Zack Polanski will not try to overturn Green’s ‘Zionism is racism’ policy

Green Party leader Zack Polanski said he is not going to try to overturn his party’s new “Zionism is racism” policy, but does want to amend it “at the first available opportunity”.

Asked on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme if he will try to overturn the decision, and if he has done anything about it in the last fortnight since it was voted in, he said: “I’m not going to try and overturn it. At the first available opportunity, I do want to amend it.

“I want to move away from one state towards saying that Israelis and Palestinians should decide that future for themselves.”

Asked when that will be, he said 2028, because “when you vote on something in our party conference, that’s then policy for two years”.

Put to him that the policy position will stand for two years, he said: “That’s right”.

Mr Polanski has slumped to his worst poll rating as Green leader amid the row over his party’s “Zionism is racism” policy.

A survey by Ipsos this month found 52% of the public said they had an unfavourable view of the Green leader, up six points since September and the first time more than half of the population had expressed a negative opinion of Mr Polanski.

Just 16% said they had a positive view of the leader and his overall approval rating has fallen to minus 36, the lowest of any national party leader.

Much of the opposition to Mr Polanski is concentrated among older groups, the poll suggested.

But he has also lost ground among under-35s, falling from a net score of plus 16 in April to just plus two.

His support among people who voted Labour in 2024 has also plummeted, from a net favourability of plus seven in April to minus 24 in October.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski speaking to Laura Kuenssberg (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA)

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Earlier in the BBC programme, when asked if he thinks Israel has a right to exist, Mr Polanski said: “I don’t think any state has a right to exist under international law, but the question is, what Israel, even Israel, doesn’t know its own borders. It’s constantly invading other people’s land.

“Also, there’s no right to exist for any country.

“Ultimately, people have a right to exist, and what I’m sat here saying – and I don’t think is in any way controversial – is I want Israelis and Palestinians to live together, side by side, to be able to self-determine themselves, to all be able to vote, to all be able to have freedom, the right to live in freedom and security.”

Put to him that his party’s policy is that there should be a single Palestinian state, rather than the two-state solution, and asked if he disagrees with that, he said “yes” and added: “I don’t think it’s up to western governments, and certainly not the UK Government… the Green Party of England and Wales, to decide what the future looks like for Palestine and Israel.”

Mr Polanski has faced both internal and external criticism of his leadership after the party conference in Brighton backed a motion describing Zionism as “racism” in a vote Mr Polanski did not take part in.

The leader of the Jewish Greens, Vivien Lichtenstein, called for Mr Polanski to resign and said she is considering leaving the party.

Labour has also issued an ultimatum to local Green groups it is currently in coalition with, telling them to disown the motion or lose the party’s support.

The Ipsos poll surveyed 2,257 British adults online between October 9 and 13.