The Greens for Palestine group has issued a strong demand to its party functionaries: stop throwing our candidates under the bus to pander to the Israel lobby.
The message comes after the Greens’ Makerfield by-election candidate stepped down – presumably pressured – for sharing a post about Golders Green. The group of party members wants to know – who is selecting Green candidates, party members or the Israel lobby, the Zionist Labour party and hostile press?
Greens for Palestine call out cowardice dressed as pragmatism
It reads:
Yesterday, we witnessed yet another chilling example of the same press that has spent over a year providing apologia for the Zionist genocide of the Palestinian people, releasing smear pieces against members of Manchester’ Green Party to bend the Makerfield by-election to their will.
We have seen multiple instances of this playbook throughout the recent local elections. Local and national party figures, rather than standing with their own comrades, have believed what is written in the press and thrown fellow party members under the bus at the whim of the Zionist lobby. This is cowardice veiled in pragmatism.
So we ask, plainly and with deep frustration: Who is in control of who the Greens select as candidates? Is it Green members? Is it the press? Is it the Labour Party? Or is it the lobby? It should be Green members themselves. And if that is truly our party’s principle, then we strongly suggest that the party massively, step up its support for anti Zionist candidates. Not silently or reluctantly. But publicly, robustly, and without apology.
Greens For Palestine provided extensive support to candidates smeared in the recent local elections. We will continue to do so whenever and wherever we are needed. We will show up where the party will not.
We need to hit back
The letter goes on to demand the party’s cowardly executives “hit back” to protect members and candidates and stand up against the horrors of Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians:
It is apparent that the party has not provided this support. It is a failure of nerve. And it leaves our members exposed to a coordinated, well-funded campaign gf misinformation and prejudice that the party seems unwilling to confront.
When the Green Party capitulates, we will lose future MPs and councillors who have called out Israel’s genocide, and speak up for Palestinians’ self-determination. This is by design.
More than ever we need bold people in British politics and a government who can end the UK’s complicity in the genocide and illegal occupation of Palestine. As we can so obviously see, the public want this too. They have supported Zack Polanski and the Green Party’s unwavering stance.
We need to hit back. We must be brave and forthright in our defence of our candidates. Silence will not protect them. Steadfast support will.
We have watched a livestreamed Genocide. We are seeing the extermination of the Palestinian people. Dogs used to rape Palestinians, children targeted by snipers, torture, death and mass destruction… We are letting the people that defend this force our party to turn its back on the democratic decisions of our membership.
Let us be unequivocal:
Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism.
Palestine must be freed.
Zionism is racism.
We are an anti-racist party and will not tolerate anti-Palestinian racism.
Justice, not a racist veto
It ends:
These are not fringe positions, they are core matters of justice, rooted in international law, human rights and the very anti-colonial values this party claims to stand on.
We call on the Executive to issue clear, public solidarity with any Green candidate smeared for their principled support for Palestinian freedom. We call on you to fund and resource that solidarity. And we call on you to stop acting as if the press or the lobby have a veto over our democratic processes.
In solidarity and resolve,
Greens For Palestine
The call is badly needed. Party leader Zack Polanski started strongly against the witch-hunt by a Zionist establishment terrified by the popularity of the Greens and Polanski’s firm statements against Israel’s genocide and colonialism. But that has given way to an increasing tendency of the party to cave to lobby attacks rather than stand their ground.
That has to change. And it needs to start right the hell now.
Featured image via Getty/Leon Neal
By Skwawkbox
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