Zack Polanski calls for ‘nuance’ when discussing antisemitism in rebuke of PM
Zack Polanski has called on politicians to treat antisemitism with “consideration, care and nuance” as he accused Keir Starmer of trying to play political games with the issue.The Green leader’s comments come after the prime minister accused him of playing down recent antisemitic incidents.Polanski’s party is facing increasing scrutiny over recent comments by some candidates and members.Some Green members and officials have expressed concern to the Guardian about what they say is the recent arrival of members who are vehemently anti-Israel to an extent that crosses into antisemitism, and the difficulties of countering this in a highly decentralised party.Speaking on a visit to a synagogue, Starmer labelled Polanski “disgraceful” for saying it was important to distinguish between an actual threat to the Jewish community in the UK after recent arson attacks and the “perception of unsafety”.
Labour have also criticised Polanski for saying in another interview that he had been wrong to previously criticise Jeremy Corbyn for not properly dealing with antisemitism as Labour leader, and that the issue had been weaponised at the time.Asked about the latter remarks on a campaign visit to Glasgow on Friday, Polanski – who leads the Greens in England and Wales but was helping the Scottish Greens’ campaign – said: “In terms of the weaponisation, it’s important to have absolute clarity that antisemitism definitely exists, and sometimes people will say things that are antisemitic.“At the same time, I’ve seen reports in the press of things that people have supposedly said that are antisemitic that absolutely aren’t antisemitic.They are pro-Palestinian.And they are very, very different things.
”Polanski added: “When people create false allegations of antisemitism, or blur the lines between challenging the Israeli government and antisemitism, as a Jewish person, that makes me feel a lot less safe.That makes me feel like I’m being held accountable for a country that I don’t believe has anything to do with my Jewish identity.”He accused Starmer of “playing silly games with a really serious issue”, adding: “It’s incumbent on all politicians, particularly the prime minister at this point, to treat antisemitism with the consideration and care and nuance that a really serious issue requires.”He added: “We’ve got into a bizarre situation in this country where a non-Jewish prime minister is attacking the one Jewish leader on a case of antisemitism.”On reports about comments by Green candidates, Polanski stressed the need for “perspective” over what he called a “handful” of accusations among 4,500 people standing for the party in local elections across England and Wales.
He added: “That being said, we know that there’s a worrying rise of antisemitism in this country as, by the way, there is a rise of Islamophobia and hate crime generally.And so it’s really important for anyone who’s in public life, and certainly a leader of political party, so they take that seriously.”Polanski’s comments about Labour under Corbyn have prompted accusations of complacency in the Greens about antisemitism within the party.The number of members has almost quadrupled since he became leader in September.Many of the accusations centre on Gaza.
Several Green candidates have posted comments that appear to sympathise with the Hamas attack on Israel, question the right of Israel to exist, or raise tropes about the supposed global influence of Israel and Jewish people more generally.Some Green officials concede that the party’s highly decentralised structure can make it difficult to keep control of what members say.Vetting is still carried out by local parties, and there is at least one example of someone suspended as a general election candidate reappearing on the list for the elections on 7 May.There is a similar lack of central control over policy motions submitted to the party’s conferences, including one put forward to the most recent event in March, which proposed that “Zionism is racism”.One senior Green member said the sheer size of the party made its existing structures, based on direct member participation, open to abuse.
“You can’t have direct democracy with 220,000 members,” they said,“The new members are a real mix, but some of them are very clearly single-issue Palestine activists who want to push an anti-Israel agenda to the exclusion of anything else,”The party says that internal procedures are being beefed up, with a particular focus on antisemitism,“There are people meeting on a daily basis discussing this issue,It is not being ignored,” one official said.
“But we have expanded so quickly, and we are fielding a record number of candidates, and so are catching up to an extent.”The “Zionism is racism” motion was blocked at the March event, but is due to be debated at the conference in autumn.Asked about the motion, Polanski said: “The way our members can vote on policy is a really important democratic principle.I also think the motion is a distraction [from what is going on in Gaza].”
