Several candidates, including the party’s choice for mayor in Lewisham, Liam Shrivastava, have affirmed that “Palestine is firmly on the ballot”, and Polanski insisted that the issue is “one of the elements” of the party’s platform for the elections.
“What people have seen for the last two and a half years is a genocide,” Polanski told Radio 4 listeners on Wednesday morning, adding: “We shouldn’t pit Jewish safety against a genocide in Gaza… as a Jewish person that makes me feel less safe”.
Meanwhile, an investigation by the Daily Mail has revealed that thirty candidates – some of whom have been previously exposed by the JC – are being investigated by the Greens for alleged antisemitism.
Former Green leader Caroline Lucas, the party’s first ever MP, said comments from candidates that had come to light in recent days were “totally unacceptable and require immediate action”, while Labour’s communities secretary, Steve Reed, said: “This isn't one or two bad apples. This is serial hatred from candidates hand-picked by Zack Polanski and the Green Party to represent them at the ballot box.
“Polanski can't stay silent on these abhorrent candidates. He needs to take action against them, withdraw his support and boot them out of the party,” Reed went on.
And Reform Leader Nigel Farage warned: “The Greens will take us to sectarian hell... No Jew will be safe”.
Lord Pickles, a former Special Envoy on Post-Holocaust Issues, accused the Green Party leadership of “cynically exploiting” the conflict in Gaza for “narrow political gain”.
One of the Green choices highlighted by the Mail is Lambeth candidate Mark Bittlestone, who allegedly reposted material suggesting the October 7 massacre was an Israeli “false flag” attack and shared posts describing the Jewish State as a “colony of inbreds, rapists and thieves”.
He also allegedly reposted claims that Labour's lack of criticism for Israel is a “silence bought by donations”.
Clarissa Astor, a Green candidate in Westminster, is alleged to have posted a picture of Princess Diana doctored to show her wearing Palestinian clothing and shared a propaganda image of a Hamas terrorist being kissed by an Israeli hostage.
She reportedly also claimed British police are “in the service of Zionism” and made comparisons between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Adolf Hitler. The Mail reported that Astor apologised for “any offence and upset” and deleted the posts.
The Green Party said: “These comments do not reflect the views of the party.”
Choudhary was approached for comment.
The Peterborough candidate made the antizionist comment on Tuesday (Facebook)[Missing Credit]