The UK Green Party voted 1,022 to 813 at its conference to define Zionism as a form of racism and back a single democratic Palestinian state across "historic Palestine." The move drew sharp condemnation from three major British Jewish organisations, Labour Party leaders and Israel's president. The result exposed divisions within the Greens—party leader Zack Polanski skipped the vote and at least three of the party's five MPs opposed the motion. The vote comes amid wider international debate over conduct in Gaza, where UN investigators' findings have been disputed by Israel.
UK Greens Vote To Define Zionism As Racism, Back Single Palestinian State
Green Party leader Zack Polanski's standing in the polls has taken a hit following recent missteps (Toby Shepheard)
The UK Green Party voted at its annual conference to formally define Zionism as a form of racism and to endorse the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state across what the motion described as "all of historic Palestine." Delegates approved the motion by 1,022 votes to 813, a result that immediately provoked criticism from major British Jewish organisations, the ruling Labour Party and Israeli officials.
Party Reaction and Internal Divisions
The motion prompted a fierce internal debate. A Green Party spokesperson said the issue had been "a serious and deeply felt debate within our membership." Party leader Zack Polanski did not take part in the vote; at least three of the Greens' five MPs opposed the motion.
Concerns From Jewish Groups and Politicians
The heads of the Board of Deputies, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Leadership Council warned the Greens in a joint letter that adopting the motion would amount to "an overtly antisemitic political platform" and highlighted potential consequences for the safety and welfare of British Jews.
Israel's President Isaac Herzog called the decision "a disgrace," adding that "Zionism is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, and it forms the basis for the Jewish people's right to a state and a national home in the Land of Israel."
Bridget Phillipson, chair of the Labour Party and the UK’s Minister for Women and Equalities, criticised the vote as "shameful," saying it rejected a two-state solution and effectively labelled many British Jews as racist for supporting Israel's right to exist.
Context
The Greens currently hold five seats in the 650-member House of Commons and have seen gains in recent local and by-elections. Their rise in popularity has been linked to dissatisfaction among some voters with the centre-left Labour government's stance on the Israel–Hamas war, although recent polls suggest the party leader's standing has cooled after a series of missteps.
The article notes that United Nations investigators have said they found evidence that led some to use the term "genocide" in relation to the Gaza conflict; Israel has rejected that characterization. The vote is likely to intensify debate across UK politics about how parties position themselves on the Israel–Palestine conflict and on questions of antisemitism and free political expression.
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