Oil hits highest level since US-Iran ceasefire began, as conflict hurts Gulf crude production – as it happened
The oil price has hit its highest level since the US and Iran agreed a ceasefire more than two weeks ago.Brent crude traded as high as $107.48 a barrel this morning, its highest level since 7 April, the day when the US and Iran agreed to a conditional ceasefire.That deal included a temporary reopening of the strait of Hormuz, after Donald Trump had threatened Iran with widespread destruction.But with the strait still largely blockaged, and oil production in the region having more than halved since the war began (see earlier post), anxiety over the conflict is rising again today
When her ‘soul cat’ died, she was bereft. Now she designs memorial jewelry to help others with pet loss
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‘Look, no hands’: China chases the driverless dream at Beijing car show
At the world’s biggest car fair, which opened in Beijing on Friday, there were hundreds of manufacturers, more than 1,000 vehicles, hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts – and hardly anyone behind a wheel.China’s car companies have cornered the domestic electric vehicle market, and are increasingly visible on the global stage. Now they are turning their attention to what they are betting is the future of mobility: autonomous driving.At the Beijing Auto Fair, a huge industry event that covers 380,000 square metres on the outskirts of the capital, the country’s carmakers showed off a range of intelligent driving technologies.In China’s cut-throat domestic market, nearly every big carmaker is investing heavily in the software and computing power needed to make “hands-free” driving a reality as they compete to offer additional perks and find new ways to generate revenue
What is a passkey, how does it work and why is it better than a password?
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has called time on the password – from now on, you should use a passkey.The NCSC said this week it would no longer recommend using passwords where passkeys were available. They should be consumers’ first choice of login across all digital services because passwords were not secure enough to stand up to modern cyber threats.Security officials describe a passkey as a “digital stamp” that allows you to sign in to apps and websites and is stored on your device.It is a password-free form of login
Carlos Alcaraz pulls out of French Open title defence due to wrist injury
Carlos Alcaraz has been forced to withdraw from the French Open due to the injury to his right wrist that he sustained last week in his first-round match at the Barcelona Open.Alcaraz, a two-time French Open champion, had begun the clay-court season this month favoured to win his third successive title in Paris. After losing in the Monte Carlo Masters final to his great rival Jannik Sinner, who leapfrogged Alcaraz with his victory to reach No 1 in the rankings, the 22-year-old travelled to the Barcelona Open where he competed in his first-round match against Otto Virtanen two days later.The load on Alcaraz’s body proved too much and he injured his wrist while beating Virtanen before withdrawing from the tournament a day later.“After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing to do is to be cautious and not participate in Rome or Roland Garros as we wait to evaluate the progress so we can decide when to return to the court,” said Alcaraz in a statement on social media
Raaheeb plummets in Derby betting after smooth Classic Trial triumph
Raaheeb, a full brother to the exceptional Baaeed, is top-priced at 10-1 to emulate his sire, Sea The Stars, by winning the Derby at Epsom in June after a convincing in the Group Three Classic Trial at Sandown on Friday.Owen Burrows’s impeccably bred colt, who is also a full brother to the trainer’s 2023 King George winner, Hukum, was unruly at the stalls but travelled comfortably for Rossa Ryan once the race was underway.His smooth progress to the two-furlong pole was in marked contrast to the favourite, Aidan O’Brien’s Action, who was slow to stride, looked reluctant in the early stages and then struggled to raise a finishing as Ryan and Raaheeb struck for home.Raaheeb then stayed on strongly up the hill to the line to maintain his unbeaten record after two starts, with Charlie Appleby’s Al Zanati three-and-a-quarter lengths adrift in second.Baaeed did not see a racecourse until two days after the Derby in his three-year-old season, while Hukum was a six-year-old by the time of his biggest wins, in the Coronation Cup and King George
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