𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s family are “disgusted” with him due to “the Jew hate” in his party, it has been claimed. Journalist Nicole Lampert made the claims on X after Mr Polanski attacked her for a piece she wrote for The Daily Mail, which saw her speak to estranged family members of the former Liberal Democrat.

The piece purports to have spoken to three family members of Mr Polanski who suggested he had placed his political ambition above his loyalty to his community and roots. It comes as the party is set to declare Zionism as racism at its spring conference on Saturday. Under the motion, which will be voted on by members, the Greens would become an explicitly anti-Zionist party, reject key definitions of anti-Semitism that equate anti-Zionism with Jew-hatred, impose sanctions on Israel and endorse “resistance and liberation from Israeli occupation” – language critics say effectively backs Hamas attacks.

Polanski, who was born into a Jewish family in Salford, claimed that “journalists are going after my family now,” after the piece’s publication as he pointed to a recent poll which showed a significant increase in support following his election as leader.

Ms Lampert hit back on X, as she said: “Daily Mail journalists aren’t going after your family (as you are aware, there is more we could write if we were).

“I’m a freelance journalist who spoke to your family members who are frightened by the Jew hate in your party. They are frightened by what you have given the green light to.

“While you once fought Jew hatred, now you indulge it because, as we both see, it is popular.”

In response, Mr Polanski labelled Ms Lampert’s behaviour as “parasitic”, despite descriptions of Jews as “parasites” being a common antisemitic trope.

Mr Polanski has backed campaigns by high-profile Greens to develop “Apartheid-Free Zones” in Bristol, which have seen members go door to door to seek the views of people on the state of Israel.

The campaign, which has seen activists urge businesses and communities to boycott Israeli goods and raise awareness of Palestine, has been criticised for being intimidating, with members believed to have written down the names and responses of those they speak to.

When questioned by the BBC’s Nick Robinson on the tactic, Mr Polanski reiterated his support.

Robinson said: “Sorry to put it bluntly but how do you think an elderly Jewish woman would feel answering the door to someone and being told are you in favour of Israel or are you against Israel?”

Polanski refused to be drawn on how his own Jewish relatives would feel in the scenario but added: “Door to door canvassing is a perfectly normal model in our political discourse. It has happened for generations.

“This is not asking Jewish people, it’s not specifically targetting Jewish people, it’s not asking about Jewish people, it is about asking about a genocide.”

In response to enquires by The Express, a Green Party spokesperson said: “Zack is Jewish and his family were targeted by the Daily Mail for no other reason than that. We will take no lectures at all from the Daily Mail on antisemitism.

“His use of the term clearly referenced the so-called journalism, not the person.”