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The Green Party has recently passed a motion classifying Zionism as a form of racism, a decision that has sparked significant disagreement among the party’s senior leadership. Notably, the party’s joint deputy leaders have expressed conflicting views on the matter: Mothin Ali supports the motion, while Rachel Millward has criticized its phrasing as “problematic.” The motion was approved by party activists during the conference in Brighton, receiving 1,022 votes in favor compared to 813 against.
This debate has laid bare a growing divide within the party, especially between the newly expanded membership under leader Zack Polanski and the party’s elected MPs. The motion characterizes Zionism as an ideology endorsing “an ethnonationalist Jewish state” and advocates for the establishment of “a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine.” It also states that Zionism’s practical effects have included “the historic and ongoing dehumanisation, displacement, dispossession, disenfranchisement and destruction of Palestinians.”
The motion has drawn criticism from several Jewish organizations, including the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council. In a letter to the Green Party prior to the vote, these groups contended that Zionism is fundamentally an anti-racist movement, citing its origins as a response to antisemitism and its role in creating a refuge for Jews after centuries of persecution. The letter also articulated concerns about the safety of Jewish members within the party and the impact of the motion on Jewish institutions in areas represented by Greens.
During the conference, which has been heavily influenced by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and an influx of new party members following Polanski’s election as leader in September last year, discussions on the motion have been intense. Polanski himself did not participate in the vote, leaving early to campaign for a parliamentary seat. He stated, “If your Zionism is the displacement of the Palestinian people then that is clearly racist, and I say that as a Jewish leader of a British political party.” However, Polanski expressed reservations regarding the motion’s call for a single Palestinian state, suggesting that the party or the British government should not dictate the parameters of future settlements. He also pushed for amendments to protect Jewish members attending synagogues that identify as Zionist, although these proposals were ultimately rejected by the party membership.
Following the adoption of the motion, a Green Party spokeswoman reassured that Jewish members would be safeguarded and would not face persecution for their association with Zionist synagogues. Vivien Lichtenstein, chair of Jewish Greens, expressed uncertainty about her future within the party. While Polanski has not openly confirmed support for the policy, he co-signed a joint statement with the party’s MPs and deputy leaders pledging to maintain the Green Party as “an anti-racist party in every way” and emphasizing that supporting Palestinian rights does not conflict with supporting Jewish rights.
Opposition to the motion among elected Greens has been clear, with four out of five MPs publicly speaking against it. Carla Denyer voiced concerns that it could alienate many Jewish individuals, and both Ellie Chowns and former leader Caroline Lucas argued against the motion during the conference debate. Lucas urged members to consider the complexities involved and warned that the motion risked making Jewish members feel unwelcome. In contrast, deputy leader Mothin Ali defended the policy, emphasizing its call for a democratic state that respects the rights of all residents and clarifying that the motion does not accuse all self-identifying Zionist Jews of racism.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the motion, labeling it as exceeding “the boundaries of legitimate political debate” and calling it “a stain on the history of the United Kingdom.” According to the Green Party’s rules, while conference-supported motions become party policy, they may not necessarily appear in the next general election manifesto
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