Green Party leader faces prospect of branding own mother ‘racist’ over anti-Zionist motion

Green Party leader Zack Polanski faces branding his own mother and other close family members as “racists” if his party adopts a proposed extreme anti-Zionist policy at its upcoming conference.

Jewish News previously reported that Polanski, who grew up in a Jewish family in north Manchester, is under increasing pressure from rabidly anti-Israel activists in the party to support a motion declaring Zionism should be “treated as any other form of racism,” and calling for a ban on members who identify as Zionists.

It can now be revealed that Polanski’s mother has openly expressed support for Israel across several social media posts.

To protect her privacy, Jewish News is not naming her.

Other immediate family members, including Polanski’s sister, have also voiced support online for pro-Israel organisations and events in the north west of England.

In one post, Polanski’s mother backs a pro-Israel counter-demonstration in Manchester, staged in response to a large pro-Palestinian protest.

She has also criticised a Labour MP online for comparing Israeli actions in Gaza to those of the Nazis.

Other relatives have posted in support of organisations such as Stand With Us and the Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The “Zionism is Racism” motion, submitted by Greens 4 Palestine, has reportedly garnered significant support among party members ahead of a prioritisation ballot for the Spring Conference on March 26.

One Green Party insider told Jewish News it was “up there with the most popular submitted” motions.

The proposal calls for the Green Party to declare itself anti-Zionist, endorse a single Palestinian state, and challenges the definition of antisemitism, claiming it “perpetuates biological racism” by “erasing” other Semitic peoples including Arabs, Assyrians, and Palestinians.

Polanski, who previously founded the Jewish Greens group and was once supportive of Israel, now faces calls from far-left activists to back the motion.

A family friend told Jewish News: “It’s been hard enough for most of Zack’s family to put up with as he has moved further and further away from the views he once had on Israel. To equate Zionism—the idea that Jews are entitled to their own state—with racism is the absolute pits. I’m actually lost for words.”

While Polanski remains in contact with his mother, it is understood other close family members have distanced themselves from him over his stance on Israel and repeated claims of “genocide” in Gaza.

A family friend told Jewish News: “To equate Zionism—the idea that Jews are entitled to their own state—with racism is the absolute pits. I’m actually lost for words”

Jewish News contacted the Green Party for comment on Polanski’s position regarding the motion. While a spokesperson did not respond directly, they stated: “The Green Party is a democratic party, and members submit motions to our conference to set policy.

“This is currently not policy; it is a proposed motion. Each motion goes into a prioritisation ballot to decide which will be voted on, and that process has not yet been completed. Therefore, we do not yet know whether this motion will be debated at this year’s Spring Conference.”

The Jewish Greens have now urged party members to reject the motion, saying: “This is not your run-of-the-mill motion opposing Israel’s actions, but something much more problematic that is likely to make Jews feel unwelcome in the Green Party.

“We urge Green Party members to listen to their Jewish comrades within the party, and consider whether this motion is appropriate for the type of party they want to be in. Especially worrying is the authoritarian implication to not only condemn Zionism, but to actively proscribe members who consider themselves (or who others accuse of being) Zionists.”

A former actor and hypnotist, Polanski rose through the ranks of the Green Party, often highlighting his upbringing as a proud Jewish and gay man from north Manchester.

He was once a strong supporter of Israel, identifying as a liberal Zionist and openly criticising Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to counter antisemitism within the Labour Party.

In a May 2024 interview with the Guardian, Polanski described growing up in a “very Zionist household” but noted, “That’s very different from my politics now.” He emphasised, “I very much identify as Jewish… but I’m certainly not a Zionist.”

In another interview, he explained that his views had shifted because “Israel has changed,” citing his opposition to Netanyahu’s war in Gaza.

During the campaign for next week’s by-election in Gorton and Denton, Polanski’s party have openly sought to win over Muslim voters  to support their candidate Hannah Spencer with a hardline anti-Israel stance.

Spencer herself had previously compared the Holocaust with Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza in social media posts. But Polanski failed to condemn them.