Jewish Greens Chair Calls for Polanski Resignation After Defeat

Pressure grew on Green Party leader Zack Polanski after Jewish Greens chair Vivien Lichtenstein called for him to resign following his defeat in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection and criticism over his absence from a party conference vote on Zionism policy.

Polanski finished second to Labour in the Holborn and St Pancras contest while campaigning during the Green Party conference debate. According to the Guardian, he later said he would have opposed the motion if he had attended, while amendments he supported were rejected.

Lichtenstein said Polanski should have taken part remotely in the conference vote despite his campaign commitments. She told Times Radio, "He should have done that. And I think that was a big mistake on his part."

The chair of Jewish Greens also questioned Polanski's claim that he had worked with Jewish members of the party during the dispute.

"I don’t know which Jewish members of the party he’s been working with. It certainly hasn’t been with the Jewish Greens committee," Lichtenstein said.

Lichtenstein said she believed Polanski should leave his leadership role after the party adopted the contested policy.

"No, I think he should resign," Lichtenstein said.

Annie Gottfried Cohen, communications officer of Jewish Greens, disputed Lichtenstein's view and said it did not represent the wider group. She said Polanski had previously met with the committee over the motion.

"Vivien’s views do not represent all or even the majority of Jewish Greens, many of whom have been campaigning for Zack all week, and some of whom, myself included, are furious that she has made this call in her capacity as chair of Jewish Greens. A motion of no confidence in the chair is being tabled as a result, asking her to step down," Cohen said.

Cohen also defended Polanski's engagement with Jewish Greens members before the conference decision.

"Held a long meeting with the Jewish Greens committee on this motion back in August," Cohen said.

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas separately criticised Polanski for missing the debate and vote. She said she wanted him to demonstrate leadership after the controversy.

"He should have been there and he should have voted," Lucas said.

Lucas said the motion was flawed and argued that Polanski's response would determine how she viewed his leadership.

"I would have hoped that he would have really been a very strong critic of this motion, because the motion was flawed from top to bottom in my view. It’s dangerous, it’s divisive, it tries to have a singular definition of Zionism when we know that there are many," Lucas said.

Lucas said Polanski's future should be judged after he responds to the internal dispute.

"I think let’s just see what happens in the coming days and weeks. Obviously he has been completely taken up with this byelection. I want him to speak now about what’s happened.

I want him to show the leadership that was frankly missing on Sunday. I think the jury is out about whether or not he will do that, but I very much hope he will," Lucas said.

Jonathan Bartley, a former Green co-leader, also criticised Polanski's handling of the conference vote and called for an apology.

"Put his hands up," Bartley said.

Bartley said the party faced further problems after the leadership controversy.

"I think [the policy vote] was a failure of leadership from Zack and there is a certain toxicity now from the Green party," Bartley said.

Polanski took over as Green Party leader in September 2025 and is scheduled to face party members in a leadership election within less than a year.