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The words of Zack Polanski. Transcript from the video's captions, fetched on 2026-10-02; not an official record. Captions do not say who is speaking: Polifiles assigned each turn by reading the captions, without checking the audio. Captions are auto-generated, so some names are misspelt. The exchange has a lot of cross-talk; short interjections by the interviewer that are not questions are shown as remarks and not rated. Questions are shown in grey boxes. Tap a marked sentence to see the label and its sources. Other speakers' full contributions are in the video.
Trevor Phillips
Mr. Polsky, you recently said that there needs to be a conversation about whether there's a perception of unsafety or actual unsafety in Jewish communities. After this week, do you think this is still a matter for debate?
Well, the full quote is that I said both are unacceptable.And anti-Semitism and Jewish safety is not some abstract concept for me.In fact, in the last 6 weeks alone, two people have actually been arrested in relation to anti-Semitic actions towards me.And yesterday, The Times newspaper published a vile anti-Semitic cartoon, which we've asked them to apologize for.Now, I don't believe that we make Jewish safety any better by escalating tensions.
I think it's really important we recognize how scary it is at the moment for so many communities.We saw three people stabbed this week on Wednesday, one Muslim man and two Jewish men.And I think it's important that we all work as leaders to de-escalate tensions, to bring communities together, recognize the work of interfaith groups, and also the non-faith groups as well.
DodgedOn review, rated Dodged (was Partly answered: Asked whether Jewish safety is still a matter for debate. The reply says both perceived and actual unsafety are unacceptable and describes threats he has faced, without addressing the question directly; the interviewer notes this.)Our model rated thisCorrected by a person, 8 Oct 2026
Trevor Phillips
That is a nicely political answer, but it's not the answer to the question I asked you. You said that that there needs to be a conversation about whether there is a perception of unsafety or actual unsafety in Jewish communities. Let me ask you again. Do you still think that is a matter for debate? As I say Is it worth Is it a matter for a conversation?
Or do you accept that actually there's not a perception, there is actual unsafety.
Well, I think the conversation is rolling out right now.I definitely think there's unsafety for Jewish people, and I never said there wasn't.I said both were unacceptable.When I talked
AnsweredAsked again whether there is actual unsafety. The reply says there definitely is.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
No, what you said is there needs to be a conversation. I looked at your words. Right. Which suggests that you think that there's a choice. And that perhaps some people might be thinking that there's a problem, but there isn't really a problem.
So, you're telling me this morning that's not a That's not in question. You accept that there is actual unsafety and that's what's going to be tackled.
What I said was spot on.There are times when Jewish people, including myself, are actively unsafe.That's clearly very true and it's always been true.There's also times where we hear marches, Palestinian marches, that I as a Jewish person walk on, where Jewish people say that makes them feel unsafe.Now, I don't think that actually makes them unsafe, clearly, cuz I'm a Jewish person who is on that march.
So, I think it's about having a conversation about how do we ensure that Jewish people are safe and Jewish people feel safe at times when they may perceive themselves to be unsafe.
AnsweredAsked to confirm he accepts actual unsafety. The reply says Jewish people are at times actively unsafe, and that feeling unsafe at marches is different.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
Oh, that's interesting. So, these marches where many Jewish people, frankly, most Jewish people that you or I would meet, say that they feel it makes them unsafe. Let me put a if like a thought experiment to you. Imagine you are talking to Rand or Norman Shaw, the two men who were stabbed in Golders Green. How do you persuade them that what happened to them was somehow kind of in their imaginations?
I mean you've got to be clear about this. You can't have it both ways. Either there is something real here or you're saying that some Jewish people are not making it up, but they're imagining something that it is real that isn't real.
Trevor, that's an outrageous distortion of what I just said.
Partly answeredTold he cannot have it both ways. The reply calls this a distortion of his words.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
No, I'm kind of repeating what you've just said, what you said earlier in the week, and what you've just said to me, actually.
If people are stabbed, then that is clearly unsafe.It's It's beyond unsafe.It's outrageous and it's horrific, the attack that happened.We should not and must not pit people facing physical violence against people's freedom of speech and ability to march in relation to a genocide in Palestine.The person who is conflating anti-Semitism with the policies of the Israeli government is Benjamin Netanyahu.
Partly answeredTold he is being quoted accurately. The reply says the stabbings were clearly unsafe, then turns to freedom to march and the Israeli government.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
No, no, no, let's not get on to that. I asked you about the feelings of the Jewish community in this country.
Of which I'm one of them.
