U.K. Green Party Leader Polanski loses by-election amid Zionism controversy

Open this photo in gallery:Green Party Leader Zack Polanski lost a parliamentary by-election on Thursday.Toby Shepheard/ReutersJust a few months ago, Zack Polanski was one of the most talked about politicians in Britain and he’d pulled the Green Party to within striking distance of the ruling Labour Party in many opinion polls. The shine has faded and Mr. Polanski’s leadership of the left-wing party is now in question. He lost a parliamentary by-election on Thursday and he’s struggled to deal with the fallout from the party’s adoption of a policy on Israel that labelled Zionism as racism and called for a single Palestinian state, effectively eliminating modern-day Israel.On Friday, Mr. Polanski fended off questions about his by-election loss in a London constituency the party had high hopes of winning, and the Zionism controversy. “Yes, I’ve taken a loss tonight, but our movement is so much bigger than one election or one motion,” he told reporters after the results showed that he’d won 33 per cent of the vote compared to 45 per cent for the Labour candidate, Sagal Abdi-Wali.His comments have done little to ease concerns among some party members about Mr. Polanski’s often brash approach and his judgment. The 43-year-old former actor, who is vegan, doesn’t drink and won’t fly, won the party’s leadership a year ago largely due to a lively social media presence and a direct speaking style that appealed to young voters. Can Kemi Badenoch rescue Britain’s Conservatives?His colourful style contrasted with the staleness of then Labour leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the Greens started soaring in the polls. The party won its first ever by-election last February and picked up hundreds of council seats in local elections in May. Since he took over as leader, the party’s membership has soared from 68,000 to more than 200,000. At one point last March, support for the Greens hit 21 per cent in some opinion polls, pulling it almost even with Labour. But Mr. Polanski’s off-the-cuff speaking style also got him into trouble. During one interview, he confused the national debt with the deficit. He had to apologize after reposting a photograph on social media of a T-shirt that appeared to encourage the death of Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage. And he has been usurped by Labour’s new leader, and Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who has pulled ahead in most polls. It’s on Israel and Palestine where Mr. Polanski, who is Jewish, has faced his biggest challenge. Reform UK lands $97-million from crypto billionaires amid scrutiny of party financesHe has long been outspoken about the war in Gaza and he’s repeatedly accused the Israeli military of committing genocide. But the party’s conference last Sunday went much further.Members approved a motion that defined Zionism as an ideology supporting “an ethnonationalist Jewish state.” The motion also called for the establishment of a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine,” which includes Israel. The definition of Zionism is generally considered to be the right of the Jewish people to self-determination and statehood in the land of Israel. There are varying interpretations on whether Zionism includes other beliefs. The Green’s policy has caused an uproar and Mr. Polanski has faced widespread criticism for failing to show up when members voted. The controversy grew after revelations surfaced in court filings that one of the party members who proposed the motion had written a letter of support for a man convicted in the United States of aiding al-Qaeda. The Israeli government has banned Mr. Polanski from entering the country and described the motion as an “antisemitic text.” The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said the motion was an attack on the Jewish community. The European Green Party also distanced itself from the policy, saying it backs a two-state solution, which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. On Thursday, former British Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, who voted against the motion, questioned Mr. Polanski’s leadership. “I would have hoped he would have been a very strong critic of this motion,” she told the BBC. “I want him to show the leadership that was frankly missing on Sunday. I think the jury is out about whether he will do that, but I very much hope he will.”On Friday, Mr. Polanski said he would have voted against the motion, but that he agreed “with the substance.” He also said he would not resign.“What I’m experiencing is the immense amount of people who are saying they’ve never been prouder to be a Green Party member,” he told the BBC.