LONDON: The “practical application” of Zionism is racist, and no country has a right to exist, the leader of the UK’s Green Party has told the BBC.
Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, said a recent motion at the party’s annual conference that “Zionism is racism” was “unhelpful” but not “controversial.”
He added: “What’s controversial is that 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered in the last few years, including more child amputees than ever in modern history.
“So, when you take that to account, the fact that they’re being murdered because they’re Palestinian — that’s very obviously a racist ideology.”
He said: “I think Zionism is racism in the practical application of it. Now the conference had a debate about the motion, about the word. I said I think debates about words are unhelpful, and I still think that.”
Polanski said the prospect of a two-state solution is “for the birds” because Israel opposes it, adding: “I don’t think any state has a right to exist under international law.”
The chair of the Jewish Greens group, Vivien Lichtenstein, criticized him for not taking part in the discussion or vote.
Polanski told the BBC: “I’m not sorry at all. Vivien is someone I’ve had respect for and do have respect for, and partly co-founded the Jewish Greens together … Actually, when the Jewish Greens were surveyed about this motion, a majority supported it.”