Partly answeredAsked about the feelings of Britain's Jewish community. The reply says he is part of it.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
nothing to do with what you just started to go on to. And you seem still unsure whether you believe Jews in Britain are unsafe or whether you think actually it's not as bad as Trump people are making it out.
That's not what I said at all and that's not what I said last week.I said there are people who are unsafe Jewish people and that's clearly true.There are also people who feel like the marches are hate marches.I'm saying as a Jewish person who marches with many Jewish people against the occupation in Palestine when people say that makes them feel unsafe, that's a distortion of what the march is.
AnsweredTold he seems unsure whether Jews in Britain are unsafe. The reply restates that some are unsafe and that calling the marches unsafe distorts them.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
Okay. So so you would reject the the McPherson inquiry, Stephen Lawrence inquiry definition of a hate crime as a a crime, a an incident where either the victim or anybody else who happens to be there perceives it to be crime motivated by hatred because there are thousands and thousands of Jews in this city, London, who think that those marches that you're saying you don't feel intimidated by, they think these are hate marches. So you're saying that the McPherson inquiry the McPherson definition, which is what the government stands behind and which police operate today, that's wrong.
Well, as I repeat, as a Jewish person I march with many Jewish people on those marches.Now there are already laws to deal
Partly answeredAsked whether he rejects the Macpherson definition of a hate incident. The reply says he marches with Jewish people and that laws exist, without addressing the definition.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
is my Jewish identity being erased from this conversation?I'm a Jewish identity.I'm so many people on those marches.Don't try that one on me.
Trevor Phillips
My point is that currently the policy is that if somebody believes that an incident is a hate crime, whether they are a victim or not, it is recorded as such by the police. It is regarded as such by the court. What you are saying is because you don't think it's a hate crime, it shouldn't be.
If hate crimes are being committed on the marches, then those should be dealt with and there's already laws for those.As I said, on those marches, I've not seen hate crimes and I think it's an outrageous slur on many, many people who are marching for peace.The world is actually upside down.
Partly answeredTold that police record an incident as a hate crime if anyone perceives it so. The reply says any hate crimes should be dealt with and he has not seen any, without addressing the recording rule.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
who think it is, what's wrong with
Those are not hate marches.
Partly answeredAsked what is wrong with people's perception. The reply says the marches are not hate marches.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Well, I think if they've not seen evidence of them being hate marches, then I think yes, that is a perception issue.
Trevor Phillips
Okay, so you then want to erase their belief that they are subject to hate. That's their Their perception is also their reality.
think we need to deal in evidence and data.So, where there has been anti-Semitism, there's laws to deal with that and that should be dealt with.If it's a general perception that they're hate marches, then that's the world upside down.These are peace marches that are marching to say end the occupation.
AnsweredAsked whether he would dismiss people's sense of being targeted. The reply says policy should rest on evidence and these are peace marches.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
That doesn't feel philosophical for me.I was at a rally in Hastings a few days ago.
And someone holding a foam sign
My experience is a Jewish person
did a Nazi salute in my direction this week.This is not an abstract philosophical conversation for me.I think it's important we deal with actual anti-Semitism and we don't pit that against pro-Palestinian sentiment.That doesn't make Jewish people any safer.
Trevor Phillips
You um retweeted this message about the behavior of a group of Met Front police officers when they had probably just saved several lives, including by the way the life of um SS Suleman who's since been arrested and charged with attempted murder because the uh armed police were on the way and had he not been subdued, who knows what would have happened. What on earth was going through your head when you retweeted that? I know you've apologized, but how did you get to that place?
I think you can both recognize 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.Reason why I've apologized is I accept that wasn't appropriate forum.As a member of the London Assembly, a place I know you know well, the police and crime committee would be an appropriate place, or indeed a meeting with the commissioner, which I'm pleased I've reached out and he's now agreed to.I do also think, by the way, open letters aren't an appropriate way to do politics either in the in a local election.
But I accept all of that and I'll be having that conversation with the commissioner.
DodgedOn review, rated Dodged (was Partly answered: Asked what led him to repost criticism of the police after the attack. The reply praises officers' bravery and says X was the wrong forum, without explaining the decision.)Our model rated thisCorrected by a person, 8 Oct 2026
Trevor Phillips
But you chose X to do this. And I'm just curious what what prompted you to look at this this uh message and to repost it. Repost it. You can say you didn't endorse it and so on, but you made a choice to do this. Now I'm just curious what thought process led you to do that.
Well, the first thing I did was recognize that this was a horrific crime and I showed solidarity to the victims and their families.I then thanked the emergency responders for the brave work they did.I found it all very traumatic, especially as a Jewish person, and I also found the video that was circulating online traumatic, too.I accept, though, that conversation about that video needs to be had with the commissioner rather than on X.
