Their party made a formal commitment to NATO the other year. So from that point of view they can bloody fuck off, having revealed themselves to be exactly the same kind of hysterical middle-class imperialist wankers as the German Greens, who from 2022 have turned out to have the most astoundingly resolute commitment to hydrocarbon-fuelled war.
Polanski has said online that he wants to remove the NATO commitment. Well, he can get back to me once that's happened. In these Russophobic times, it will take a massive influx of grown-up members to turn around that policy; and I have no doubt that, if he does suck in a membership on that scale, the elite undermining of the party -- and him -- will be crushing and total and even more demoralising than the smashing of Corbyn, since there'll no longer be any lower rung to cling to.
Well, the Green Party in Scotland is a separate mob but it's made up of the same mimsy middle class types franticaly concerned with Identity Gender-benderism than saving the planet: or indeed even finding working energy policies that might not lead to human mass extinction by accident or design.
My motive in joining is less to do with green issues (though obviously important) and more Zelinski's pronouncements on supporting Palestine and being anti-zionist. No other party leader has made that commitment.
Having said that"We welcome immigrants" it would appear that Zelinksi doesn't stand a chance at a GE, given the rabid stance of other political parties and the racist media in this country.
I quit in 2022 because of their adoption of IHRA (with a few token objections) and the way they removed Shahrar Ali from a leadership position because of his critical stance on the trans issue (he had also spoken out against IHRA). In my resignation email I wrote:
I believe [Shahrar Ali] has been unfairly targeted for revealing the party's cowardice over adopting the IHRA definition of anti-semitism. It should be obvious from the experience of the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership that this definition has been worded deliberately to undermine solidarity with Palestinians and set the stage for mass expulsions of left wing activists and party members. That the Green Party chose to ignore this and instead appears to be attacking those warning against it indicates a betrayal Palestinians and of basic principles of solidarity, which for me indicates it can't be trusted with any of its claimed values of fairness, equality, anti-militarism and commitment to human rights. I also believe Ali is entitled to campaign and express his opinions on the trans rights issue without being branded 'controversial' or removed from his position over that.
I have been active in local Green Party politics over the years [...] and there are many issues where I feel that the party does important work, not least in campaigning on climate change and the ecological crisis. However the absence of genuinely radical voices in the party has become more and more noticeable over the years, and I don't think I could in good conscience remain a member if those who do have the courage to speak up and express unpopular truths are not debated but punished and even dismissed from their roles.' - https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/msg/archive/1645117830.html
As Mark pointed out, they're still pro-NATO, and last I heard were in favour of sending arms to Ukraine, and it has taken them WAY too long to adopt a clear anti-genocide stance on Gaza, which they were trying to do a condemn-both-sides approach until quite recently.
If you want to join as a tactical move to push the overton window or somesuch, fair enough, but I wouldn't expect them to stay true to any of these recent stances, especially if they get a whiff of power, eg: through some sort of coalition government. It'll just be the con-dems all over again and Polanski will be the new Nick Clegg (arg!!).
With apologies for the cynicism, but I think it is well grounded...
Julie Bindel investigates the authoritarian practices against gender-critical ppl in the GP, mass suspensions, censorship, disallowing of debate or disagreement. UnHerd, so right wing anti-'woke' bias and racist dogwhistles against pro-Palestinian Muslims, but you can't deny the shocking experiences of GP members - most of them women, and committed left-wing feminists - revealed by Bindel, which mirrors the a/s witchhunt in labour:
Going by the presence of a Green banner at my local (Leeds) pro-Palestine marches from the get-go, I think their anti-genocide position has been clear for some time.
Being anti-nuke but pro-NATO is inconsistent. They have been sucked into the elite generated Russophobia just as they were sucked into the antisemitism bollocks against Corbyn.
I put it down to political naivety.
Signing up to the IHRA is stupid. If memory serves, didn't they also sign up to the Jerusalem Declaration? Simple dictionary definition would suffice (as per Greenstein).
PTB likely to try to force a wedge between socially conservative pro-Palestinian Muslim supporters and pro-trans identitarians etc. As with Your Party.
I'm not sure they realise what they are up against.
Hope is all very well but not when it's a naive optimism divorced from reality.
Not sure that continuing to spend energy on the false hope embodied in electoral politics is of much use in an age of collapse.
Re: NATO: Almost certain to have collapsed long before Greens get anywhere near a whiff of power.
John said: 'Going by the presence of a Green banner at my local (Leeds) pro-Palestine marches from the get-go, I think their anti-genocide position has been clear for some time.'
