Project Get Zack: How the media used antisemitism against the Greens’ Jewish leader

“Project Get Zack: How the media used antisemitism against the Greens’ Jewish leader Submitted by Joe Gill on Fri, 05/08/2026 - 10:45 The establishment media and major parties are waging a campaign to bring down Zack Polanski using personalised and antisemitic attacks Green Party leader Zack Polanski takes part in a march against the far right in central London on 28 March 2026 (AFP) On As I write, local election results across England have seen massive gains for Reform, the right-wing anti-immigration party, while Keir Starmer's Labour suffered huge losses . The Tories lost many seats, while the left-wing Greens were making significant gains. These elections show that the two-party system is dead, but the country is heading toward a government of the far right. How did we get here? In a functioning democracy, scrutiny of political parties and their leaders is the right and proper job of the media. The lack of such scrutiny can lead to a situation where a party is elected without voters knowing key facts about it, its policies and, crucially, its funders. Just look at Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. He got an easy ride, then voters realised who he really was. But there is a point when scrutiny flips into a concerted campaign to bring down a political figure through character assassination. In recent weeks, we have seen such a campaign directed at one man: Zack Polanski . The recently elected leader of the Green Party of England and Wales has led a political surge from a once small party into second or third place in national polling, helping to overturn a century-old two-party system, alongside the dramatic rise of Reform. For two decades Farage has been given a rolling free publicity campaign by sections of the right-wing press, and by the BBC But the contrast with the treatment given to Reform leader Nigel Farage by the media is instructive. For two decades, Farage has been given a rolling free publicity campaign by sections of the right-wing press, and by the national public broadcaster, the BBC. The frequency of appearances of Farage on the flagship BBC Question Time programme is just one example of the way the establishment media loves the populist right-wing leader. This media support became more obvious in 2024 when it was clear that the Tories were a busted flush. By contrast, appearances of leading left-wing figures are rare. Their treatment in the media is almost uniformly hostile. Farage has had it mostly all his way. Then along comes another media-savvy political entrepreneur, but this time from the left. Media storm Polanski has embraced the media since his landslide leadership victory last September, using social media videos to great effect, while jumping at any opportunity to talk to major broadcasters, facing down their relentless attempts to undermine him. A decade ago, the surprise victory of Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership election led to a period of political upheaval, and a concerted media backlash against the left-wing leader. In the end, the accusation of antisemitism inside Corbyn’s Labour was the most effective weapon his opponents in the establishment found - calling the lifelong anti-racist a racist, day in day out, till it became the accepted truth. Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemns 'vile antisemitic caricature' in The Times Read More » Today, the strategy of those opposed to the rise of Polanski and his more left-wing version of the Green Party is almost identical: accuse the UK ’s only Jewish leader of being a friend of Islamists, leading a party of antisemites. Polanski, even more than Corbyn, walks bravely into the storm of media and social media scrutiny, defending his position, refusing to accept negative media framing, and pushing the Greens’ bold agenda of wealth taxes, rent controls, nationalisation of major utilities, and opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza . The intensity of the character assassination campaign against him grew in the days before Thursday's local and devolved assembly elections, tinged with overt antisemitism against the Jewish leader, most obviously in crude cartoons of him reminiscent of 1930s Germany in newspapers such as The Times. The twisted irony of a media accusing Polanski of antisemitism while using antisemitic tropes and cartoons against him shows just how crude and dishonest this campaign is. This should be a signal to voters: the billionaire class and their media fear the Greens because they might challenge their wealth and power. Relentless attacks Polanski has owned up to missteps on social media, such as sharing a post criticising a Metropolitan Police officer kicking the attacker in Golders Green , or allegedly exaggerating his role speaking for a charity many years ago. The media has been scraping the barrel of past indiscretions, having exhausted a tired Sun-orchestrated story about his powers to hypnotise women into breast enlargement. Ultra Blairite Labour minister Steve Reed has led a witch hunt of the sort that purged left-wingers in Labour, but this time against the Greens, leading to two arrests of Green candidates in London for alleged antisemitic hate speech. But it didn’t stop the Greens from overthrowing Labour in its stronghold of Hackney , in east London. These attack lines will not stop. Some of this may stick, most likely with voters who were not inclined to vote Green anyway. But the atmosphere of vitriol that this campaign creates is dangerous, and gives licence for people to attack party volunteers. The strategy of those opposed to the rise of Polanski's more left-wing version of the Green Party is almost identical: accuse the UK’s only Jewish leader of leading a party of antisemites Corbyn experienced the exact same treatment, and his personal polling as leader was always negative (not surprising given the uniform negative media attacks) but nevertheless he went on to win 40 percent of the vote in the 2017 general election. Polanski can take strength from this history, and learn from the mistakes made by Labour under Corbyn. Don’t accept the media narrative, don’t apologise unless you have cause to, keep pushing the policies that you are standing on that are the reason the establishment hate you. Don't hide. Vetting candidates for antisemitism and racism is necessary. Purging candidates based on media smears for their criticism of Israel is not. With Reform now sweeping large parts of England in the local elections, and Labour losing badly, the anti-migrant, fossil fuel industry-funded party will be favourite to lead the UK’s first far-right government by 2029. The Greens, in alliance with other progressive forces, perhaps including a post-Starmer Labour party shorn of its self-harming Blairite death wish, can stop them. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye. UK Elections Opinion Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0

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