Zack Polanski vows to stay as Green leader as he faces criticism after by

Key Points:

• Zack Polanski has vowed to remain as Green Party leader despite losing the Holborn and St Pancras by-election to Labour and facing internal calls to resign over his handling of a controversial Zionism motion.
• The motion, which passed at the party conference, defines Zionism as a form of racism and supports a single democratic Palestinian state, sparking significant backlash from Jewish Greens and former party leaders who accuse Polanski of lacking leadership.
• Vivien Lichtenstein, leader of the Jewish Greens, and former Green leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley criticized Polanski for avoiding debate and failing to attend the vote on the motion, with Lichtenstein calling for his resignation and an apology.
• Polanski defended his absence from the vote, citing campaign commitments, and stated he would not have supported the motion without amendments, emphasizing his commitment to equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians.
• The controversy has caused deep divisions within the party, with some members threatening to leave and others calling for the motion to be reversed, while Polanski remains popular among grassroots supporters, potentially safeguarding his leadership position.