Green Party Leader Zack Polanski Faces Leadership Challenge Amid Anti-Semitism Row

Green Party leader Zack Polanski is facing significant pressure and calls for his resignation following the passage of a controversial policy labeling 'Zionism is Racism' at the party's annual conference. The motion, which effectively calls for the destruction of Israel, has been widely condemned, including by Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who described it as a 'threat to British Jews and to Britain.'

Polanski, who was reportedly barred from entering Israel, attempted to distance himself from the motion by joining the criticism voiced by the party's five Members of Parliament. However, he is facing accusations of a lack of leadership and has been criticized for skipping the vote in Brighton to campaign in Holborn and St Pancras ahead of a by-election in which he is expected to lose.

Allies of Polanski are reportedly rallying around him, with some suggesting a narrow victory margin in the Holborn by-election could be considered a success. Political commentator Aaron Bastani suggested the controversy might be part of a "choreographed effort" to force Polanski out. Meanwhile, former Labour MP Zarah Sultana defended the party's stance, stating on X that "anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism."

The passage of the policy, which passed with 1,022 votes in favor and 813 against, declares the Green Party to be "anti-Zionist" and that Zionism will be "treated as any other form of racism." The motion also supports the establishment of a "single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital."

Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the motion a "discredited and dangerous slander" reminiscent of Soviet propaganda, stating, "All decent people will see this for what it is: poisonous antisemitism, a threat to British Jews and to Britain."

Israel's Foreign Ministry accused the Green Party of legitimizing "the destruction of the State of Israel" and declared Polanski barred from entering the country. The ministry stated, "Today, the Green Party in Britain adopted a resolution equating Zionism with racism, legitimising armed struggle against Israel, and calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state 'from the river to the sea' – meaning the destruction of the State of Israel."

The controversy could jeopardize the Green Party's potential role in future center-left coalitions. Political analyst Paul Ovenden commented on X that the party's actions make it "impossible for them to be accommodated in any administration," potentially undermining opportunities created by discussions around electoral reform.