'Zionism is Racism': UK Green Party Sets Dangerous Precedent
An inner Green Party motion passes with 56% support, defining Zionism as an ideology seeking a Jewish state "to the exclusion and/or domination of the non-Jewish population". Resolution calls for a single Palestinian state with "equal rights for all" but makes no provision for Israel's continued existence. Just 1,835 of the party's more than 200,000 members voted.
By ILH Staff
The Green Party of England and Wales approved a controversial motion Sunday defining Zionism as racism, with delegates at its annual conference in Brighton voting 56% to 44% in favor despite opposition from several senior party figures.
The motion, put forward by members of the Greens for Palestine group, describes Zionism as a political ideology that called for the creation of "an ethnonationalist Jewish State in historic Palestine to the exclusion and/or domination of the non-Jewish population."
The approved motion also calls for the establishment of a single Palestinian state in which "equal rights for all," including Jews, would be guaranteed. It does not, however, provide for the continued existence of the State of Israel alongside it under a two-state solution.
Until now, the Green Party's official policy had allowed for either a one-state or two-state solution, depending on a democratic process. Following the motion's approval at the conference, the new position is expected to become party policy.
The proposal reached the conference floor after placing first in a vote among party members to determine which motions would receive priority for debate. Green Party leader Zack Polanski did not vote Sunday, but supported amendments intended to qualify the call for a single Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and to provide protections for Jewish party members affiliated with organizations that identify as Zionist. Both provisions were rejected.
Senior party figures were divided over the proposal. Co-deputy leader Rachel Millward said she would vote against it, while fellow co-deputy leader Mothin Ali told Sky News he would support it. The party's leader in the British Parliament, Dr. Ellie Chowns, also urged members to reject the motion. Former party leaders Siân Berry, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer likewise opposed it.
Responding to the vote, the Green Party said the issue had prompted a "serious and deeply felt debate" among its members, stressing that party members have the right to propose and determine policy.
"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," a party spokesperson said. "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."
Despite the majority in favor, participation in the vote was extremely low: Just 1,835 people voted out of the party's membership of more than 200,000.
Israel's Foreign Ministry responded to the resolution, saying: "The Green Party in Britain today ceased to function as a political party and became a body supporting terrorism. The Greens have officially adopted the green color of Hamas and its ideological doctrine, which calls for the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle.
"The shocking resolution adopted today legitimizes armed struggle, calls for a Palestinian state 'from the river to the sea' – meaning the destruction of the State of Israel – and labels as 'racist' the aspiration of the Jewish people for self-determination. This goes far beyond the boundaries of legitimate political debate. As long as this resolution remains in place, it will stand as a stain on the history of the United Kingdom. All political parties in Britain, first and foremost the governing Labour Party, must immediately and unequivocally repudiate this distorted text."
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