UK Greens Become First European Mainstream Party to Adopt “Zionism is Racism” Motion

The Green Party has established itself as the first mainstream political party in Europe to explicitly identify as anti-Zionist. During its annual conference in Brighton on Sunday, delegates voted to adopt the contentious “Zionism is Racism” motion, passing it 1,022 votes to 813.

Amendment III, designed to prevent the expulsion of Jewish members belonging to synagogues that self-identify as Zionist, was also rejected. It garnered 684 votes in support, with 1,026 opposed.

The Green Party had originally intended to consider the motion at its Spring Conference in March, but the schedule was disrupted by several votes of no confidence, meaning the proposal was never debated or put to a vote at that time.

The adopted motion defines Zionism as the founding ideology of Israel, asserting it has created and perpetuated an apartheid regime between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

It also reaffirms the right to self-determination and liberation for the Palestinian people, calling for a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital.” Such a framework would effectively nullify the existence of the State of Israel.

On Saturday, Zack Polanski addressed the conference, stating, “We stand with one voice now as we say: ‘Drop the charges. End the genocide. Deproscribe Palestine Action.'”

However, The Telegraph reported that Polanski did not cast a vote on the motion, as he was campaigning in north London ahead of the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on Thursday.

Polanski, who is Jewish, has nonetheless refrained from condemning the motion.

Jewish Greens Remained Divided on Motion

The Jewish Greens, an affinity group within the party, remained split over the “Zionism is Racism” motion. Prior to the conference, the group distributed a survey regarding key agenda items.

Respondents were asked on a 0–10 scale whether Jewish Greens should collectively oppose the motion. The average response was 5.1, reflecting an almost even division. Consequently, the group decided against taking an official position on the matter.

Most Jewish Greens respondents (81%) identified as anti-Zionist or non-Zionist. Among Zionist respondents, 80% opposed the “Zionism as Racism” motion. Intriguingly, however, anti-Zionist members were similarly divided on the issue.

A majority of 70% strongly supported removing Palestine Action from the ban list, and 64% strongly backed the Palestinian right to “resist apartheid, occupation and genocide through all available means within international law.”

Exactly half of the respondents supported the criminal prosecution of UK citizens who fight with the Israeli military.

‘Safe-Rooms’ Designated for Jewish Members During Conference

Another concerning disclosure emerged when Jewish members of the party informed the Mail on Sunday that a designated ‘safe-room’ had been reserved for Jewish attendees who felt threatened.

“We have been given a ‘safe room’ for Jewish members to use in an emergency,” one member said.

“It was used on the first day of the conference to host a meeting between a rabbi and some Jewish members. It’s a deeply upsetting situation, but that’s the reality.”

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, co-leads of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that the motion was “antisemitic in its formulation and intention.”

“By adopting it, the Green Party has made antisemitism party policy and become a racist party,” the two rabbis said.

“Jewish self-determination is a right. Declaring it racist is an attack on Jews. The Green Party has chosen to brand Jews who hold this belief as racists and make their equal participation in the party conditional on renouncing it.”

Baginsky and Levy argued that Jews should not be required to justify their connections to Israel to deserve equal treatment, nor should they have to disown their communities to participate in British politics.

“Support for this motion from some Jewish members does not excuse discrimination against other Jews.”

“We stand with Jewish members and our communities. We will challenge this policy and hold the Green Party’s leadership accountable for the discrimination it has endorsed.”

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