AnsweredAsked again what thought process led him to repost it. The reply describes his reactions to the attack and the video.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
You made a mistake, presumably, because you were traumatized then.
Well, you generally apologize when you make mistakes for putting that in the wrong forum.It should be something I take directly to the commissioner and accept that.
Partly answeredAsked whether he made the mistake because he was traumatised. The reply says he apologised for using the wrong forum.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
Were you trying to reframe this as a case of police brutality so we didn't have the debate that is going to have to take place uh about this being a straightforward case of anti-Semitism with no political defense to it.
No.
AnsweredAsked whether he wanted to recast the attack as police brutality. The reply says no.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
It's very still very hard then to understand why you felt you had to intervene with some random tweet.
Well, And the commissioner
Partly answeredTold it is hard to understand why he intervened. The reply is cut off.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
let me just add one thing. It it's hard to understand it in any other way given that your own party has some trouble with anti-Semitism. Two of your candidates have been arrested this week. Is it the case that you basically wanted this not to be about anti-Semitism, but let's make it about the police?
I've already said no. It's also important to point out that a Muslim man was stabbed as well as two Jewish men and that seems to have not been in the news coverage.The commissioner as well in this very studio accepted that this was an unusual use of police force within this instant.Now, I think there's a conversation that he's had about
AnsweredAsked whether he wanted the story to be about the police rather than antisemitism. The reply says no and adds context.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
think he even accept it as an unusual use.
it was unusual.That was what he said in the
AnsweredTold the Commissioner did not call it an unusual use of force. The reply says the Commissioner called it unusual.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
the response was unusual and that's the conversation I want to have with the commissioner.I've said that X isn't the appropriate forum.I don't think the media is the appropriate forum either.
Trevor Phillips
Um you've raised the the issue of Muslims. Let me put this to you. Three quarters of the terrorist threats we know come from Islamists according to the security service. Uh Fiyaz Mughal, the founder of Tell Mama, which is the uh government-backed group monitoring hate against Muslims uh says in the papers this morning that in the national paper this morning that um politicians haven't spoken, including the prime minister, about what he calls the elephant in the room that has Muslim anti-Semitism written across it. He goes on to say that while the vast majority of Muslims are an asset to our country, unless we have a root and branch rejection of Muslim anti-Semitism, calls for considerations with British Jews are futile.
Do you agree?
I think it's the opposite of what we should be doing.I think blaming an entire community based on what one person
AnsweredAsked whether he agrees that Muslim antisemitism must be confronted. The reply disagrees with that approach.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
He is not blaming an entire community. He is referring to Muslim anti-Semitism, Islamism, uh as uh other people call it. Uh and he says unless we recognize that, calls for commemorations with British Jews are futile. He's not accusing a whole community. Do you agree with him?
I think what we need to do right now is de-escalate tensions.I think we need interfaith work.I think we need to bring people together.That sounds like the opposite of that.
DodgedTold the writer is not blaming a whole community, and asked again whether he agrees. The reply calls for de-escalation and interfaith work without saying whether he agrees.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
Former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission wrote yesterday the following, "When members of the Muslim community commit violence against Jewish people for simply being Jewish, there are no mosque vigils or prayers, no loud hailers condemning perpetrators. To their shame and mine, Muslims in Britain appear entirely alienated from the plight of Jews when attacked. This silence speaks volumes." Do you understand her anger? She is a Muslim.
I think those are inflammatory comments.I think some of the work that I'm proudest of when I see in London is when imams and rabbis stand together side by side and say that attack on one is an attack on all.And together Jewish and Muslim people will stand in solidarity.I think that's the sort of leadership that we need need right now.People standing up and working together in unity, not reaping further division.
AnsweredAsked whether he understands a Muslim commentator's anger. The reply calls her comments inflammatory and describes interfaith solidarity.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
So, the points of view of two prominent Muslims uh from your point of view, are just inflammatory because well, they're not your kind of Muslim?
They can be as prominent as they want.I can still disagree with them.
AnsweredAsked whether he dismisses these views because of who holds them. The reply says he simply disagrees.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
No, but you seem to be saying that somehow their views are not legitimate.
I think their views are wrong.
AnsweredAsked whether he thinks their views are illegitimate. The reply says they are wrong.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
and you're not engaging with them at all.
That's different to not legitimate.What I'm saying is that I think people in positions of power and people with responsibility right now have a responsibility to bring people together.That is not language that I think sounds like bringing people together.
