Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party in the UK, defended his recent comments regarding the treatment of a suspect arrested in connection with the Golders Green stabbings. During an interview on the Today programme, he acknowledged he should not have implied police used excessive force but maintained that compassion is essential in justice, stating, 'the way we do justice in this country is in court.' Polanski, who is Jewish, expressed that safety is a significant issue for the Jewish community. He faced criticism for a social media post that seemed to empathize with the attacker rather than the police, but he clarified that his initial reaction was horror at the attack. Additionally, Polanski responded to allegations regarding his past claims of being a spokesperson for the British Red Cross, admitting he used the wrong terminology but asserting he had hosted fundraisers for the organization. He accused the Times of publishing an antisemitic cartoon of him and claimed they were 'scraping the barrel' for stories about his past, indicating that he had received calls from friends about journalists seeking dirt on him. Polanski's comments highlight the intense scrutiny faced by politicians, particularly those on the left, in a media landscape perceived as favoring right-wing narratives.