Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, has issued a direct challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging him to publicly condemn the recent military strikes on Iran. In a forceful intervention, Polanski branded the United States and Israel as 'rogue states', escalating his criticism of Western foreign policy in the Middle East.
Call for De-escalation and Diplomatic Disentanglement
Appearing on BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Polanski articulated a clear demand for governmental action. He stated, 'I need to see the Prime Minister get out on TV and condemn these illegal and unprovoked strikes.' The Green leader emphasised the necessity for Starmer to advocate for de-escalation and a strategic shift in UK alliances.
Polanski argued for a 'disentanglement of this country with the military, with the US, which I think is pulling us into a more dangerous position.' His comments reflect a deepening concern over Britain's diplomatic and military ties, suggesting they compromise national security and regional stability.
Questioning the Commitment to Diplomacy
Mr Polanski expressed scepticism about the Labour government's engagement with Iran, noting he had seen 'no evidence' that diplomacy and negotiation were being taken seriously. This comes amid longstanding accusations from the US and Israel that Iran is covertly developing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.
'What I know is negotiation was happening, whether it was working or not is a legitimate question, but I don't think the answer can be, "It's not working, so we're going to bomb and kill them",' Polanski remarked. He proposed an alternative approach: 'The answer has to be: "How do we work harder to make it work, including third countries to use to de-escalate?"'
He further criticised the UK's reluctance to challenge key allies, asserting, 'I've seen no evidence that the UK was really taking that process seriously, because part of the start of that would be to call out Donald Trump and Israel. There is only one region in that area with a nuclear weapon, and that's Israel.'
Online Condemnation and Deputy's Controversial Appearance
In a post on social media platform X on Saturday, Polanski reinforced his stance, writing: 'This is an illegal, unprovoked and brutal attack that shows once again that the USA and Israel are rogue states. The UK must end our cosy relationship with the USA and our... support for Israel.'
Meanwhile, the Green Party faces renewed scrutiny over the actions of its deputy leader, Mothin Ali. Over the weekend, Ali was spotted at a pro-Tehran demonstration in London, coinciding with a separate gathering in north London where members of the Iranian and Israeli communities celebrated the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
This is not the first controversy involving Ali; last year, Polanski faced calls to sack him after Ali defended Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. Commenting on Ali's latest appearance, former security minister Tom Tugendhat accused the Green Party of standing 'with those who murder young Iranians seeking a better life and freedom.'
In response, Mr Ali defended his position, stating, 'You can't bomb a democracy into existence – the US and its proxies should have learned that lesson by now.' The incident highlights ongoing tensions within UK politics regarding Middle Eastern policy and the alignment of political figures with international conflicts.
