Green Party members pass ‘Zionism is racism’ motion

Green Party members have passed a motion to define Zionism as racist at the party’s conference in Brighton.

The motion passed by 1022 votes, with 813 against on Sunday in a move that sets out the party is anti-Zionist, defining the term as “an ethnonationalist political project”, while caveating that anti-Zionism should not be equated with antisemitism.

The debate caused controversy in the run up to the vote with members of the party concerned the wording risked alienating Jewish members of the party.

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 Green Party is an anti-racist party and has consistently opposed the illegal occupation of both Palestinian and Syrian land, called for an end to arms sales to the Israeli government and spoken out fearlessly about the devastating situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Those positions remain central to our approach. So too does our deeply held commitment to equality, justice and human rights for all and opposition to racism in all its forms.”

As part of the motion, the party reasserted its commitment to “Palestinian liberation, the right of return, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), and a full arms embargo against Israel.”

The party also restated its support for the Palestinian right to self-determination, calling for the establishment “of a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital”.

Party leader Zack Polanski, currently on the campaign trail to stand in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election, reportedly did not cast a vote.

Members voted against adding a clause to make clear the motion should not be used to “pressure, proscribe or discipline” party members for their affiliation to synagogues or other Jewish groups that describe themselves as Zionist.

Four of the party’s five MPs – Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry and ex-leaders Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer – came out to publicly reject the motion.

Bristol Central MP Ms Denyer shared a statement the day before the debate to express concern that it might distract the party from helping Palestinians by causing debate over definitions set out in the motion.

“If this motion passes as written, I am concerned that elected Greens will be forced to spend our time and energy debating and defending definitions, at the expense of focussing on the essential actions that only we can take to make things materially better for people in Palestine,” she said.

“I also worry that the current wording risks alienating a significant proportion of Jewish people, including those who vehemently disagree with the Israeli government; support boycott, divestment and sanctions; and are strong advocates for Palestinian rights.”

Jewish leaders said the failure of the Green Party leadership to oppose the move “shows a staggering indifference to the welfare of British Jews”.

The chief executives of the Board of Deputies, Community Security Trust and Jewish Leadership Council wrote a letter to Green Party leaders ahead of the conference airing their concerns and referring back to a warning they issued over the motion earlier this year.

“We also emphasised the implications for the safety and welfare of all British Jews, and our belief that this motion would make the Green Party the first electorally significant UK political party in living memory to adopt what appears to be an overtly antisemitic political platform,” they said.

Mr Polanski said earlier this week that he believes that the “displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people” is “clearly racism” in an interview with the BBC. He added that he wanted an amendment to call for one Palestinian state in the motion, “because what I want to see is equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians”.