Not surprised if that has been the response of rank & file members or local groups, but from what I've seen the official party statements have adopted the 'both sides' script until fairly recently. A few examples from their website:
*****
Oct 9th 2023: 'Responding to the unfolding horror in Israel and Gaza, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: “Our first thoughts are with the hundreds of innocent victims who are faced with the devastating and escalating violence. Most civilians caught up in the conflict have an overriding desire to live in peace. “The Green Party calls for an immediate end to the violence in Israel and Palestine. The targeting of civilians is an outrageous breach of international law and is unacceptable under all circumstances.' - https://greenparty.org.uk/2023/10/09/statement-from-the-green-party-on-the-israel-gaza-conflict/
Jan 11th 2024: 'Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: “The horrific loss of Israeli civilian lives on October 7 has been compounded by months of devastation for the people of Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, leading to over 23,000 deaths [...] the Green Party is today urging the UK government to: Unequivocally back an immediate ceasefire to allow the free flow of humanitarian aid, free the hostages and create space for dialogue [...] Support the role of the International Criminal Court in its investigation of war crimes, including the use of sexual violence by Hamas and disproportionate use of force by the Israeli government' - https://greenparty.org.uk/2024/01/11/greens-call-for-urgent-government-peace-initiative-to-end-israel-gaza-war/
April 7th 2024: 'The Green Party has repeated its call for a full bilateral ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the suspension of arms exports to Israel, and for key players in the Netanyahu government to be held accountable for possible war crimes, six months on from the 7 October attacks by Hamas. [...] “Six months on from the horrific Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens, it is clear that the Netanyahu government’s response has been totally disproportionate. [...] In the six months since October 7th, the Green Party of England and Wales has called for: A full bilateral ceasefire The release of all hostages' - https://greenparty.org.uk/2024/04/07/greens-call-for-end-to-violence-in-gaza-six-months-since-october-7th-attack/
May 20th, 2024: 'Responding to the announcement by the International Criminal Court (ICC) that it is seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Green Party spokesperson for global solidarity, Carne Ross, said: “The ICC prosecutor’s announcement today sets out in horrifying detail the brutal decisions undertaken by the leaders of both Hamas and Israel “Green Party leaders wrote to the foreign secretary David Cameron six months ago setting out how war crimes had been committed by both sides' - https://greenparty.org.uk/2024/05/20/green-party-backs-icc-in-seeking-arrest-warrants-for-hamas-and-israeli-war-criminals/
Oct 1st, 2024: 'Commenting on the escalating situation in the Middle East and on the invasion of Lebanon by Israeli defence forces, Sian Berry, MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “The invasion and attacks on Lebanon by Israel, causing the deaths of over a thousand people and displacement of a million others, are horrific and devastating. The Green Party demands a permanent bilateral ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, a full arms embargo on Israel, and the prosecution of all actors who have perpetrated war crimes as charged by the ICC Prosecutor. “The international community has a moral and legal duty to hold all accountable – Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran – for their crimes in this escalating tragedy. There can be no excuse for the UK Government failing to uphold international law and to use any of the diplomatic levers it has available to bring about a ceasefire now.” - https://greenparty.org.uk/2024/10/01/green-party-demands-permanent-bilateral-ceasefire-in-gaza-and-lebanon/
*****
I don't think I've ever seen any leading GP figure make the point that Palestinians have the legal right to resist their persecutors, including with violence. Therefore applying the same standard to both parties is disingenuous and making generic calls for 'peace' and an 'end to violence' is telling the Palestinians that they have to fight with one arm tied behind their back and allow israel to continue crushing them with complete impunity. The double standards with Ukraine are glaring. Compare this statement on the one year anniversary of the SMO:
Green Party statement on anniversary of war on Ukraine
24 February 2023
On the first anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:
"We extend our solidarity to the people of Ukraine who have resisted a year of Putin’s war and we send our deep condolences to all those who have lost loved ones.
“War carries huge costs for all sides involved and we must all work to bring it to a just end as soon as possible.
“A just peace must include holding to account those responsible for the many atrocities, such as in Bucha, the sexual violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians. These are war crimes that must be prosecuted.
“I welcome the UN General Assembly vote calling for Russia’s unconditional withdrawal, a just and lasting peace based on the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities [1].
“Countries around the world must now show their solidarity by engaging with the UN which recognises both Ukraine’s right to exist in peace and independence and the need to end the war.”
Green Party Global Solidarity spokesperson, and former British Diplomat, Carne Ross added:
"On this tragic anniversary, the Green Party stands with the people of Ukraine in their fight against invasion and aggression. We support democracy and self-determination and Ukraine's right to exist as an independent, free country.
“We utterly condemn Russia's continued hostility and aggression towards Ukraine, attacks against civilians and other war crimes.
“The Green Party also believes that Ukraine should be provided with the means for its self-defence, including battle tanks and other weapons.
“We call on the UN Secretary-General to engage in diplomacy to explore the pathway towards an end to this awful war, and call upon him to communicate between Russia and other nuclear powers in the ‘P5’ to minimise the risk of the use of a nuclear weapon.
“This war will end one day, hopefully with Russia's defeat and Ukraine's total liberation, but it remains incumbent on all to bring that day forward."
*****
No indication that Ukraine might also be guilty of war crimes, or that NATO & the west might share responsibility for 'Putin's war'. The language is much more strident and comfortable in supporting the 'good guys' in Ukraine against the Evil Russia, speaking openly in terms of military defeat and the need to arm to defending party. Why don't the greens suggest that Hamas need to be similarly armed to assist in the military defeat of israel? They obviously need it far more than Ukraine ever did. It shows an inability to question and meaningfully resist imperialism when it really counts, and a willingness to endorse and repeat its propaganda so that racist concepts of worthy and unworthy victims are perpetuated in the public mind.
Agree there's probably a disconnect between the unequivocal anti-genocide position of grassroots activists and the pusillanimous both-sides-ism of the so-called leadership.
Branding to be aired in the hallowed halls of sycophancy.
Gives permission for radio TV media public to present the opinion in polite public discourse.
Puts pressure on your party
Throws light on big 3 party's and rabid and guardian right papers.
Not a panacea but another notch.
And as Zionism like any other terra nullis or terra untermensc supporting narrative are the original fantasy-woke-certainties, it may contribute to their exposure from that angle too
I found these very enlightening and clarified a lot of stuff I was woolly/ignorant about. Ian M's resignation letter was particularly useful. So thanks everyone.
(Apols for "Zeilinski" instead of "Polanski". Must have been a hard day.)
on October 9, 2025, 2:13 pm