Green Party Leader Faces Internal Strife Over Gaza Resolution

Green Party leader Zack Polanski is attempting to quell internal dissent as hardline pro-Palestinian activists push for a resolution that could be interpreted as calling for the destruction of Israel. A motion slated for presentation at the upcoming party conference, titled 'Zionism is Racism,' advocates for 'a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.'

The motion, authored by a London-based artist, suggests Hamas should not be classified as a terrorist organization and calls for Israel to face boycotts and sanctions akin to Apartheid-era South Africa. The author's accompanying pamphlet describes Zionism as responsible for 'an apartheid regime' and calls for an end to 'this racism and the monstrous State that has been built upon it,' concluding with the phrase 'Free Palestine, from the river to the sea,' which has drawn criticism as antisemitic.

Polanski, who is also seeking election to the UK Parliament, has publicly stated his opposition to the motion in its current form, labeling it a "distraction" that is "not going to help." He expressed concern that the proposal's demand for a single Palestinian state oversteps the role of external political bodies, stating, "I think there's something quite imperial about this for the British government or indeed the Green Party of England and Wales to decide what the future settlement of Palestine and Israel looks like." He emphasized his belief that the party's role is to advocate for "justice and equality both for Palestinians and Israelis."

Furthermore, Polanski stressed the need for the motion to explicitly protect Jewish individuals who criticize Israeli policy. "As a Jewish person who's shown solidarity with the Palestinian people. I would hope that our Green Party conference shows solidarity with Jewish people," he said. He argued that membership in a synagogue, even one identifying as Zionist, should not preclude individuals from Green Party membership if they oppose the occupation, apartheid, or what he termed "genocide."

The motion asserts that Zionism is responsible for the "historic and ongoing dehumanisation, displacement, dispossession, disenfranchisement and destruction of Palestinians" through "European settler-colonial systems." It contends that rejecting Zionism and supporting Palestinian liberation is not discriminatory against Jewish people and supports the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state with equal rights for all, stating, "Zionism is fundamentally incompatible with anti-racist principles, equality and justice."

This is not the first attempt to alter the party's policy on the issue. A similar proposal at the Greens' spring conference, supported by Deputy Leader Mothin Ali, failed to pass after opponents managed to time-out the debate amid factional infighting and technical difficulties.