ZACK Polanski has condemned a “vile antisemitic cartoon” of him published in a national newspaper this weekend.
On Saturday, The Times published a cartoon by Peter Brookes, which shows a caricature of the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) leader kicking a police officer in the head as they are restraining the suspect in the Golders Green attack.
Two Jewish men were stabbed in the north London area on Wednesday, and video footage circulating on social media showed two officers tasered and kicked the suspect in the head while trying to prise a knife from his hand.
The GPEW leader, who is Jewish, also revealed that in the past six weeks, two people had been arrested “in relation to antisemitic actions towards me”.
READ MORE: Pro-Palestine protest organisers challenge Keir Starmer’s threat to ban marches
After Polanski retweeted a post that criticised the officers for “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head”, Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley wrote a letter to Polanski to say he was "disappointed" in the politician after sharing the commentary. Welsh Green leader Anthony Slaughter also said Polanski's behaviour was "inappropriate".
Polanski later apologised but said the police should not be above scrutiny.
Following the row, the Sunday Times published the cartoon which has been decried on social media.
Des Freedman, head of department and co-director of the Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre, shared the cartoon, writing: “The Times’ front page this morning: “British Jews face greatest ever threat”. A few hours ago, they published this cartoon with a vile representation of @ZackPolanski. The hypocrisy is sickening; the antisemitism [is] real.”
The Times’ front page this morning: “British Jews face greatest ever threat”. A few hours ago, they published this cartoon with a vile representation of @ZackPolanski . The hypocrisy is sickening; the antisemitism real. pic.twitter.com/Fv4Np56lCU
— Des Freedman (@lazebnic) May 2, 2026
And, Dr Iain Darcy compared the cartoon of Polanski to one published in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
“Antisemitism is firmly rooted in the British political and media establishment, where it has always been,” he wrote.
Pressed on antisemitism during an interview on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Polanski was repeatedly pressed on antisemitism, his social media repost, and the row with the Met police chief.
Asked about the UK counter terrorism chief's claim that antisemitism is the biggest threat to UK security, Polanski said: “Jewish communities aren't safe, and this isn't an abstract idea for me as a Jewish person.
On the left, published in @thetimes today, on the right, published in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Antisemitism is firmly rooted in the British political and media establishment, where it has always been. pic.twitter.com/opcKvASb4E
— Dr Iain Darcy 🍉 🇮🇪 💚 (@doctoriaindarcy) May 2, 2026
“In fact, in the last six weeks alone, two people have actually been arrested in relation to antisemitic actions towards me, and just yesterday, The Times newspaper published a pretty vile antisemitic caricature of me, and have yet to apologise or withdraw that.
“I don't think we make Jewish people any safer though by pitting…we just had that conversation, you just had that conversation with Heidi Alexander about Palestinian marches.
“I am both pro-Palestinian and I'm Jewish, and I care about Jewish safety.
“There's no conflict in those positions, and actually, I think where some of the conflict comes is actually from Benjamin Netanyahu, who frequently conflates people's Jewish identity with supporting the Israeli government.”
READ MORE: BBC accused of covering up attack by presenter who 'broke female colleague’s wrist'
Pressed on if he agreed with the assessment, he added: “I don’t think it's necessarily helpful to compare emergencies, but I think there is an emergency, there is a problem, and we need to tackle antisemitism.”
When Kuenssberg added that it had been suggested antisemitism is the biggest national security emergency in the UK since ISIS attacks 10 years ago, Polanski said: “Well, there was a report out by the Joint Intelligence chiefs recently that talked about emergencies to this country being the climate crisis, about food security, indeed from threats to Russia and cyber security.
“So I'm not denying there is an issue with antisemitism, but what I am saying is I think all of these emergencies need dealing with, and I don't think it's necessarily helpful to prioritise one above the others.”
In response to Rowley's letter, Polanski told Sky News earlier on Sunday: “I think you can both recognise the bravery of officers who run towards incidents that most of us, including myself, would certainly want to run away from, and find the appropriate forum to say that no one, especially the police, should be above scrutiny.
“The reason why I’ve apologised is I accept that wasn’t the appropriate forum.
“Open letters aren’t an appropriate way to do politics either in a local election,” he said, “but I accept all of that, and I’ll be having that conversation with the commissioner.”
Polanski also discouraged people from using the phrase “globalise the intifada” but added he is “not interested” in policing language.
“It’s not a phrase I would use personally and that’s because I think if there’s other phrases you can use or other ways to do things then why not just do them,” he added.
READ MORE: Donald Trump casts doubt on peace deal saying Iran has not 'paid a big enough price'
“I want people to be more effective so I wouldn’t encourage people to use it because actually I think you can make your point a lot more effectively and not get into this conversation about language.
“Words matter, but the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been murdered, the people in Lebanon who have been killed, these people matter too, and I think if people want to protest, that it’s important we defend their right to protest.
“Yes I do discourage, to give you a more direct answer, the use of the phrase but I’m not interested in trying to police people’s language.”
It comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said protesters have a responsibility to call out chants of the phrase at Gaza marches.
Share