Zack Polanski: Zionism is a form of racism

Jewish people who say that criticism of the Israeli state is antisemitic are making themselves less safe, the leader of the Green Party has said. Zack Polanski also refused multiple times to say whether he believed Israel had the right to exist and said Zionism was a form of racism because “in truth” it involved the “displacement and genocide” of Palestinians. Most commented 1 French lifeboats rescue child on busiest day for migrant Channel crossings Politics 1,034 comments 2 Andy Burnham’s got a bounce, but an election could put him on the rocks Politics 162 comments 3 Lucy Powell: Vocational GCSEs not dumbing down — they’re very hard Education 91 comments 4 Running on fumes: data shows England’s World Cup bid was doomed from start Football 135 comments 5 Tony Blair shows off his muscles at 73. Vain or what? Celebrity 170 comments Polanski is the Green candidate for the Holborn & St Pancras by-election on October 8, which was triggered by Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as an MP. Top stories 1 Meet the Times reader with more passport stamps than the Travel desk Inspiration At a hustings event at a synagogue in the constituency hosted by the London Jewish Forum and the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Polanski, who is Jewish, was asked what his party would do to confront antisemitism. He replied: “Far too often, criticism of the Israeli government and the occupation, what I would call apartheid and genocide … many genocide scholars recognise it as a genocide [and] calling it that is not antisemitic. I think, as a Jewish community, we need to come together to recognise that when we call that antisemitic, we are making ourselves as Jewish people less safe.” Advertisement The Green Party faced sustained criticism this year after a number of its local election candidates were suspended for antisemitic statements and social media posts. Top stories 1 12-year-old girl’s phone addiction ‘left her nocturnal’, inquest hears Technology 2 Six unbeatable Cruise Month deals to book with Times Holidays now Promoted content It is also facing a vote on a controversial motion to declare Zionism, the movement that led to the creation of Israel as a Jewish state, as a form of racism in official Green policy in Brighton next weekend. The motion was top of the priority list for a vote at the conference in October, which has to take place before it can be officially adopted. The childhood refugee fighting Zack Polanski for Starmer’s seat Polanski had been reserved about his views but has faced a backlash from some members of his party for failing to take a position. At the hustings event, Polanski said: “I am an anti-Zionist, which I know is difficult for people to hear in this room, but it’s the truth. “I think countries have always been ideas and I think things change over time. And again I don’t think it is down to our country to decide what the future for Israelis and Palestinians will look like.” When asked his views on the motion, Polanski said he believed Zionism was racism because “in practice” it acts as “displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people”. Advertisement He added: “I think the problem with definitions is they mean different things to different people. If you’re defining Zionism as the displacement and genocide of the Palestinians, which is how in practice Zionism has become in truth, then that is racist.” In his closing speech, Polanski told the room: “There’s a long tradition in Jewish culture of disagreeing, arguing with each other, and I hope we’ve enjoyed it in its various forms tonight.”