An open letter to Zack Polanski: please support members’ calls to recognise Zionism as racism

An open letter to Zack Polanski over the anti-Zionism motion members have tabled in the Green Party.

Dear Zack,

As a Green Party member, I am writing to express concern about members of the party trying to derail a democratic, member-led process.

As you know, the Green Party members’ motion A105, if it passes, will be groundbreaking in UK politics for recognising Zionism as racism.

Recognising Zionism as racism and becoming the first UK political party to adopt this official line would be historical. It will also allow political support for any legal challenges against anti-Zionists. This, more importantly, will help to dismantle the documented Zionism within UK politics. Unfortunately, I must have missed your support for such an important motion.

As you would know, interpretation, unlike with art or music, doesn’t apply to historical facts. Zionism began as a racist, fascist, nationalist, and colonialist concept and ideology officially in around 1897, but its ideological roots can be traced back to as early as the 1700s in Eastern Europe. More recently, the horrific events of World War II and the terrible holocaust of Jewish people in Europe led to the British-led Balfour Declaration of 1917 – which is undeniably Zionism as a form of colonialism – being implemented.

Regardless of faith or interpretation, this was the land of Palestine.

This meant displacing the many Arabs, Muslims, Christians, and Jews that already lived in a secular Palestine.

This caused death and destruction, which continues today.

And it is a historical fact that Zionism was at the root of this.

Accusations from within the Green Party of antisemitism towards anyone questioning Zionism and the existence of Israel as a racist, apartheid, colonial state ignore these historical facts. And it’s very concerning.

In 1948, once the state of Israel was formed, it was asked by international law to release the Palestinian prisoners it had taken during its violent creation. Refusing to comply, the state engaged in years of documented non-compliance, aggression, and political interference, including in the UK.

Anti-Zionists, pro-Palestine campaigners and Jewish people openly denounce these Zionist actions. This includes the Jewish people imprisoned for their objection to killing Palestinians or conscription into the IDF. This history is a clear example of Zionism and a racist, colonialist, apartheid state with no compliance with international law.

The open extermination of Palestinians for over 70+ years is also documented, even though it is religiously forbidden in Judaism. These crimes against humanity are committed by Zionists; this is an international fact, regardless of other people’s interpretation.

This internationally recognised opinion should not lead to ignorant accusations of antisemitism, especially within the Green Party. An employment tribunal stated that it is not antisemitic to call for the abolishment of Israel as a racist, colonialist and Zionist state. This shouldn’t be being disputed.

Yet counterterrorism police have been contacted regarding a member-led motion just to recognise Zionism as racism. This is, along with claims in the media that Jewish members of the Green Party are in fear of this motion. I am concerned that this is a clear attempt to derail a member-led democratic process and motion. These accusations and conflation of anti-Zionism as antisemitism are also in themselves antisemitic.

I find it very concerning that questioning a full-blown genocide – livestreamed to the rest of the world – or not recognising the liberation of oppressed people is being viewed as antisemitism within the Green Party.

There is documented evidence that Israeli children are being taught to hate Palestinians in schools. They are encouraged to share with their families and friends the crimes, public humiliation, torture and murder committed by Israelis against Palestinians. These are documented crimes against humanity from a racist, colonial, apartheid state. Again, recognising this as Zionism is not antisemitic.

Another example is polling from inside Israel. For example, 78% of Jewish Israelis felt that its government made “substantial efforts” to reduce the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza – a statement that is obviously not true. Plus, 79% of Jewish Israelis have not been “so troubled” or “troubled at all” by the genocide in Gaza.

This Zionist-run society is now also calling for the execution of the Palestinian prisoners, who themselves have not been on trial. These Palestinians are currently being held in incredibly inhumane conditions. This shows the serious levels of colonialism, racism and apartheid that are being openly acted out for the world to see, this is Zionism.

Israel’s racist, colonialist, apartheid Zionist ideologies have been clear to see, even paraded with pride. It has openly shared its treatment of the Palestinians and the genocide committed. Over 70+ years of obvious Zionism, colonialism, racism, and apartheid have been witnessed globally.

