Polanski backs monitoring of British-Israeli nationals who served in the IDF

Green Party leader Zack Polanski is among a group of politicians, activists and academics who have signed a petition calling for British nationals who have served in the IDF since October 2023 to have their movements tracked, urging the government to “support robust war crimes investigations”.

Far-left publication Declassified UK, together with the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), have launched what they describe as “a major campaign to demand the end of impunity for British nationals who fought for Israel in Gaza.”

The petition states that “individuals who have returned from committing war crimes in Gaza may now be living alongside us and working in public institutions such as hospitals, the police, and schools.

“Nobody wants to live next to a war criminal – not least members of the Palestinian community in the UK who have family or friends who have been subjected to war crimes.”

It noted that in May the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Unit announced the closure of an investigation into ten British nationals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity while fighting in Gaza. The Met said an effective investigation could not be conducted, nor was there a realistic prospect for a conviction. A number of those behind the dossier submitted to the Met last year are also involved in this latest initiative.

Declassified UK said that it had revealed earlier this year that more than 2,000 British nationals had served in the IDF since October 2023. On 7 October 2023, Hamas carried out a mass attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were murdered and 250 taken captive. This triggered a war in Gaza which has seen tens of thousands of Palestinians killed, with the IDF describing between a quarter and a third of such casualties as being Hamas fighters. More than 1,000 IDF troops have also fallen in battle.

Russell Langer, Director of Public Affairs at the JLC, said: “At a time of rising antisemitism, it is particularly disturbing to see calls for the monitoring of dual British-Israeli citizens. Demonisation of Israelis is not a criticism of a foreign government but the targeting of a group of people for their nationality.

“Such hatred risks making British Jews, many of whom have close family and social connections to Israel, a target for hostility and violence.”

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies said: “This petition seems to be another attempt to demonise Israelis and promote an atmosphere of intimidation against British Jews. It is an example of what the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Jonathan Hall KC has described as the ignoring of conventions against the promotion of collective hatred against a nationality in the case of Israelis.

“The call of those who have signed it, including Zack Polanski, to treat people as potential criminals just because of their passport is a unique and wholly unacceptable form of discrimination.”