It isn’t often that as the JC’s political editor my jaw is left wide open and I’m aghast by what I’m reading.
But such was my astoundment at reading the lengthy exchange of emails between Greens for Palestine and Jewish Greens.
In the papers we’re publishing today, we detail the animosity the party’s Jewish group had to face for their objections to a motion that equated Zionism with racism.
The Jewish group asked for mediation with Greens for Palestine to find an acceptable solution to both; they were snubbed and a series of ridiculous, almost comical, demands were made of them. Only there is nothing funny about the situation.
These included that they liberate their minds from Zionism;
• “apologise” for the actions of the Israeli Embassy;
• “retract” press stories critical of the party with which they had no connection;
• “unequivocally condemn” the referral of members to counter-terror police.
The controversial “Zionism is Racism” motion could still be adopted by the party’s annual conference in October this year, re-opening many of these rows.
Zack Polanski’s party is facing calls to drop the motion.
The
@JLC_uk is now urging the party to intervene.
A spokesperson told me: “Demanding that Jewish members ‘liberate’ themselves from Zionism before engaging in mediation demonstrates an ideological purity demanded of Jews by Greens for Palestine.
“If the Green Party really cares about antisemitism, their leadership should step in to stop the farce of this ‘Zionism is racism’ motion.”
One former Labour MP has even suggested that Britain’s equalities watchdog investigate the party.
“This angry diatribe from the Greens for Palestine group lays bare the way Jewish people who dare to stand their ground in so-called progressive movements are being aggressively intimidated by self-righteous pro Gaza activists.”
@LordWalney added: “The Green Party seems as badly infected by prejudice as the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn - it is surely time for a formal investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.”