Brighton & Hove Green Party utterly condemn the antisemitic graphic of Green Party leader Zack Polanski posted on Friday by ‘Reform UK Brighton & Hove’ on their official Facebook page. There can be no question that the graphic is antisemitic: depicting Zack Polanski, only the fifth Jewish leader of a UK political party in history, using tropes and imagery that deliberately and intentionally draw upon Nazi propaganda.
The image itself is beneath contempt. Yet it is even more terrifying to reflect that for Reform UK, this is nothing new. This act of antisemitism represents only the latest demonstration of Reform’s openly racist and fascist platform. Nationally, they have been at the forefront of fuelling a rising tide of hatred, and discrimination. And on Reform UK Brighton & Hove’s Facebook, this antisemitic attack on Zack Polanski was followed yesterday by a further racist graphic declaring New York Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to be a terrorist.
Brighton & Hove remains a city that is anti-racist, anti-fascist and that stands firm against hatred. Two weeks ago, Brighton & Hove Greens were proud to join more than 600 people at the Stand Up to Racism Unity March. We note that this follows our own party members being subjected to explicit antisemitic abuse in the public gallery during a council meeting earlier in the month. We will continue to stand against antisemitism and racism in any form – and stand in solidarity with Zack Polanski against such abuse.