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Saturday, July 11, 2026
UK Greens leader Zack Polanski rejects antisemitism claims over call to monitor British IDF soldiers
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleZev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
British Green Party leader Zack Polanski rejected accusations of antisemitism today after he signed an open letter last month calling for the government to track British-Israeli dual citizens returning from serving in the IDF.
Polanski, who is Jewish, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that monitoring Brits who fought in a foreign conflict was appropriate, citing allegations that Israeli forces have committed war crimes in Gaza.
Polanski is among the signatories of an open letter sent to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood last month calling for the government to monitor UK-Israeli nationals who have recently served in the IDF.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews condemned the initiative at the time, calling it “another attempt to demonize Israelis and promote an atmosphere of intimidation against British Jews.”
Polanski told the BBC he thought the Board of Deputies’ position was “irresponsible,” adding, “I think what’s much more controversial is the fact there’s been an ongoing genocide in Gaza for years now… and we have British citizens who could be going to that country, engaging in a genocide, and then coming back.”
“When we conflate criticism of the Israeli government with being Jewish, that makes me, as a Jewish person, feel less safe,” Polanski said. “These are two completely different conversations.”
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