Green Party Leader Defends Zionism Motion
Zack Polanski defended the Green Party’s motion equating Zionism with racism, stating he intends to amend it but respects the party’s democratic will. He criticized the ongoing conflict in Palestine and questioned Israel’s right to exist.
What happened
- Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, defended the party’s motion declaring Zionism racist, stating he would seek to amend it but respects the decision made by party members.
- He delivered this defense in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC’s Sunday programme.
- Polanski acknowledged the motion passed by 1,022 votes to 813, representing a small fraction of the party’s 230,000 members, and stated his intention to move towards a future decided by Israelis and Palestinians.
- He criticized the ongoing conflict, citing the deaths of 75,000 Palestinians, including numerous child amputees, as evidence of a racist ideology.
- Polanski, who identifies as Jewish, asserted that no state has a right to exist under international law and dismissed the two-state solution.
- He expressed no regrets regarding the controversy, noting that a majority of the Jewish Greens supported the motion.
- The party’s stance has faced criticism, including from some prominent Jewish Green members like Vivien Lichtenstein, the head of the Jewish Greens.
Original reporting
- BBC: Green Party leader Zack Polanski says he will not overturn Zionism motion
2026-10-18T11:14:33+00:00 - Guardian: Zack Polanski says application of Zionism is racist and no state has right to exist
2026-10-18T00:00:00+00:00