Green Party leader in England and Wales Zack Polanski defended his party’s controversial motion equating Zionism with racism during an uncompromising BBC interview on Sunday, maintaining that no state possesses an inherent right to exist under international law. Speaking two weeks after the Brighton conference vote, Polanski argued that the party’s stance is very obviously a racist ideology
when examining the practical application of Palestinian deaths, according to the article.
Polling Slump and Electoral Setbacks Follow Conference Vote
The defiant media appearance caps a turbulent fortnight for Polanski since the party’s annual gathering in Brighton on October 4. During that conference, 1,022 members voted in favor and 813 against—securing roughly a 56% majority—to declare the Greens an anti-Zionist party that defines Zionism as support for an ethnonationalist Jewish state and commits the party to treating Zionism as a form of racism, Ynetnews reported. Polanski skipped the actual vote to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election, where he subsequently suffered a defeat to Labour candidate Sagal.
This political friction mirrors a broader slide in voter support. After surging from 10% to 18% earlier in the year by pivoting toward economic populism and centering Gaza, the party has tumbled in recent months amid questions regarding Polanski’s tax affairs, a public dispute with police following the Golders Green attack, and the ongoing Zionism row. When asked by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if Zionism was racist, Polanski responded: I don’t think this is actually controversial.
He elaborated on the ideological stance by stating: What’s controversial is that 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered in the last few years, including more child amputees than ever in modern history. So when you take that to account, the fact that they’re being murdered because they’re Palestinian – that’s very obviously a racist ideology.
He further noted: I think Zionism is racism in the practical application of it. Now the conference had a debate about the motion, about the word. I said I think debates about words are unhelpful, and I still think that.
Internal Party Division and Labour Fallout
The resolution exposed sharp internal fractures. Four of the Green Party’s five MPs opposed the motion, and prominent Jewish Green members—including Vivien Lichtenstein, head of the Jewish Greens—vocalized strong opposition. Despite this, Polanski insisted he felt no remorse over his handling of the situation. I’m not sorry at all,
he stated, adding, Vivien is someone I’ve had respect for and do have respect for, and partly co-founded the Jewish Greens together … Actually, when the Jewish Greens were surveyed about this motion, a majority supported it.
External political fallout has proved equally severe. Burnham had previously urged the Green leadership to reverse the motion during an October 8 visit to Berlin, but hardened his stance following the vote. Polanski fired back on X, criticizing Labour’s posture on Gaza as performative and accusing Burnham of continuing to back Israel.
Watchdog Receives Complaints of Unlawful Discrimination
External legal and regulatory pressure is mounting. The watchdog noted it received complaints alleging unlawful activity under the Equality Act 2010 regarding potential discrimination against Jewish people based on their beliefs, warning it would take action if warranted by the motion’s real-world effects. The Green Party responded that it would not discriminate against or exclude individuals holding Zionist views while maintaining a commitment to combating antisemitism. Meanwhile, the Campaign Against Antisemitism urged the EHRC to formally investigate the party.
Polanski Rejects State Rights Under International Law
Addressing the foundational legitimacy of the Israeli state, Polanski—who is Jewish—told the BBC: I don’t think any state has a right to exist under international law.
He dismissed the two-state solution as for the birds
given Israel’s long-standing opposition. Despite the current electoral slide and fierce opposition from political rivals, Polanski maintained confidence in his long-term trajectory. He argued that voters would eventually swing back toward the Greens once they recognized that Andy Burnham’s administration offered merely a shift in rhetoric rather than substantive change in action.
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