Green Party Leader Zack Polanski was booed last night at a Holborn by-election hustings as he told British Jews that “in practice” Zionism is racism and Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to a “genocide”. The Mail has more.
The Green leader, who is Jewish, said he was an “anti-Zionist” at a hustings for candidates in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, which takes place in less than two weeks.
Polanski told the event in London that those who described criticism of the brutal Israeli invasion of Gaza following the October 7th terror attacks as antisemitic were making Jews less safe.
It comes as he faces an attempt by Green hardliners to change party policy to back the destruction of Israel and the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
At the hustings, organised by the London Jewish Forum and the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Polanski was heckled as he said that Zionism “relies on the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people”.
Asked if he thought Zionism was a form of racism, as others in his party believe, he said: “I think there’s a problem with definitions. It means different things to different people.
“If you’re defining Zionism as a displacement genocide, which is how, in practice, Zionism has become, then that is racism.”
However, the audience applauded Reform UK candidate Peter Newman for saying the UK did not take antisemitism seriously and [there is] “an over-focus on events in Israel, as if that’s the only thing that matters in the world”.
According to Jewish News, Tory Ewan Cameron was also backed when he said: “We need to be accountable for the words we use. I just heard Polanski referring to apartheid and genocide.
“These are explosive words. People then take those words and interpret them as statements of fact.
“This polarisation of one side as good and one side as bad is unhelpful. If you genuinely want to discuss international affairs, you must explain the context – regarding Hamas, the complexities in Palestine, the history of Gaza, the realities of democracy, and the situation in Israel after the October 7th attacks.
“Unless you provide context, these sound bites can perpetuate antisemitic behaviour and reactions.” …
Polanski was also criticised by Labour peer Baroness Hodge, who told Times Radio: “He doesn’t understand Zionism. I think probably he needs a quick lesson in Zionism.”
Worth reading in full.
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Is the Church of England gaslighting about the “Promised Land”? Not being a regular churchgoer it was unusual for me to attend two services on one Sunday, both being harvest festivals. The sermon in both referred to the obligatory “climate change”, but also to “the so-called Promised Land” or “what the Jews call their ‘Promised Land'” or similar wording. What struck me was the oral scare quotes around, or the prefix to, the phrase “Promised Land”. When repeated throughout the sermons, it jarred and I started to think of the way that the BBC always prefix “right” with “far”, and many other examples. Is the CofE gaslighting us to support Palestine Action, by subtly repeatedly introducing rhetorical devices and linguistic constructs, so that gradually we absorb them as normal?
Zionism is the new fascism, which was the new racism, which was….I forget. They use the word like they know what it means, completely isolated from facts.
W⚓️
There’s something wonderfully uncomplicated about someone who is, plainly and simply, an idiot. The problems begin when you give such a person influence or power.
By far the most dangerous person in British politics. A populist for the TikTok generation and virtue signalling middle class flag wavers to follow.
“I think there’s a problem with definitions…”
He’s right. Today the self-righteous Left redefines things to suit their warped, evil, ideology and as a weapon to attack any who oppose them and think differently.
Zionism is about establishing a homeland State – Israel – within whose borders Jews can live in peace and prosperity. Which they would if left alone.
As for the Palestinians – they started it.
I don’t really know what I think the right solution is – the morally right one. Maybe none. I don’t even know what the pragmatic solution is. There seem to be three camps – those who think Israel should continue as it is, those who advocate for two separate states and those who say that there should be a single state where everyone lives together happily. The two state solution probably won’t work but seems the least bad. There may be arguments for the first solution too. But the third – a single state that is no longer the Jewish homeland – seems to be advocated by people who also advocate for aboriginal rights and anti colonialism, which seems like a contradiction. Every race should have a homeland where they are the majority, except Jews (and white people…). I guess there’s a fourth camp – those who want Israel destroyed and the Jews sent back to Europe or whatever – but I’m ruling that out of my considerations.
Holding views that directly contradict each other is commonplace on the left: their world view is based on emotion rather than reason.
Indeed, though I do find it interesting that according to AI, Jewish voters lean left in both the UK and the US, though that is changing fast in the UK as the left leaning parties have started to pursue the Muslim vote.
‘Morally right’, is an opinion based on the viewpoint of the viewer. It doesn’t mean anything, other than the person wants to impose their ideals on everyone else.
Yes of course – I meant morally right to me. I don’t want to impose anything on anyone, but I do of course want to try to persuade people I am right, at least on some subjects.
I wasn’t picking on you ToF. We hear a lot about what is morally right as if its an absolute, a constant. Personally I don’t give a bugger about almost anything much that I am not in control of outside of my little world. I no longer fret about these questions never mind wonder if I am right.
My opinion about “Zionism” certainly matters very little – same goes for my opinion about most things. But I do think it’s worth trying to argue for general principles you believe in, on whatever subject. I totally agree fretting is a bad idea.
“.. the brutal Israeli invasion of Gaza”
How was it “brutal” by comparison to any other morally justified urban military operation?
The ‘genocide’, which apparently has been going on, has so far claimed 3% of all the Gazans. For sure some civilians have been killed, but it is predominantly men fighting for Hamas, according to figures I’ve seen.
Unfortunately when your friends, and your friends’ friends all share the same worldview, reinforcing it by their actions and communications, mere facts will not unseat habitual emotional thinking. And that charitably assumes that Zack Polanski (previously known as David Paulden) really believes these tropes and is not merely seeking electoral advantage by repeating them.
Twat of a man.