Green Party leader Zack Polanski liked several social media posts suggesting Sir Keir Starmer is financially controlled by powerful Jewish figures, — deepening an antisemitism crisis engulfing the party just days before local elections.
The posts, all published on the left-leaning social network Bluesky within the past six months, included messages asking “how much does Israel pay him?” and claiming the Prime Minister’s Cabinet receives “large sums of money from Zionist philanthropists.” Polanski’s verified account is recorded as having liked each of them.
One post, liked by Polanski in November 2025 and written in response to an interview in which the Green leader said he would not work with Starmer, read: “Starmer and his corrupt Cabinet receive large sums of money from Zionist ‘philanthropists’ and private healthcare who, apparently, don’t expect anything in return.” A second, liked on 24 April 2026, asked bluntly: “How much does Israel pay him?” Polanski’s was the only account to like it. A third, from a since-deleted account, referred to “Labour Friends of Israel and their paymasters” — Labour Friends of Israel being a longstanding group of MPs and peers who work to strengthen ties between Britain and Israel.
The Green Party did not deny the likes but framed them as part of legitimate political criticism. A spokesman said: “Zack makes no apology for highlighting the close relationship between Israel and the Labour Government, which has led to Labour and Keir Starmer arming and supporting a genocide — a bit more of an issue than liking some social media posts.”
Labour was less measured in its response. A party spokesman said: “Zack Polanski has spent weeks defending the indefensible. The Greens have offered their full-throated backing to a string of anti-Semitic candidates. Now Polanski is endorsing these grim conspiracy theories online. He should be utterly ashamed. It shows he is simply not fit for high office.”
The disclosure comes as the Greens face mounting scrutiny over antisemitic remarks made by candidates ahead of the 7 May local elections. Among the incidents that emerged, one candidate in Lambeth shared a post reading “Ramming a synagogue isn’t anti-Semitism. It’s revenge,” while another candidate in Newcastle, operating under the alias “The Real Anne Frank,” described Jewish people as “money-grubbing thieves.” Two candidates — Sabine Mairey and Saiqa Ali, both standing in Lambeth — were detained by Metropolitan Police on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred online under the Public Order Act.
In a further complication, the party’s deputy leader Mothin Ali encouraged some of those suspended over antisemitism accusations to take legal action against the party, with leaked recordings revealing he told Greens for Palestine members he was “very worried” about the suspensions.
Polanski himself is Jewish and has spoken openly about experiencing antisemitic abuse during the campaign. He told broadcasters on Sunday that during a rally in Hastings, “someone did a Nazi salute in my direction,” adding: “This is not an abstract, philosophical conversation for me.” He has also accused Starmer of weaponising antisemitism concerns to suppress criticism of Israel. “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,” he told The Guardian.
An analysis by The Economist found that Polanski has liked nearly 35,000 posts on Bluesky since April 2025 — a volume his party says reflects active engagement with his online community. Critics argue that the sheer scale of his activity does not excuse the nature of what he chose to endorse.
The revelations add a new dimension to a difficult week for the Greens, whose rapid electoral rise has brought with it a level of candidate scrutiny the party has visibly struggled to manage. With polls due on Thursday, the timing is damaging — and the controversy shows little sign of abating.
