George Galloway made a controversial return to the House of Commons today by comparing Israel’s operations in Gaza to the Holocaust – less than an hour after being sworn in as MP for Rochdale.
But as the firebrand MP conducted his Westminster press conference this afternoon, it was hard to miss his glamorous wife nodding behind him as she looked to undoubtedly agree with his inflammatory remarks.
Galloway’s fourth wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, who is 30 years younger than him, is a Dutch-born producer who has made a documentary called ‘The Killing$ of Tony Blair’ and also co-hosted his Sputnik show.
As her divisive husband declared that those in Gaza were the victims of a ‘genocide’ at the hands of Israel, Ms Pertiwi stood behind him in a show of support, flaunting her nails which had been painted in the colours of the Palestine flag.
After winning his seat by running on a pro-Palestinian platform, Galloway refused to condemn Hamas, saying they had been chosen by the people of Gaza in election, and said ‘the next election will be about Muslims’.
Galloway and Ms Pertiwi met when she helped him with his charity Viva Palestina and they tired the knot on March 31, 2012.
Newly elected MP for Rochdale, George Galloway, with his wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi showing off her nails which had been painted in Palestine colours for her husband’s Commons return
Galloway kisses his wife during vote counting at the Rochdale by-election, which he romped to victory in
Galloway’s fourth wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi (pictured at Westminster today) is 30 years younger than him
Dutch-born Ms Pertiwi, who has Indonesian heritage, attended the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, where she studied cultural heritage.
She has also worked for a Dutch research film as a consultant and co-presented Galloway’s TV show Sputnik, which moved to YouTube after it was cancelled in March 2022.
Ms Pertiwi has also gained notoriety for producing a number of documentaries, including The Killing$ of Tony Blair in 2016 and Killing Kelly in 2021.
The documentary about the former Prime Minister, which Galloway also produced, is described as: ‘The story of Tony Blair’s destruction of the Labour Party, his well-remunerated business interests, and the thousands of innocent people who have died following his decision to invade Iraq.’
Meanwhile Killing Kelly is ‘an explosive documentary about the strange death of Dr David Kelly, the British weapons expert found dead in the woods – as he predicted he would be – amidst the swirl of Tony Blair and George W Bush’s ill-fated invasion of Iraq.’
Galloway and Ms Peritwi wed in an Islamic ceremony held in Amsterdam. It took place just 48 hours after Galloway claimed victory in the Bradford West by-election that year.
And it came a mere four months since his third wife had given birth to a son – their second.
Ms Pertiwi was aged 27 when the couple wed – and is just two years younger than his first child, Lucy.
Despite their three-decade age gap, Galloway and Ms Pertiwi has two daughters – Orla Dhien and Oban Amaria – and one son – Toren Mustaqim
Galloway and his wife arrive at a Suzuki garage, which had been his base during the campaign, for a post-election rally
The initial wedding was followed by a traditional Javanese ceremony in Sumatra – and then a civil ceremony in the Commons in September 2012.
Despite their three-decade age gap, Galloway and Ms Pertiwi has two daughters – Orla Dhien and Oban Amaria – and one son – Toren Mustaqim.
From 1979 to 1999, Galloway was married to his former teenage sweetheart, Elaine Fyffe. They had a daughter, Lucy, now 29 with two children of her own.
The couple separated in 1987 but did not divorce for a further 12 years.
The politician had already taken Dr Amineh Abu-Zayyad, a Palestinian scientist, as a second wife in a Muslim ceremony in 1994. A year after his divorce from Elaine in 1999, he married Dr Abu-Zayyad in a civil ceremony.
In 2009 Dr Abu-Zayyad obtained an uncontested divorce citing unreasonable behaviour. In divorce papers she said the marriage had irretrievably broken down because his friendships with other women left her depressed.
By this time the MP had already had a son, Zein, with his Lebanese former researcher, Rima Husseini, whom he had married in a Muslim ceremony in 2007.
George Galloway with his wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi in front of the Houses of Parliament on April 16, 2012
Dutch-born Ms Pertiwi, who has Indonesian heritage, attended the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, where she studied cultural heritage
At one point Mr Galloway was reported to have split from his third ‘wife’. But a second son, Faris, arrived in December 2011.
Speaking after the birth of his fifth child Galloway said: ‘It used to be the tradition of Irish Catholic immigrants to have six children, so I’m not stopping here.
‘As long as God gives me breath — and energy — there will be more. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.
‘There’s nothing that keeps you young like your children climbing over your face in the morning to wake you up. It’s life-enhancing.’
And after the birth of his sixth child he tweeted: ‘We are delighted to announce the natural home-birth of our third child — a girl — at 1.41am — 8lbs 6oz.
‘Mother and baby are both doing well. Pictures later! She has three brothers and two sisters by the grace of God.
‘Huge thanks to the truly wonderful midwives Karen and Lucy.’