Israel has not even tried to hide the fact it is committing a genocide – something many other perpetrators of these kinds of atrocities did not even do.

Yet any criticism of these atrocities is repeatedly met with an accusation of antisemitism. This conflates the true nature of antisemitism, both discrediting Jewish people and anti-Zionists.

These accusations of antisemitism also apply to members refusing to accept a two-state solution, which, in itself, as many believe, is completely flawed. If a Zionist, racist, oppressive, colonial state were to share its already stolen land with the oppressed people of Palestine.

This is effectively the same as asking the people of South Africa under apartheid to agree to have a Black half and a white half. This would disregard the liberation, human rights and an end to racism that was fought for.

The oppressed, as history has shown us, have to resist their racist colonial states for true freedom from oppression.

The South Africans, Haitians, Ghanaians, Indians, Indonesians, Vietnamese, Sudanese, Chileans, Mexicans, and Colombians, to name a few, eventually freed themselves from their colonialists through resistance.

The Palestinians are repeatedly denied this right. These human rights violations have led to Palestinians forming resistance to try to liberate themselves.

These acts of resistance from the Palestinians are classed as terrorism or even a declaration of war. This has led to Israel’s inflicting starvation and a genocide being committed against an entire population of Palestinians. This is Zionism, and to oppose this is not antisemitic.

So, while we continue our day-to-day lives, enjoying our fresh water, heating and food, many of us protected by the same white privilege that created Israel, Palestine continues to experience a genocide. This genocide has killed over 70+ thousand people. This cannot be ignored.

A state that was created for one religion to be safe to continue to commit genocide on another religion is not a solution to the original Holocaust. It is also, as you would know as a Jewish man, not Jewish or part of Judaism.

To allow any country to repeatedly maim, torture and kill innocent Palestinians shows no respect for Islam as a religion, along with putting Judaism into disrepute as a religion. These crimes continue to be committed in the name of Judaism. This anti-Muslim hate is Zionism, and it is racism. It comes from a colonial, classist, racist ideology.

There is nothing Jewish about Zionism.

This is Zionism and should be recognised as such. The high courts recognise that it is possible to compare Israel to Nazi Germany and the behaviour of the Nazi’s during WW2. As it stands, these laws are regarding Israel as a state, its behaviour, and the right to call for the racist, colonial, apartheid state to be abolished. This should be accepted and respected by Green Party members.

Sadly, this silence and complicity from liberal Zionists and successive political parties and their leaders is deafening.

As you know, we live in a heavily Zionist-influenced political, state, and media-run country. Any attempt to fight Zionism is often labelled as antisemitic, criminal or even terrorist. This behaviour from political figures, media outlets, and public figures wrongly spreads fear amongst Jewish communities. As a Jewish man, you may recognise this.

Along with the repeated use and wrongful accusations of antisemitism to stop any real democratic, political or legal challenges to Zionism.

Unfortunately, due to the fear of this motion being antisemitic, and the fear this is now causing the Jewish community, there have been active attempts to derail it. These are clear attempts to derail the motion and cause unnecessary fear within the Jewish community. This is Zionism and needs to be called out.

I am asking you, as a Jewish man understanding the difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, and a leader of a political party, to call this behaviour out for what it is.

Members of the Green Party, specifically the Jewish-and-non-Jewish anti-Zionist members, are not being protected from these Zionist attempts to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism.

This is supposed to be a democratic member-led process, and while members still have this option it should be respected.

As the leader of the Green Party, I am asking you to recognise this behaviour as Zionism and make a stand against it.

I am asking you to support the anti-Zionists who currently support you.

You have stated that you believe in a free Palestine, and this has gained you and the Green Party support from anti-Zionists, yet this democratic process is now being hijacked by Zionism.

Anti-Zionist members need you and the Green Party to recognise Zionism. The motion A105 states that Zionism is racism… this is already a historical fact.

We need you to recognise and support anti-Zionism in politics… and within the Green Party.

Thank you for your time,

Nicola.

Featured image via the Canary