Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for the arrest of Israeli President Herzog when he visits the UK this week, accusing him of being part of the “Israeli government engaged in an ongoing genocide.”

Polanski said:

“President Herzog has been complicit while the Israeli government has engaged in an ongoing genocide in Gaza. Everyone involved should be arrested, charged for war crimes and face justice.”

“Welcoming a potential war criminal to the UK is another demonstration of how this Labour government is implicated in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. It also serves as a brutal insult to those mourning the thousands of innocent lives lost and to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians facing ongoing violence and hunger.

“A refusal to detain Herzog can be seen as a contravention of the Geneva Convention which makes clear that States have legal responsibility for preventing the targeting of civilians. When this is breached individuals must be prosecuted and this should be applied to Herzog.”

Co-deputy leader, Mothin Ali, added:

“The planned visit of President Herzog coincides with the DSEI arms fair in London where 51 Israeli arms companies are putting on a sickening display of “battle-tested” armaments that will potentially have been used in war crimes against Palestinians. But instead of kicking Israel out of DSEI, the government seems happy for one of the world’s largest arms fairs to host these companies making and selling weapons of death and destruction. Another sign of complicity from this Labour government.”

“This government thinks it can fool the public by banning selected Israeli representatives. We see through it, and we will continue to call it out, until all those complicit in genocide are brought to justice.”

Two leading Green Party figures will attend the TUC Congress in Brighton today. The Party’s leader, Zack Polanski, will join a panel on How to Tax the Super-Rich. He is expected to say: 

“The Green Party stands in solidarity with the TUC in saying there must be no watering down of Workers’ Rights, which are at the heart of economic, social and racial justice.   

“Keir Starmer’s Labour have cut benefits, failed to invest properly in public services and refused to back a wealth tax. There will be no backsliding on your rights at work, on investing in public services and on fairer taxes from the Green Party. Workers can be sure to feel at home with us.”  

Meanwhile, Green Party MP Carla Denyer will join a panel on her Energy Jobs Bill, which would compel the government to set a timeline for phasing out oil and gas production and developing a comprehensive plan to harness the skills and expertise of workers in high-carbon industries. She is expected to say:  

“My Energy Jobs Bill includes a furlough-style scheme to guarantee a proportion of wages for oil and gas workers, supporting them while they retrain and find new employment. This would be funded by a levy on oil and gas companies – who are currently abandoning their workers after spending years making obscene profits from polluting our environment. 

“The Bill would introduce sectoral collective bargaining in the energy industry to protect the rights of workers, and it would extend the existing UK regulations on pay and conditions to cover all offshore workers.  

“Crucially, the energy transition must be created in collaboration with trade unions and local communities.” 

Dr. Ellie Chowns has been chosen unanimously by the Green MPs as Leader of the Parliamentary Green Party in the House of Commons.

This is a parliamentary designation required for the conduct of business in the House of Commons.

Ellie will lead on representing the Green MPs in Prime Minister’s Questions and other formal Commons proceedings, and will be the Group’s key point of contact for the House of Commons authorities.

This appointment does not affect the Green Party’s national leadership arrangements, which continue to be determined by the party’s membership through our established rules.

Ellie said: “I’m honoured to take on this role on behalf of the Green MPs. I look forward to continuing to work with all my excellent colleagues in Parliament and the newly elected Green Party leadership team to hold the government to account, advance Green policies, and represent the concerns of our constituents.”

“We’d like to congratulate Zack Polanski on his election as Leader of the Green Party, and to thank him for running such a strong and passionate campaign. 

“We also want to thank every member who voted and all those who took part in this leadership election — on both sides. From conversations on doorsteps to the energy shared online and within communities, the commitment of Green members has shone through. 

“Our party is in the strongest position in its history. We’re winning record numbers of seats, reaching people in every community and from across the political spectrum, and showing that Green politics is rooted in the issues that truly matter. We’re proud of the record-breaking successes the party has achieved under Adrian and Carla’s leadership, and we look forward to seeing that momentum continue. 

“As MPs, we remain fully committed to playing our part: holding this government to account and championing the policies needed for a fairer, greener and more liveable future. Together, we will continue to build on the extraordinary progress the Green Party has made, and take it further than ever before.”