of foreign governments. He also accuses Jewish people of fabricating claims of antisemitism to silence criticism of Israel and has attempted to rationalise the Hamas-led massacre of civilians on 7 October.

As Melville himself says, it is not antisemitic to criticise the policies of the Israeli government. Yet, because his accusations often rely on fabricated tales and unreliable sources, he continually strays into antisemitic rhetoric.

He frequently shares content from anti-Israel protagonists such as conspiracy theorist Gareth Icke, son of David Icke. He also promotes Norman Finkelstein, who has expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah and whose work is not peer-reviewed. Furthermore, Melville has promoted the film Palestine 36, which has been described as an ‘insult to history’. This has led him to falsely claim that Israel has deliberately carried out atrocities against civilians, specifically children.

Another example of Melville’s inability to discern fact from fiction is his commentary on a video clip featuring Amir Al-Hanawi, a young Gazan boy born with severe congenital limb deformities. Without evidence, Melville blames Israel for these disabilities. He accepts the family’s claim that they were caused by white phosphorus, despite the fact that Israel has not used white phosphorus in urban areas since 2009 and phased it out as a smoke screen in 2013.

Melville also implies that Israel started the current war to gain control of ‘$500bn’ worth of oil and gas discovered off the Gaza coast in 1999. Rather than researching the Gaza Marine field, he repeatedly uses a figure from a flawed 2019 UNCTAD report which relied on unverified sources.

In reality, Gaza Marine is a small gas field estimated to be worth approximately $4bn. Israel has never laid claim to it. Israel’s own gas fields are over 20 times larger. In June 2023, Israel actually agreed to the field being developed jointly by the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to help the Palestinian economy.

James Melville holds Israel wholly responsible for the destruction in Gaza. He mistakenly points his finger at Israel for the suffering of Palestinians, when he should instead look at Hamas. The group launched its largest ever attack on Israel just as the promise of regional stability and economic improvement was within reach.