Full Breakdown
Green Party adopts “Zionism is racism” policy amid internal probe and international backlash
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Party leader Zack Polanski did not vote, having left the conference early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancres by-election.
Background & Context
The motion was drafted by Lubna Speitan, a British-Palestinian artist and party member. Under Green Party rules, motions approved by members become official party policy, though they are not automatically incorporated into the next election manifesto.
Data & Statistics
- Vote tally: 1,022 for the motion, 813 against.
- Four of the party’s five MPs (Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry, Carla Denyer, and Adrian Ramsay) publicly opposed the motion.
Official Statements & Responses
- Green Party spokesperson: “Where members have expressed views that do not fit in with the party's values, we have internal processes to investigate and an investigation is underway.”
- Israel’s foreign ministry described the motion as a “clear antisemitic text” and announced a ban on Zack Polanski from entering Israel.
- Sussex Police: “We have received a letter and are reviewing its contents to determine the appropriate next steps.”
- Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth called the policy “ill-judged” and reiterated his support for a two-state solution.
- The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council labeled the motion an “attack on the Jewish community.”
Criticism & Opposition
- Felix Banaszak, co-leader of the German Greens, said the policy was “intolerable and unacceptable” and ran contrary to the German Greens’ belief in Israel’s right to exist.
- Andy Burnham, Labour leader, called the decision “a completely wrong decision” that undermines the two-state solution.
- Paul Ovenden, former director of strategy for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warned that “Labour should not countenance forming a coalition with the Green Party as long as this remains their policy.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Court filings identify Speitan as a “close friend” of Minh Quang Pham, but contain no evidence she knew of his terrorist planning. The party emphasizes that Speitan “holds no party positions.”
- Sources differ on how to label the motion: some call it “anti-Zionist,” others “extremist” or “antisemitic,” while the party frames it as an anti-racist stance against “racist systems of oppression.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “Where members have expressed views that do not fit in with the party's values, we have internal processes to investigate and an investigation is underway.” — Green Party spokesperson
- “There is a widely held view within the European Green party that Israel has a right to exist and that this right must not be undermined.” — Felix Banaszak
What’s Next
The controversy coincides with the upcoming Holborn and St Pancras by-election (October 8). Party leader Zack Polanski remains a candidate, and the Green Party faces calls from Labour and other parties to reverse the policy before any coalition talks. The outcome of Sussex Police’s review and any legal challenges under the Equality Act 2010 remain pending.