Green Party Adopts Controversial 'Zionism is Racism' Motion, Sparking Internal Division

Green Party members have adopted a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism, a decision that has created divisions among senior party figures. Activists at the party's conference in Brighton endorsed the policy motion, put forward by a group of members, by 1022 votes to 813.

The adopted motion defines Zionism as an ideology in support of "an ethnonationalist Jewish state" and backs a "single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine." According to the motion, the "real, material, manifestation of Zionism has been the historic and ongoing dehumanisation, displacement, dispossession, disenfranchisement and destruction of Palestinians."

Green Party members also voted to support a "single democratic Palestinian State," rejecting an amendment that had been backed by party leader Zack Polanski.

The motion has drawn criticism from some Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council. In a letter to the party prior to the vote, these organizations stated that Zionism is an anti-racist movement formed partly in response to antisemitism, aiming to provide a refuge for Jews in their ancestral homeland after centuries of persecution. They also voiced concerns about the safety of Jewish members within the Green Party and the potential ramifications for Jewish institutions in areas represented by the party.

Debate surrounding the motion and the ongoing conflict in Gaza has been a prominent feature of the conference, which has seen a surge in membership following Polanski's election as leader last year.

Polanski himself stated that he believed Zionism, as defined in the motion, constituted racism. However, he expressed a desire for the reference to a single Palestinian state to be altered, arguing that neither the Green Party nor the British government should dictate the future settlement. He also sought an amendment to ensure the motion would not be used to penalize Jewish members for attending synagogues that identify as Zionist. Both of Polanski's proposed amendments were rejected by party members.

A spokesperson for the Green Party affirmed that the party would protect its Jewish members and that they would not face persecution for attending synagogues that identify as Zionist.

Polanski did not vote on the motion, having left the conference early to campaign in Holborn and St Pancras, where he is standing as a parliamentary candidate.

Throughout the three-day conference, key figures within the party presented varying perspectives on the Zionism motion. Three of the party's five Members of Parliament—Ellie Chowns, Adrian Ramsay, and Carla Denyer—had publicly opposed the motion. Denyer argued that it risked "alienating a significant proportion of Jewish people."

Former leader Caroline Lucas told the BBC that she believed there was no single definition of Zionism and that, regardless of the motion's intentions, it carried a significant risk of being divisive and could signal that Jewish people were not welcome in the party.

Deputy leader Mothin Ali, who had voiced support for the motion before the vote, stated that it called for "a state that's democratic, that guarantees the rights of every single person living on that land." He clarified that he was "absolutely not" calling all Jewish people who define themselves as Zionists racist.

Under the Green Party's rules, motions endorsed by members become official party policy, though they are not automatically guaranteed inclusion in the party's manifesto for the next general election.