The Green Party, on the verge of electoral breakthroughs in local councils, is grappling with internal tensions over antisemitism allegations. Long-time member Elise Benjamin expressed bittersweet feelings about the party's growth, noting that the complaints process needs urgent review to handle the expanded membership.
Since Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, became leader in September, party membership has quadrupled to over 220,000. However, scrutiny has intensified following incidents such as the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green and the arrest of two Green council candidates in Lambeth for allegedly stirring up racial hatred online with antisemitic posts.
Another candidate, Tina Ion in Newcastle, faced accusations after calling for the killing of 'every single Zionist'. Polanski himself apologised after sharing a post questioning police force used on the Golders Green suspect. The party's internal debates reflect broader societal tensions over Israel and Palestine, with some members accusing critics of exaggerating antisemitism for political gain.
Benjamin noted a 'small but noisy core' focused solely on this issue, distracting from other policies. The dynamic echoes challenges faced by Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, as the Greens attract many former Labour members. Polanski has denied claims from a Daily Mail article that the Greens are 'the most antisemitic party in British history', calling the quoted relatives 'random anons'.
