Polanski: I’m a victim of vicious criticism from ‘so-called mainstream Jewish communities’
In new interview Green Party leadership hopeful Zack Polanski says 'nothing is as traumatic as it is to live in Palestine'
Green Party leadership hopeful Zack Polanski has claimed he is the victim of “vicious” criticism from “so-called mainstream Jewish communities” because of his newly acquired anti-Zionist views.
The 42 year-old, who last week announced his campaign to become the next leader of the party said it had been on a “really hard journey” to reject the “very Zionist” views he was brought up with in his family home in Salford, Greater Manchester.
But reflecting on this difficult journey, he told the Guardian:”I always caveat this with nothing is as traumatic as it is to live in Palestine.”
Speaking to interviewer Zoe Williams, Polanski, currently deputy leader of the Greens revealed he he “grew up in a very Zionist household, raised to really believe that Israel was the centre of everything and must be defended at all costs. ”
He added:” And that’s very different to my politics now, so that’s been a really hard journey, but I always caveat this with nothing is as traumatic as it is to live in Palestine.”
Polanski then discussed his upbringing, and his political journey from being a member of the Liberal Democrats, before joining the Greens.
He said:” “Of all the criticism I’ve received in my career as a politician the most vicious has come from so-called mainstream Jewish communities.
“I very much identify as Jewish, I’m very proud to be Jewish, I’m very much involved in Jewish cultures, but I’m certainly not a Zionist, and that’s seen as the ultimate betrayal.”
He also said he believes he is now the person who” can lead the party for the country, and be accountable to the membership.”
Polanski added:” I’ve reflected on this because the Green party has never had a solo male leader before, albeit a gay and Jewish one.”
During the interview, journalist Williams suggested that after launching his leadership bid last week, Polanski faced online smears from “an odd coalition of pro-Russian, anti-trans and pro-Zionist accounts” who made reference to an article that appeared in The Sun newspaper 12 years ago.
Polanski was a hypnotherapist at the time, and offered breast enlargement treatment in a published article in the tabloid.
Last week Polanski attempted to play down antisemitism in Labour under Jeremy Corbyn as he promoted his campaign launch with a series of interviews aimed at securing far-left support.
Polanski had previously raised concerns about the issue himself, but now said “it was not helpful for me to assume that the Labour Party was rife with antisemitism when we now know that blatantly was not true”.
He had also previously argued for the Greens to accept the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and praised David Badiel’s Jews Don’t Count book. In 2020 he said:”I’ve been keen for a long time for the Green Party to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
“I’m thankful that I recognise my experiences with my fellow Greens is that I feel we don’t have the same scale of issues with antisemitism in the Green Party as with other parties do.
“It is nevertheless still important for us to send a clear message to Jewish communities both in the party and in the wider world that we stand in solidarity with them.”
But more recently he has declared himself to be an anti-Zionist and has repeatedly accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
He described the Board of Deputies as being a representative of the “Israeli government.”
Polanski launched a surprise campaign to replace Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay as Green co-leaders last Monday.
The notorious anti-Zionist academic David Miller, sacked from his post at Bristol University, posted on X:”Zack Polanski is a Jewish Zionist who is only one amongst a wave of entryists in the senior ranks of British political parties.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
