Green Party leader blasts UK Chief Rabbi for advancing Israel’s political interests
The chairman of Britain’s Green Party has taken a swipe at the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, saying that the Orthodox rabbi speaks in the interests of the Israeli regime.
Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, Zack Polanski identified himself as proudly Jewish, though not religious. He noted that he feels “less safe” in the UK due to what he perceives as attempts to equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.
“I am outraged that there are British communal organizations — in fact, I’ll go further — we have a Chief Rabbi who I think has overstepped the mark many times. He is not speaking for the British Jewish community,” Polanski said.
“He is certainly not speaking for me,” he said. “I don’t think he’s speaking for the wider community.”
Polanski added that Mirvis is evidently advocating in defense of Israel.
While he has every right to express his personal perspective, I equally have the right to oppose his stance, the leader of the UK Green Party said.
“But for someone with the role of Chief Rabbi to politicize what is happening in Israel as a defense of the Jewish community in Britain, I think, is deeply damaging,” Polanski stated.
The remarks come against the backdrop of escalating tensions regarding Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, alongside a growing debate within British Jewish communities about the definition of legitimate communal leadership.
Polanski’s comments highlight increasing concern among segments of the British Jewish community and broader civil society regarding the use of religious authority to promote the political objectives of the Israeli regime.
In recent years, Mirvis has consistently portrayed criticism of Israel, including opposition to its bloody onslaught against Gaza, as inherently linked to threats against Jewish safety.
He has openly criticized UK government policies that some view as exerting pressure on Israel, engaged in domestic political discussions regarding Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and maintained that anti-Zionism frequently overlaps with anti-Semitism.
In September 2024, Mirvis criticized the UK government’s decision to suspend certain arms-export licenses to Israel, asserting that it weakened a vital strategic ally.
In 2025, he publicly opposed government plans to recognize a Palestinian state, describing the decision as a profound betrayal that would embolden Hamas and jeopardize the safety of Jewish communities.
Mirvis has also asserted that anti-Zionism represents a modern form of anti-Semitism, claiming that Judaism and Zionism are inherently connected — a viewpoint that many British Jews dispute.
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