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The Guardian
· collected 2026-10-09 · by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent
Vivien Lichtenstein, leader of the Jewish Greens, has demanded that Zack Polanski resign as Green Party leader due to his handling of recent controversial policies. The pressure on Polanski comes after he missed a vote at the party conference where new policies equating Zionism with racism and calling for Israel’s abolition were adopted. Lichtenstein criticizes Polanski's absence during the debate, suggesting he should have participated remotely, and questions his claims of working closely with Jewish members of the party.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The leader of the Jewish Greens, Vivien Lichtenstein, has demanded that Zack Polanski step down over a new policy adopted by the party at their recent conference. This policy equates Zionism with racism and calls for the abolition of the state of Israel, replacing it with a single Palestinian state. The pressure on Polanski to address the controversy within the Green Party intensified after Caroline Lucas, former leader and first MP of the Greens, criticized him for his absence during the debate and vote that led to the policy's approval.
Polanski was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection at the time of the conference vote and ended up finishing second to Labour. He later claimed he would have voted against the motion if present but did not contest the decision made by the party members. The new policy further strained relations within the Green Party, with some members like Lichtenstein considering quitting over the divisive stance on Israel.
Written for “Jewish Greens Leadership Controversy” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.45, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 2 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 68138: no verified evidence · logged 2026-10-09
The leader of the Jewish Greens has called for Zack Polanski to step down as pressure increases on the Green leader to acknowledge anger within the party over a new policy that equates Zionism with racism and calls for the state of Israel to be abolished.
asserted
state → call → Israel
The comments by Vivien Lichtenstein come after Caroline Lucas, the Greens’ former leader and first MP, criticised Polanski for a lack of leadership in missing the debate and vote at the weekend that resulted in the policy being passed.
asserted
policy → come → weekend
Lichtenstein had said she was considering quitting the Green party of England and Wales following the vote at the party conference to adopt the policy, which states that Zionism is racism and calls for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state.
asserted
Israel → say → state
Polanski was not at the conference on Sunday when the motion was debated; instead he was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, in which he finished second to Labour.
asserted
he → debate → Labour
In post-byelection interviews, Polanski said he would have voted against the motion had he attended.
asserted
he → say → motion
Two amendments he supported, including one that called for a two-state solution rather than a single Palestinian state, were voted down.
asserted
that → support → solution
Lichtenstein, speaking to Times Radio, said that even though Polanski was campaigning, he should have spoken and voted for the amendments online, which was an option.
asserted
which → speak → amendments
“He should have done that.
asserted
He → do → that
And I think that was a big mistake on his part.”
asserted
that → think → part
She said she was surprised to hear Polanski say he had been working with Jewish members of the party, adding: “I don’t know which Jewish members of the party he’s been working with.
asserted
he → say → party
Asked if Polanski should continue in his role, she replied: “No, I think he should resign.”
asserted
he → ask → role
Lucas, who remains one of the Greens’ best-known and popular figures, said on Thursday that Polanski “should have been there and he should have voted”.
asserted
he → remain → Thursday
Speaking to Newsnight, before the byelection result, she said: “I would have hoped that he would have really been a very strong critic of this motion, because the motion was flawed from top to bottom in my view.
asserted
motion → speak → view
It’s dangerous, it’s divisive, it tries to have a singular definition of Zionism when we know that there are many.”
asserted
we → ’ → Zionism
Asked if Polansksi should stand down, Lucas did not definitively say he should remain as leader: “I think let’s just see what happens in the … coming days and weeks.
asserted
what → ask → days
“Obviously he has been completely taken up with this byelection.
asserted
he → take → byelection
I want him to speak now about what’s happened.
asserted
what → want → ?
I want him to show the leadership that was frankly missing on Sunday.
asserted
that → want → Sunday
I think the jury is out about whether or not he will do that, but I very much hope he will.
asserted
he → think → that
Jonathan Bartley, who was formerly the Green co-leader with Lucas, and is now a councillor in Lambeth, south London, called on Polanski to “put his hands up” and apologise.
asserted
who → call → hands
“I think [the policy vote] was a failure of leadership from Zack and there is a certain toxicity now from the Green party,” he told the BBC.
asserted
he → think → BBC
However, they are re-
asserted
they → re → ?
elected every two years, meaning Polanski, who took over in September 2025, will have to go before party members again in less than a year.
asserted
who → elect → year
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