They always know. Someone always challenges and is ignored because some thinks they know better.
Daniel Sugarman
The Green party knew what was coming. They knew, because Jewish communal organisations told them. And I know that because I was there.
A thread.
2) Half a decade ago, when I was working for a prominent Jewish communal organisation, we met the then co-leaders of the Green party (on Zoom).
Among the topics of discussion was an explicit warning to them about the threat of entryism, and how it was coming their way.
3) At the time, Labour was cleaning house. In the wake of the EHRC ruling, there was a clear plan to ensure those who were spewing antisemitism would be kicked out. Some were expelled, some jumped before being pushed.
But where would they go instead? There was a clear option.
4) The Green party has long had a crank element to it. In fact, some of their members left & specifically joined Labour under Corbyn. So they'd be returning, we thought. But they'd be joined by others looking for a viable alternative. We'd seen discussions to that effect online.
5) So we warned the co-leaders. We got smiles and nods, but that was it.
Which brings me on to the subject of Jewish Greens.
Jewish Greens does not have the longevity, or natural suspicion of the far left, that the Jewish Labour Movement has. We worked with Jewish Greens too.
6) A few years ago, if you'll recall, arguments around antisemitism focused on the IHRA definition. Which we & all other major communal groups strongly backed.
Most parties adopted it unequivocally. The Greens did not.
7) The view in Jewish Greens was that they could persuade the Greens to adopt a motion which would provide both the IHRA definition AND the (far softer) Jerusalem Declaration, but that pushing for only IHRA would fail.
We weren't happy, but accepted they knew their party better.
8) Then, a couple of years ago, I found out that Jewish Greens had welcomed in THIS individual. Read the story for the full details. Not only had they let her in, she was now on the organisation's steering group.
https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/labour-expels-councillor-who-said-claims-of-antisemitism-given-privileged-status/amp/
Wirral official Jo Bird has been kicked out over her support for the proscribed group Labour Against the Witch Hunt
9) I lost it. I wrote Jewish Greens an extremely critical letter, effectively questioning their sanity.
They responded to my bosses, inquiring whether I was speaking for the organisation.
My bosses said while they would not have used the language I had, they shared my concerns.
10) Post 7 October, it was clear which direction the Greens were going.
Calling for a ceasefire was one thing. Unhesitatingly promoting the narratives concocted directly by various anti-Israel groups was another.
It kept getting worse. And it was a bat signal for cranks.
11) I don't think Zack Polanski genuinely believes a lot of the stuff he says. I think he takes whatever positions he sees as being in his own self interest to take. It goes well beyond Israel. 7 years ago Polanski was clear about the fact that Labour had an antisemitism problem.
12) In the last year he explicitly denounced that view, citing a book which takes the very real and extremely nasty antisemitism within Corbyn's Labour & twists it into being nothing but a massive conspiracy by Labour Together to bring down Corbyn.
Polanski apologised to Corbyn!
13) Apart from anything else, what that does is broadcast, in 20 foot high glowing letters, that the party YOU now lead is open for business to all the worst cranks that infested Labour under Corbyn.
Polanski might as well have put out a doormat for them.
14) And so it has proved. The Greens have no effective processes to properly combat the infestation of antisemitism which now grips them.
The only 'advantage', if you can call it that, is that it has taken the public a LOT less time to see what the Greens have now become.
15) This will get worse before it gets better. I think Polanski will double and triple down on his current positions in a desperate attempt to retain control and support.
Because, as sickening as he now is, there are now people in the Greens who are far, far worse.
16) I'll leave it there. Thanks for reading.