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Zack Polanski said he was an anti-Zionist during a by-election hustings event at a Jewish community centre in Holborn and St Pancras. Photograph: Aldo Ciarrocchi\/Alamy<\/p>\nPolanski heckled as he declares himself an anti-Zionist at byelection hustings<\/p>\n
Morning, and welcome to our UK politics live blog.<\/p>\n
Zack Polanski declared himself an anti-Zionist and faced heckling at a Jewish community hustings in Holborn and St Pancras, where the Green party leader is standing as a candidate in next month\u2019s byelection.<\/p>\n
He said Zionism \u2013 the movement for a Jewish state \u2013 was a form of racism because it involved the displacement and genocide of Palestinians. His remarks were met with boos from the audience last night.<\/p>\n
Zack Polanski said he was an anti-Zionist during a by-election hustings event at a Jewish community centre in Holborn and St Pancras. Photograph: Aldo Ciarrocchi\/Alamy<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m an anti-Zionist. I think countries have always been ideas and I think things change over time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Polanski, who is Jewish, said criticising the Israeli government and the occupation of Palestinian land was not antisemitic. \u201cWe need to come together to recognise that when we call that antisemitic, we are making ourselves as Jewish people less safe,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
As the Green party prepares for its annual conference, members are due to vote on a motion to declare Zionism as a form of racism in official policy. As my colleague Peter Walker<\/a> reported last week, some in the party fear it could alienate Jewish supporters if it passed:<\/p>\n double quotation markA Green official said that many activists loyal to the party\u2019s leadership might not be at the autumn conference because it takes place a week before voting in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, in which Polanski hopes to take Keir Starmer\u2019s old seat<\/a> from Labour, potentially leaving more scope for others to push through the motion.<\/p>\n \u201cThe risk is that if it passes as it is we are alienating ourselves from the Jewish community in the UK, a lot of whom are not big fans of the current Israeli government,\u201d a Green source said.<\/p>\n There was, they added, a parallel worry about internal splits, with some Green activists in leaked<\/a> WhatsApp chats warning that Polanski was \u201cstruggling to overcome Zionist indoctrination\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Richard Osley, the editor of the Camden New Journal<\/a>, was at the hustings last night. Here is his take (as posted on X<\/a>):<\/p>\n double quotation markOverall tonight was another hustings where most of the audience will have known who they were going to vote before they took their seats – one of the questions from the floor was asked by a Labour councillor.<\/p>\n It was a space for attendees to make it clear to Zack Polanski how very much they disagree with him on Israel and Palestine – and how they feel offended by his views.<\/p>\n But the fact we have this unusual flip where the coverage is being shared by both his opponents AND his supporters probably means he might feel this uncomfortable evening for him wasn\u2019t a waste of time.<\/p>\n The floor of the Green Party conference next month might be a different kind of challenge.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Polanski backing amendments to tone down ‘Zionism is racism’ motion – Sky<\/p>\n Zack Polanski is reportedly backing two amendments that would tone down the \u2018Zionism is racism\u2019 motion, according to Sky News.<\/p>\n As reported<\/a> by the Guardian\u2019s senior political correspondent, Peter Walker<\/a>, the motion calls for \u201ca single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, equal rights for all, and the right of return for Palestinians and their descendants\u201d, and says the Palestinian people have the full right to \u201cresistance and liberation from Israeli occupation, domination and subjugation\u201d within international law.<\/p>\n If passed, Zionism \u201cwill be treated as any other form of racism\u201d by the party, it adds.<\/p>\n Sky News reported that the amendments, which have been selected for a vote at the Green party conference next week, \u201cpushback on the call for a single Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and add safeguards for Jewish members who are part of groups that describe themselves as Zionist\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n In other developments:<\/p>\n Foreign secretary Ed Miliband told his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that Britain will \u201cnot tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil\u201d. The comments were made during a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York, Foreign Office said. The pair discussed the war in the Middle East, the strait of Hormuz crisis and the UK\u2019s \u201cunwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups in UK soil\u201d, according to a readout of the meeting.<\/p>\n Foreign secretary Ed Miliband at the UN general assembly. Photograph: Angela Weiss\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Advisers in No 10 are pushing for the prime minister to call an early election as part of an attempt to keep Labour in power, according to the Telegraph. The newspaper reported senior members of Andy Burnham\u2019s team believe calling an election in spring would give the party the best chance of winning another majority.<\/p>\n Defence companies and critical infrastructure providers will be briefed on the threat posed by Russia and its proxies, including cyber attacks, sabotage and disinformation targeting organisations vital to Ukraine\u2019s defence. The government announced security minister Dan Jarvis and Armed Forces minister Louise Sandher-Jones will chair closed-door meetings with industry leaders in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Polanski heckled as he declares himself an anti-Zionist at byelection hustings<\/p>\n Morning, and welcome to our UK politics live blog.<\/p>\n Zack Polanski declared himself an anti-Zionist and faced heckling at a Jewish community hustings in Holborn and St Pancras, where the Green party leader is standing as a candidate in next month\u2019s byelection.<\/p>\n He said Zionism \u2013 the movement for a Jewish state \u2013 was a form of racism because it involved the displacement and genocide of Palestinians. His remarks were met with boos from the audience last night.<\/p>\n Zack Polanski said he was an anti-Zionist during a by-election hustings event at a Jewish community centre in Holborn and St Pancras. Photograph: Aldo Ciarrocchi\/Alamy<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m an anti-Zionist. I think countries have always been ideas and I think things change over time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Polanski, who is Jewish, said criticising the Israeli government and the occupation of Palestinian land was not antisemitic. \u201cWe need to come together to recognise that when we call that antisemitic, we are making ourselves as Jewish people less safe,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n As the Green party prepares for its annual conference, members are due to vote on a motion to declare Zionism as a form of racism in official policy. As my colleague Peter Walker<\/a> reported last week, some in the party fear it could alienate Jewish supporters if it passed:<\/p>\n double quotation markA Green official said that many activists loyal to the party\u2019s leadership might not be at the autumn conference because it takes place a week before voting in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, in which Polanski hopes to take Keir Starmer\u2019s old seat<\/a> from Labour, potentially leaving more scope for others to push through the motion.<\/p>\n \u201cThe risk is that if it passes as it is we are alienating ourselves from the Jewish community in the UK, a lot of whom are not big fans of the current Israeli government,\u201d a Green source said.<\/p>\n There was, they added, a parallel worry about internal splits, with some Green activists in leaked<\/a> WhatsApp chats warning that Polanski was \u201cstruggling to overcome Zionist indoctrination\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n