Zack Polanski embodies why antisemitism smears 2.0 won’t work

In a new interview, Green leader Zack Polanski has shown why a remake of past antisemitism smears won’t stop his party’s surge in popularity.

Polanski has been an outspoken Jewish voice against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. He has highlighted the recent increase in Jewish support for his party, which now has the backing of around a fifth of the Jewish population. In particular, he said many Jewish people thanked him for representing their views in the media realm.

Perhaps the most important point he made, though, was that there is no single ‘Jewish community’. In reality, there are many communities with differing viewpoints. And no single figure, he said, can rightfully claim to speak for all of them.

Polanski stressed in the interview with Haaretz that:

at no point have I ever claimed to speak for the entire Jewish community, because it would be impossible for anyone to speak for the entire Jewish community

He also directed criticism at groups and people who have cynically tried to take on that role, explaining that:

before I was leader of a political party and a more public Jewish figure, there were organisations like the Board of Deputies who were claiming to speak for the entire Jewish community, or indeed the Chief Rabbi…

And he hopes his leadership will help to open:

a more broad conversation about people claiming to speak for a community when we know there isn’t a single Jewish community – there are Jewish communities, who believe different things and have different views and different nuances.

The importance of ending weaponisation of identity on Israel’s behalf

The right-wing Board of Deputies has been one prominent organisation that has long sought to smear critics of Israeli crimes as antisemitic. But Polanski has resisted that as Green leader, correctly insisting that:

Conflating Antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government is dangerous.

A key danger is that conflating ordinary Jewish people and Israeli war criminals can contribute to or even increase antisemitic views in society. And this is doubly dangerous at a time when the far right – which is often very supportive of Israel – is on the march. Reform UK, for example, has already had numerous antisemitism scandals.

This is why Polanski told Haaretz that:

as a Jewish politician, I do think it’s important that I both make sure that my Jewish identity is not weaponised by other people in the community who claim that all Jewish people support the Israeli government or… the genocide, because that absolutely, categorically is not true.

His strong position of principle — along with the fact that he and his party are increasingly popular — has made him a key target for attacks from the right-wing media, pro-Israel lobbyists, and the far right.

But he has learned from the smears against longstanding anti-racist Jeremy Corbyn. And his stance appears uncompromising. As a prominent Jewish figure, Polanski’s position against cynical antisemitism smears matters.

I’s a cause for real hope that, this time, the smears won’t work.

Featured image via the Canary

By Ed Sykes

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