Could Zack Polanski be any more of an obnoxious twat?

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Just seen him saying this:

'I am concerned about the rise in antisemitism and we know Jewish communities are saying they feel unsafe. There is a conversation to be had over whether it's a perception that they feel unsafe or whether they are actually unsafe.'

WTAF? Can you imagine if a politician said that to Muslims after a series of absolutely awful targeted attacks where people have died?

In the UK, a Jewish person is less safe than any other ethnic minority person. This is an objective fact. So this begs the question of why he is denying it.

It's not as if it's just a "perceived" risk is it?

There have been four anti-Semitic arson attacks in the last month alone in the UK.

People say this about women all the time. It’s a fair point to make for any group of people who face a threat. What is the actual risk v the perceived risk. It doesn’t minimise the issue, but it helps to contextualise it to help people feel more safe.

The level of attacks on synagogues is roughly the same as for mosques, but we don’t see the same kind of “elevated threat” narrative coming from Muslims. I expect some of this is because synagogue attacks tend to make the news. The skewed nature of media reporting has always been problematic when it comes to how people feel about crime. Crime levels have reduced significantly in almost every category but the reported fear of crime continues to rise.

Everyone should be safe, but more importantly everyone should be able to feel safe. Exploring whether there is a disconnect in those things is important for everyone.

UK hate crimes per capita (per capita is most relevant because it indicates how likely it is that an individual from the group in question will be a victim and how concentrated the crimes are in a particular community):

Jews - 106 per 10,000
Black British - 41 per 10,000
Asian - 24 per 10,000
Muslim - 12 per 10,000

Thank you for those stats. They're all shocking, but antisemitism is objectively a serious problem.

It’s also because there are way more mosques than synagogues. If you are an individual Muslim going to mosque, your chances of being a victim of a hate crime are about 10 times less than a Jewish person going to synagogue.

It’s gaslighting to suggest that it’s about perception. Jews are a tiny minority with a high concentration of hate crime in the community. Of course an individual Jew will feel less safe - they are more likely to experience hate crimes and more likely to see it around them than a person from any other minority group.

@ScarlettOYara It’s been well reported that they are gearing up to have enough candidates to contest many Labour seats at the next election. There have also been journalists expressing concern about how they find enough candidates and what checks will be in place. They will have exactly the same issues as Reform. Awful people will join and push their way forward.

The Greens are the new far left. It’s clear they are going for student votes and some cities have a lot of students congregated together. They won’t be getting the benign eco warriors of old. They want the disaffected Left. All extremes are dangerous and they will be a party garnering protest votes - and look where that gets us! We have a poorly informed electorate who think they are voting for a single policy area and that nice Caroline Lucas. They haven’t noticed the change and many won’t care either.

Exactly.

Just him mentioning the word 'perception' is frankly appalling, but not at all surprising given his repeated encouragement of antisemitism within the Greens and society more widely.

The stats above are for one year. If you extrapolate over ten years you can see that 1 in 10 Jews will be subject to a hate crime over that period. So if you’re Jewish you will either have been a victim yourself or know other Jewish people who have been. Of course you’ll feel scared!

I can only conclude that Green voters are either clueless or actively anti-Semitic.

I find this topic difficult and I don’t know which way I stand anymore. I’m half Jewish. My family largely do not support Israel and never have. My Grandma in particular is staunchly ‘pro Palestine’ and thinks the Israeli government’s actions are atrocious.

She lives in an incredibly multicultural multi-faith area and socialises with all groups so not in a Jewish silo. Many Jewish and Muslim communities do live in silos and I think it’s easier to ‘other’ people you don’t know. I should say she is also fully observant and devout.

Having said all of this, she has noticed increasing antisemitism and I have also noticed myself hiding my own heritage. I’m a lecturer and our university had a pro Palestine camp for many months. I don’t disagree with this camp and I’m with my Gran and extended family- it is genocide and should be called out as such.

The reason I find myself hiding my heritage (which I’ve always been proud of previously) is purely because people consistently conflate Zionism and Judaism. The genocidal actions of the Israeli government (both recently and historically) are linked to Zionism, not Judaism as a whole. It’s unfair to say all Jews support Israel or all Jews support genocide etc in the same way it’s unfair to say all Muslims are terrorists. If people were better educated and understood the divide, that may help somewhat. It’s also worth noting that Jews as a whole are not responsible for Israel’s actions. Oh and calling out Israel’s actions is not antisemitic.

I think ultimately it’s up to individual Jews to say whether they feel safe or not. My Grandma’s Rabbi had Heil Hitler shouted at him a few months ago and was understandably very shaken. It is rising through online conspiracy theories too- the old tropes about Jews running the world and such. I don’t think Polanski’s words were helpful. I guess as a Jew he feels safe in London, his relatives and friends in Manchester may not.

he would be very dangerous if he had any chance of being prime minister. Thankfully he doesn’t and we will all have forgotten his name a few years from now.

What a horrible way to have to live, because of others' prejudice and hatred.

I've seen the fear my Jewish friends feel increase since the October 7 atrocity, and it makes me feel ashamed of those of my compatriots who harbour such hate in their hearts. That we have mainstream politicians egging it on is not something I thought I'd ever see in this country, and it sickens me.

Labour seem to be their enemy. When Polanski made that victory speech after the by election win, his criticism was all about Labour. Not one mention of Reform. The latter are not in their sights.

Yes he will and appeal to many younger voters

the positive in that is they may shout loud and protest and post their opinions on social media but this is the group that are least likely to get off their arses and go to a polling station

I think because a lot of people think green means not dropping litter and caring for the environment.

They seem to be targeting the young, and tapping into the polarisation of society.

Zack Polanski:

"I'm Jewish.
I condemn genocide.
I condemn the Labour Governments role in the Genocide.
The Prime Minister repeatedly conflating criticism of the Israeli Governments genocide and actual antisemitism is disgusting - and makes so many of us as Jewish people feel less safe.

I was very clear that the arson attacks were unacceptable & that our Jewish communities were fearful.

For Labour to try & weaponise antisemitism against the only Jewish political leader in the UK is a choice.

People see Labour for who they are. They will continue to fail".

I couldn't agree more. We don't need another "antisemitism" argument, surely?

I don't understand your last point, @yebba2026 ? What is another "antisemitism" argument ?

I think you'll find it means "Shut up about things that make us look bad".

God, I'm not a friend to Labour but you'd have to be willfully blind to ignore the anti-Semitism that peels off the Green party.

Thank you!

OK, let's look at the facts, shall we?

23 March - four Jewish ambulances set on fire in Golders Green, London

15 April - arson attempt on the Finchley Reform synagogue, London

18 April - suspicious items found near the Israeli embassy, and a video is posted with a picture of the embassy with a target on it

18 April - arson attempt on a former Jewish charity building in Hendon

19 April - arson attempt on a synagogue in Harrow

.And Polanski is still saying "there’s a conversation to be had about whether it’s a perception of unsafety or whether it’s actual unsafety"?

Come ON. Tosser.

What do you mean, We don't need another "antisemitism" argument, surely?

So you think it's fine they're fielding multiple antisemitic candidates?