Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has publicly criticized current leader Zack Polanski for failing to show decisive leadership during a recent party conference. The critique centers on a motion passed by Green Party members that declared Zionism to be a form of racism.
Lucas, speaking to Newsnight, stated that Polanski, who did not attend the debate in Brighton or cast a vote on the issue, should have been present to participate. She emphasized that he should have been there and he should have voted.
The motion in question defined Zionism as an ideology supporting "an ethnonationalist Jewish state" and also expressed support for a "single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine," which includes modern-day Israel. Lucas, who voted against the motion, described it as "dangerous," "divisive," and "flawed from top to bottom." She noted that she had hoped Polanski would serve as a "very strong critic" of the measure.
When asked if Polanski should stand down, Lucas told Newsnight that she thinks they should see what happens in the coming days and weeks, noting that the jury is out on whether he will show the leadership that was missing on Sunday.
Polanski, who is currently campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, left the conference early to focus on his constituency work. Since the motion passed on Sunday, he has faced significant scrutiny and has largely avoided media interviews, declining to answer specific questions regarding his stance on the vote.
In a written statement released on Monday, Polanski did not explicitly state whether he supported the motion but emphasized that he would not accept any exclusion within the Green Party based on an individual's background, faith, or place of worship.
Polanski, who is Jewish, further stated that "antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are, and must always be, completely distinct."
Before the vote, Polanski had backed an amendment to specify that the motion should not be used to discipline Jewish members attending synagogues that consider themselves Zionist, but this was voted down by members. He had also expressed disagreement with the motion's reference to a single Palestinian state, arguing that he did not believe the Green Party of England and Wales, or the British government, should be deciding what the future settlement looks like.
Under Green Party rules, motions supported by members become official party policy, though they are not necessarily included in the party's manifesto at the next general election.
The controversy has created internal friction, with four of the five Green MPs opposing the motion and the party's co-deputy leaders split on the issue. The situation has also led to the resignation of the Green deputy leader in Wales and formal condemnation from the European Green Party.
The motion has overshadowed the final days of Polanski's by-election campaign, where the Greens have been looking to overturn a substantial Labour majority in the seat vacated by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
A spokesperson for the Green Party characterized the issue as complex and emotive, noting that it should be viewed in the context of Israel's actions, which the party described as involving "genocide, ethnic cleansing and the killing of children," while claiming the political establishment has turned a blind eye.
The International Court of Justice is currently hearing a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israeli forces of genocide, a case Israel has called "wholly unfounded."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andy Burnham intervened in the matter, calling on Polanski to reverse the motion and ensure it is not Green Party policy. In his first comment on the row, Burnham labeled the motion "completely wrong" and a sign of "terrible judgement." Burnham argued that the motion effectively ruled out a two-state solution and stated it should not be supported in any way, shape or form.
In response to Lucas's comments, a Green Party source stated that there are ups and downs in politics and that when people are passionate they disagree in the heat of a campaign, adding that the party does things differently than Labour.
