Zack Polanski allies desperately try to save him as he faces Holborn by-election defeat and coup after Greens' 'anti-Semitic' conference meltdown

Allies of Zack Polanski are desperately rallying around the embattled Green Party leader today amid a major anti-Semitism row and questions over his future in the role.Mr Polanski is under huge pressure after Green members passed a 'Zionism is Racism' policy at its annual conference that effectively calls for the destruction of Israel.Chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis became the latest critic today, saying the motion was a 'threat to British Jews and to Britain'. Mr Polanski - who was last night barred from entering Israel - desperately tried to row back by joining criticism of the motion levelled by the party's five MPs, but is facing growing anger at his lack of leadership. He faced accusations of political cowardice after astonishingly choosing to skip the vote in Brighton and instead campaign in Holborn and St Pancras ahead of the by-election he is standing in next week.He is expected to lose to Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali in Holborn but allies today tried to set him a low bar for 'victory' in the contest.Political commentator Aaron Bastani said Mr Polanski was the victim of a 'choreographed effort' to get him to resign after Thursday's vote. 'If the Greens get within 3,000 votes of Labour, in middle of Burnham bump - in the seat where (Keir) Starmer, (Peter) Mandelson and (Alastair) Campbell live - then it's clear they're here to stay,' he said.Former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, now a member of the hard Left Your party, wrote on X: 'Reminder: anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism. The smears won't work.'Mr Polanski is under huge pressure after Green members passed a 'Zionism is Racism' policy at its annual conference that effectively calls for the destruction of Israel He faced accusations of political cowardice after astonishingly choosing to skip the vote in Brighton and instead campaign in Holborn and St Pancras ahead of the by-election he is standing in next week Chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis became the latest critic today, saying the motion was a 'threat to British Jews and to Britain'His failure to stand-up to hardline Palestine activists in his party may also have killed off a route into government as part of a 'rainbow coalition' of centre-left parties.Last week Andy Burnham's said he wanted to change the UK's electoral system to a proportional representation system that could make coalitions more likely.Fears have been raised that he could lead a government that could include Green MPs.But Paul Ovenden, a former aide to Keir Starmer, wrote on X: 'Last week, the Green Party were offered the biggest opportunity they've ever had, in the shape of electoral reform. 'Today, they've made it impossible for them to be accommodated in any administration.'Members in Brighton backed the motion with 1,022 votes in favour and 813 against.It declares the Greens to be an 'anti-Zionist party' and sets into its policy that Zionism, the movement to develop and protect a Jewish state in Israel, will be 'treated as any other form of racism'.It also supports the establishment of a 'single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital'.Supporters chanted 'say it loud, say it clear, Zionists are not welcome here' as the campaigners behind the motion, Greens for Palestine, gathered to speak to the media.Sir Ephraim said he was 'appalled' by the motion, claiming the Green Party had resurrected a 'discredited and dangerous slander' first promoted by the Soviet Union.'All decent people will see this for what it is: poisonous antisemitism, a threat to British Jews and to Britain,' he said.Israel accused the Green Party of legitimising 'the destruction of the State of Israel' with a 'clear antisemitic text'.Foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar declared that Mr Polanski was now barred from entering Israel.'Today, the Green Party in Britain adopted a resolution equating Zionism with racism, legitimising armed struggle against Israel, and calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state 'from the river to the sea' – meaning the destruction of the State of Israel,' the Israeli foreign ministry said.In a statement with Green MPs and his deputies, Mr Polanski said there is 'no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people'.