Zack Polanski’s own family fear they’d have to flee Britain if he became PM
Relatives of the Green leader say his politics have left them alienated and afraid, with some warning there would be “no place for Jews” in the Britain his party is helping create
Zack Polanski’s own family fear they may be forced to flee Britain if the Green Party leader ever reaches Downing Street.
Relatives of Polanski say his political direction has left them feeling alienated and fearful, with several no longer speaking to him and warning of the consequences of his rise, reports the Daily Mail.
The row comes as the Greens gather for their spring conference, where members are set to debate a contentious motion on Zionism.
Born into a Jewish family in Salford, Polanski has repeatedly said he is “proud of my Jewish heritage”. But members of his extended family say his politics now stand in direct conflict with that identity.
One relative said: “He’s currently the leader of the future Islamic party of Britain, that’s what the Green Party is fast becoming. And there would be no place for Jews in an Islamic state of Britain.”
Another added: “If the Zionism-is-racism motion is passed it will make the Greens the most anti-Semitic party in British history since Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists. The idea of it is one of the most sickening things I’ve heard in a long time.”
One relative said: “He’s the leader of the future Islamic party of Britain, that’s what the Green Party is fast becoming. And there would be no place for Jews in an Islamic state of Britain.”
A third family member told the newspaper: “The mad thing is that he’s gay, he’s Jewish but he’s cosying up to people whose ideology is the complete antithesis of everything that he’s supposed to stand for. It’s like he’s a chicken, telling us to vote for KFC.”
The only relative still understood to be in contact with him is his mother, Ava, who is said to disagree with his politics but remain supportive of her son.
The backlash from within Polanski’s family comes as the Green Party debates a motion that would formally adopt an anti-Zionist stance, while calling for sanctions on Israel and support for “resistance and liberation from Israeli occupation”.
A Green Party spokesman told the newspaper that Polanski had faced antisemitic abuse since becoming leader, adding: “Zack is one of five Jewish leaders of a political party in British history and the harassment he has received since being elected is patently anti-Semitic. Reporting like this demeans the press and our democracy.”
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