The Green Party is “absolutely united” on Gaza, Zack Polanski has insisted after senior figures within the political outfit warned a debate over defining Zionism as “racist” will cause division.
The Greens are likely to debate on Sunday at their annual party conference whether Zionism, the movement to develop and protect a Jewish state in Israel, is racist. Senior figures, including former MP Caroline Lucas and ex-leader Adrian Ramsay, have already warned the motion – which is still subject to internal Green Party processes before it could be debated – would be divisive.
Polanski defends motion
Asked about the thrust of the motion, Green Party leader Mr Polanski told the BBC: “Well, this is in a context where 75,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, 1,500 since the recent so-called ceasefire.
“We also know there are more child amputees than in modern history.
“So I think what the party is absolutely united on is recognising we need to end the genocide, we need to stop selling arms to Israel.”
Asked if he believed Zionism is racist, Mr Polanski replied: “Well, in the motion, it is defined as the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people. I think that is clearly racism.
“I don’t think anyone could argue with that and, as I’ve said, we’ve seen so many innocent people die.”
Definition of Zionism
The Green leader was then pressed on whether that made the majority of British Jews – who define themselves as Zionists – racist. Mr Polanski told the BBC: “I think it’s about how you define Zionism, and if your Zionism is the displacement of the Palestinian people, then that’s clearly racist, and I say that as a Jewish leader of a political party.
“What my focus is on, though, is what materially can we do to make a difference, and that’s stop selling arms to Israel, stop sharing intelligence, and boycott, divestment, sanctions.”
Mr Polanski said he was “calling for an amendment” to the motion, which calls for one Palestinian state, “because what I want to see is equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians”.
Conference speech and warnings
In his speech at the Green Party conference in Brighton on Friday, Mr Polanski claimed the Greens had pushed the Labour Government towards more progressive policies on a host of issues, and urged it to de-proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group.
Chants of “Free, free Palestine” could be heard from some Green members in the hall, who were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves around their necks or across their shoulders.
Ms Lucas, who became the Green Party’s first MP in 2010, earlier said she would not be supporting the motion, and told the BBC there was “a real risk that it will be divisive and could be seen as a sign that Jewish people aren’t welcome in the party”. Adrian Ramsay, a former Green co-leader, also voiced concerns about the motion to the Times newspaper.
Mr Polanski used his headline speech at the conference to claim his party’s growing national voice had made a difference to Labour’s political direction. “Vote Green and watch Labour move,” he told members.
The Green leader is standing in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election, with the aim of winning the seat previously held by ex-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer from Labour for the first time in its electoral history.
During his address he also set out a new Green Party policy to control rises in private sector rents, modelled on the pensions triple lock. He called for a “a three-year emergency brake on private rents”, adding: “No rent rises above CPI, wage growth or 2% – whichever is lower. No sudden hikes. No evictions under the guise of rent rises. No more uncertainty, no more fear.”
The Green leader continued: “And in the long term, we’ll put in place a national fair rents guarantee to keep rents affordable for everyone, forever.”
Mr Polanski left the party conference after his speech to continue campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. Signs around the conference centre encouraged Green members to also leave Brighton to join the campaign, knocking on doors across the north London constituency.