AnsweredTold he is not engaging with them. The reply distinguishes disagreement from illegitimacy and calls for unifying language.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
Even it doesn't in even if it involves trying to tell the truth, what they say is the truth?
I think it's really important to tell the truth and the truth right now is we need interfaith work.We need to make sure that we're bringing people together.We need investment in our communities, both faith and non-faith communities.I think that's what's important right now rather than I know you rejected earlier on when I said blaming an entire community for one person's actions is not what those words are saying, but that's very much what I'm hearing.
DodgedAsked whether that holds even if what they say is true. The reply says the truth is that interfaith work is needed, without addressing whether their claims are true.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
We we're we're going to have another conversation about perception and and reality. They they they go out of their way specifically to say that they don't accuse all Muslims and how could they? They are Muslims themselves. But I I just wonder whether this is a political situation for you in which you can't recognize what they say because you're trying to appeal to that community.
I mean, again, I think it's an outrageous slur.Antisemitism is unacceptable in the same way that Islamophobia is unacceptable.I don't think we challenge antisemitism or Islamophobia or any form of racism by pitting communities against each other.I think we challenge those things by investing in our communities and bringing people together.
AnsweredAsked whether he is avoiding the issue to appeal to Muslim voters. The reply rejects that and condemns antisemitism and Islamophobia.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
All right. You are fighting elections this week. Smart money says that you're going to do very well as a party. Are you going to instruct your counselors to reject coalition or cooperation with other parties, specifically Reform?
Well, the first thing to say is I'm not interested in smart money.I'm interested in votes.So, on Thursday, every single person who wants Green councilors with only two vested interests to protect people and protect the planet should go out there and vote Green.We're facing a toxic combination right now of high bills and low wages.We need to end rip-off Britain and one of the ways we do that is by electing more Green councilors.
Now, when those councilors are elected, they are there to serve the communities.They're not there to serve me or the Green Party.So, I won't be telling anyone, you know, who they need to go into coalition with or not go into coalition with.That's ultimately a matter between the councilors and their local community.I would be very surprised though and I would be bothered to see anyone going into coalition with Reform and I don't expect to see that happening.
because I think Reform offer a politics that's divisive.I think that it's toxic and I think it's the opposite of everything that the Green Party represents and I can't imagine any councilor or council wanting to work with the Reform Party.The same time it's an important principle that we are not a top-down party.It's up to those councilors to make their decisions.But as I say, I can't imagine any scenario where you'd see the Green Party and Reform working together.
AnsweredAsked whether he will tell councillors not to work with Reform. The reply says he will not instruct them but would not expect or welcome it.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
Let's talk a little bit if we may before we end about what kind of party you are. Um people used to think of the Green Party as conservationist and mocked Greens for being, you know, knit your own yogurt and so on. Nobody's going to say that these days.
Um still like to knit some yogurt. [laughter]
AnsweredTold the Greens are no longer mocked as conservationists. The reply jokes.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
Okay, fair enough. I'll come round for that. Um What's the first thing you're going to ask your councilors to do on Monday? Are you going to turn to the traditional green issues? Are you going to, for example, ask them to ensure they're not spending any money on anything that would benefit Israel?
Well, the first thing to do is make sure we're protecting people's public services.As I said, people are really struggling right now.As Hannah Spencer, the MP for Gorton and Denton where we took on the billionaire donors and the Green Party won, the day she won, she said, "Working hard used to get you something and now it doesn't get you the holiday.It doesn't get you what you feel like you deserve."And I think it's so important that Green councilors on day one are making sure they're protecting people's public services, actually representing the communities, and changing politics so people can believe and trust again.Far too many people feel like politicians are so distant from them as opposed to out there batting for them every single day.
Partly answeredAsked what councillors will do first, and whether they will avoid spending that benefits Israel. The reply says protect public services, without addressing Israel.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Trevor Phillips
That's so interesting cuz in that answer no reference to, you know, hedgerows, small animals, uh uh you know, even sewage in the water. Well, they're all part of the problem. Have the Greens become more Corbinista now than conservationist?
Well, inequality affects everything.And ultimately, the climate crisis is a crisis of inequality because corporations who destroy our environment are also destroying our democracy and our communities, too.And so, the Green Party is ultimately there to make sure that we protect our planet and our environment.And it's there to make sure we tackle inequality.The 50 wealthiest families in this country own more wealth than 34 million people.
That's unsustainable.The government say there's no money left.There's plenty of money.It needs to be in our communities both for the environment and for the people we seek to serve.
Partly answeredAsked whether the Greens are now more Corbynite than conservationist. The reply links climate and inequality without answering directly.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person