UK Green Party adopts motion declaring Zionism a form of racism
In short
The Green Party of England and Wales voted 1,022 to 813 at its conference in Brighton to adopt a motion titled “Zionism is Racism,” which defines Zionism as an ethnonationalist political project and backs a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine. Israel condemned the vote, and UPI reported that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar barred party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel. A Green Party spokesperson said the debate had been “serious and deeply felt.”
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The Green Party of England and Wales adopted a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism at its annual conference in Brighton on Sunday, passing it by 1,022 votes to 813. UPI reported the motion, titled “Zionism is Racism,” defines Zionism as “an ethnonationalist political project,” states that anti-Zionism should not be equated with antisemitism and reasserts the party's commitment to Palestinian liberation. The motion restates the party's backing for self-determination and calls for “the establishment of a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine”; the New York Post reported it specifies Jerusalem as that state's capital. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
A Green Party spokesperson said: “This has been a serious and deeply felt debate within our membership. Our members value the ability to bring forward and decide party policy, and conference has now made its decision.” The New York Post reported that Jewish members of the party splintered over the motion and that Jewish members were given a designated safe room if they felt endangered during the meeting, according to the Daily Mail. The same outlet reported that the conference voted down an amendment that would have protected members from discipline “based on affiliation with Jewish community institutions,” and that the motion had previously been slated for a vote in the spring but was delayed. [ 1 , 3 ]
Israel condemned the vote. UPI reported that Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel. Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement that the motion legitimises armed struggle against Israel and calls for “the destruction of the State of Israel,” and the Embassy of Israel in London said the party had “ceased to act as a political party and became a body that gives legitimacy to terrorism.” [ 3 , 4 ]
The embassy statement said that as long as the Green Party maintains the policy, “it will stand as a stain on the history of the United Kingdom,” and called on “every political party in Britain, first and foremost the governing Labour Party,” to reject the resolution. Newsweek reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to its inquiry in a post on X with that same statement. [ 3 , 4 ]
Characterisations of the motion differ between outlets. The New York Post wrote that the policy “would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state,” while the motion itself says it is aimed at “the political ideology and practice of Zionism, as defined, and not at the religious or ethnic background of those who may identify as Zionists.” The New York Post said the party has four Members of Parliament and two members of the House of Lords; Newsweek said the party, though not in power, has demonstrated growing electoral influence in the UK. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The vote drew a public rebuke from Israel, a travel ban on the party's leader as reported by UPI, and an Israeli call for Britain's governing Labour Party and other parties to reject the resolution. The Greens are not in power, but Newsweek noted the party has shown growing electoral influence in the UK, so its position has drawn attention beyond its membership.
Key facts
- The Green Party of England and Wales adopted a motion titled “Zionism is Racism” at its conference in Brighton, passing it by 1,022 votes to 813. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The motion defines Zionism as an ethnonationalist political project and states that anti-Zionism should not be equated with antisemitism. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The motion backs the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state throughout historic Palestine; the New York Post reported it names Jerusalem as that state's capital. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- A party spokesperson said the debate had been “serious and deeply felt” and that conference had made its decision. [ 3 ]
- The conference voted down an amendment that would have protected members from discipline based on affiliation with Jewish community institutions, the New York Post reported. [ 1 ]
- Israel's foreign ministry said the motion legitimises armed struggle and calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The Israeli embassy in London said the party had “ceased to act as a political party and became a body that gives legitimacy to terrorism.” [ 3 , 4 ]
- UPI reported that Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Green Party of England and Wales adopted a motion titled “Zionism is Racism” at its conference in Brighton by 1,022 votes to 813. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The motion defines Zionism as an ethnonationalist political project and says anti-Zionism should not be equated with antisemitism. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The motion backs a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Israel's foreign ministry said the resolution legitimises armed struggle and calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The Embassy of Israel in London said the party had become “a body that gives legitimacy to terrorism” and that the resolution would stand as “a stain on the history of the United Kingdom.” [ 3 , 4 ]
- The Israeli statement called on every political party in Britain, “first and foremost the governing Labour Party,” to reject the resolution. [ 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the governing Labour Party or any other UK party has responded to the Israeli statement. The documents report Israel's call for rejection but no response from Labour or other parties.
- The barring of Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel is reported only by UPI; no other document mentions it. Single-source claim, with no detail given on the scope or duration of the entry ban.
- The New York Post writes that the policy “would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state,” while the motion says it targets the political ideology and practice of Zionism and not the religious or ethnic background of those who identify as Zionists. The documents characterise the motion's effect differently, and neither resolves the other's framing.
- The New York Post's report that Jewish members were given a designated safe room if they felt endangered during the meeting, attributed to the Daily Mail. Reported second-hand by a single document; the party is not quoted on it.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The New York Post publishes its account of the Green Party conference vote in Brighton and the party's internal divisions. [ 1 ]
- UPI reports the motion passed 1,022 to 813 and that Israel's foreign minister barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel. [ 3 ]
- Newsweek reports Israel's condemnation, including the foreign ministry statement calling the resolution “a stain on the history of the United Kingdom.” [ 4 ]