Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has faced renewed scrutiny after claiming there are “definitely examples” of the Israeli government using “false flags”, as divisions over Israel and Zionism deepen within the party.
The comments, made on an episode of Polanski’s Bold Politics podcast, have emerged as the Greens prepare to vote on a controversial motion declaring that “Zionism will be treated as any other form of racism”.
Polanski said the issue was particularly difficult to navigate because of the persistence of antisemitism on parts of the political left.
“What I find really difficult to navigate is anti-Semitism on the Left,” he told listeners.
“Because, again, I want to be really clear: there are definitely examples of where the Israeli government [has] used false flags.”
Polanski subsequently referred to the Hannibal Directive, an Israeli military procedure intended to prevent soldiers being captured. The directive was officially revoked in 2016, although its alleged use and interpretation have remained the subject of intense controversy.
The Green leader also acknowledged the dangers of allowing suspicion to become conspiracy.
He conceded that some people on the left can become “distracted” or “see false flags or conspiracy theories in places where we don’t have evidence for it”.
“I think it undermines the real fight against anti-Semitism that we have in this country, which as a Left-wing movement we stand against all forms of racism,” he said.
“So that has...
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has faced renewed scrutiny after claiming there are “definitely examples” of the Israeli government using “false flags”, as divisions over Israel and Zion...