Row between Zack Polanski and Cabinet minister over antisemitism as London suffers stabbings and arson attacks
Two Green Party candidates in South London have been arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred, after an investigation into alleged antisemitic social media posts was launched by the Metropolitan Police.
Candidates arrested over alleged online posts
Saiqa Ali and Sabine Mairey, who were standing for the Green Party in Lambeth in the upcoming local elections on May 7, were taken into custody following concerns reported to officers on April 21. The force said the arrests related to material posted online that was alleged to be antisemitic. Among the posts reportedly shared by one of the candidates was an image of an armed man wearing a Hamas headband under the slogan “resistance is freedom.” Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom. Another post is said to have claimed that “ramming a synagogue isn’t antisemitism. It’s revenge.” Further allegations include posts asserting that the government is overrepresented with “Zionist Jews,” an image described as a serpent marked with the Star of David choking the world, a claim that the 9/11 attacks were an Israeli “false-flag attack,” and a suggestion that Israel is worse than Nazi Germany accompanied by a photograph of Auschwitz.
Green Party’s response and internal divisions
The Green Party has said it cannot comment on matters now in the hands of the police but confirmed that the posts do not reflect the party’s views. Saiqa Ali has been suspended by the party. Sabine Mairey is understood to be under investigation by party officials and is expected to be suspended. However, despite party rules that candidates under investigation should not campaign, Mairey was photographed canvassing after her arrest. Both candidates’ names and details have been removed from the Lambeth Greens’ website. The deadline for candidate nominations had already passed before the arrests, meaning both women will remain on the ballot paper for the May 7 elections.
The handling of the situation has drawn sharp criticism from Labour. The party accused Green leader Zack Polanski of “moral cowardice,” suggesting the party is not taking antisemitism seriously. Communities Secretary Steve Reed went further, describing the Green Party as “rotting from the head down” and calling for openly antisemitic members to be expelled, in line with actions taken by Labour to clean up its own party. Some Green Party members and officials have privately voiced concern about an influx of individuals who are “vehemently anti-Israel to an extent that crosses into antisemitism,” and have pointed to the party’s “highly decentralised” structure — which gives local parties significant power — as a factor that makes disciplinary processes slower and more difficult.
Zack Polanski, who is Jewish and serves as both leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and a Member of the London Assembly, has previously stated that “Jewish safety is not an abstract idea for me” and that tackling antisemitism is “incredibly important.” He has argued that the Green Party does not have a particular problem with antisemitism compared to wider society or other political parties. Polanski has also accused Labour of “spreading cynical misinformation” about the party’s stance, and has suggested that some reports of antisemitic comments are actually legitimate pro-Palestinian viewpoints. He recently faced criticism for retweeting a post that implied police used excessive force when arresting the suspect in the Golders Green stabbing — a post he later apologised for, saying it “wasn’t appropriate.” The Green Party adopted antisemitism guidance in 2021 that includes both the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition and the Jerusalem Declaration, a move Polanski said helps prevent false accusations.
MP condemns party’s response
The Streatham and Croydon North MP added on GB News: “In my borough, where my constituency is, two Green Party candidates have been arrested for allegations of stirring up racial hatred, and instead of condemning them, the Green Party has put out a letter saying that the Labour Party is spreading cynical misinformation.”
