Zack Polanski has vowed to protect inclusion in the Green Party after delegates at the Brighton conference adopted a motion describing Zionism as a form of racism. The motion, passed 1,022 to 813, calls for a single democratic Palestinian state and has prompted complaints to the EHRC and referrals to Sussex Police. Polanski, who is Jewish, emphasized that antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are distinct and said the party must ensure all members feel safe and welcome.
Polanski Vows No Exclusion After Greens Adopt Motion Calling Zionism 'A Form Of Racism'
Green Party leader Zack Polanski did not take part in the vote on Sunday [PA Media]
Zack Polanski has pledged that no one will be excluded from the Green Party on the basis of their religion or communal affiliation after conference delegates in Brighton passed a motion describing Zionism as a form of racism.
What Happened
The motion, carried by 1,022 votes to 813, defines Zionism as an ideology that supports "an ethnonationalist Jewish state" and calls for "a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine." It was proposed by a group of activists and adopted at the party's conference in Brighton.
Immediate Fallout
The vote prompted more than a dozen Labour MPs to complain to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), saying the motion and related developments raise "serious questions" about whether Jewish members can participate freely and equally in the party. Nine Labour MPs also asked Sussex Police to consider whether alleged actions at the conference may amount to criminal "possible antisemitic offences." The EHRC said it would "consider each complaint carefully" but had not opened an investigation at this stage.
Polanski said: "As leader I will not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of."
Responses From Parties and Groups
Four of the Green Party's five MPs opposed the motion. Israel's foreign ministry announced it would bar Mr Polanski from entering the country, and a number of Jewish organisations described the motion as an "attack on the Jewish community." The European Green Party publicly distanced itself from the motion and asked the Green Party leadership for clarity on how Jewish people and the principle of self-determination would be protected.
Greens leader Zack Polanski — who is Jewish — stressed the distinction between criticizing the policies of the Israeli state and antisemitism, saying the two "are, and must always be, completely distinct." He said party leaders must ensure that "no-one will be made unwelcome because of their background, their faith, or where they worship."
Wider Significance
The motion and the reaction to it have underscored tensions between the party's expanded grassroots membership and its parliamentary cohort. MP Ellie Chowns said she was "deeply saddened" that the motion became party policy but did not label it antisemitic, calling it a principled critique of Israeli government actions. Chowns and others suggested reviewing Green Party policymaking, noting that fewer than 1% of the party's more than 200,000 members voted at the conference.
Sussex Police and the Green Party were contacted for comment. The episode adds to ongoing debates in UK politics over Israel-Palestine and how political parties handle complaints and internal democracy.
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