Polanski accuses Starmer government of ‘murdering Palestinians’ in Greens conference speech
Greens leader calls for Israel arms sale ban
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has attacked Keir Starmer’s government, accusing it of being “an active participant in the murdering of the Palestinians” during his address at the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth.
Polanski’s remarks came just one day after a terror attack at a Manchester synagogue, which he acknowledged with a personal reflection on his Jewish background. “As a Jewish man raised in North Manchester, I feel this deeply, and my heart is with the community,” he told party members.
In his first speech as Green leader, Polanski focused heavily on the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
He condemned the government’s recognition of a Palestinian state as “deeply cynical and morbid,” claiming it coincided with British complicity in the violence.
“We must stop selling arms to Israel, we must stop sharing intelligence, we will do everything we can to stop the genocide,” Polanski declared, drawing loud support from conference attendees.
Polanski also called for the lifting of the ban on Palestine Action, a protest group recently proscribed under anti-terror legislation for its direct actions against companies supplying arms to Israel.
He argued the government is using “draconian” measures to crack down on the right to protest, stating, “The proscription of Palestine Action must be withdrawn, and every parliamentarian… who failed to vote against it, needs to hang their heads in shame.”
Reflecting on his family’s history of fleeing persecution in Europe, Polanski said this background informed his commitment both to defending migrants and to speaking out against what he described as injustices abroad and at home.
He concluded, “Real pride comes from no longer hiding who you are.”
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