Full Breakdown
Green Party’s “Zionism Is Racism” Motion Sparks Political Crisis
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Adoption of the Motion
Members voted 1,022 in favour and 813 against, a margin of roughly 56 %. The motion also endorses a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine, calls for a full arms embargo on Israel, and commits the party to Palestinian liberation. Under party rules the decision becomes policy for two years, remaining in force until 2028.
Background & Context
The motion was passed at the Brighton conference, a gathering of about 1,000 voting members out of an estimated 230,000-strong membership (?0.4 % of the party). Leader Zack Polanski, absent because he was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, has said the wording is “imperfect” but will not attempt to overturn it. The Green Party’s shift toward a more radical stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict follows a period in which its poll standing rose from roughly 10 % to 18 % earlier in the year, before slipping after the controversy.
Data & Statistics
- Vote result: 1,022 for, 813 against (?56 % support).
- Membership participation: about 0.4 % of the party’s 230,000 members voted.
- Ipsos poll (Oct 9-13) found 52 % of the British public held an unfavourable view of Polanski, a six-point rise since September, while only 16 % expressed a favourable view. His overall approval rating fell to –36, the lowest of any national leader.
Official Statements & Responses
- Zack Polanski (Green Party leader) reiterated that he will not overturn the motion but intends to amend it at the first opportunity, noting party rules prevent changes before 2028.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham (Labour) condemned the resolution as “wrong” and “antisemitic,” stating Labour will have “nothing to do with it” and will not partner with the Greens while the policy remains.
- Bridget Phillipson, Labour Party chair, described the motion as having “no place in British politics.”
Criticism & Opposition
- Vivien Lichtenstein, leader of the Jewish Greens, called for Polanski’s resignation, labeling his absence a “big mistake.”
- Former Green leader Caroline Lucas criticised Polanski’s handling as a leadership failure.
- Four of the party’s five Green MPs publicly opposed the motion, calling it “dangerous” and “divisive.”
- Labour has issued an ultimatum to local Green groups: they must publicly condemn the motion within seven days of October 15 or risk losing power-sharing agreements on 17 councils in England and one in Wales.
- Cllr Hanif Alli (Bolton Green leader) defended the motion, likening criticism to the “hatchet job” on former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I don’t think any state has a right to exist under international law,” — Zack Polanski
- “I'm not going to try to overturn it.” — Zack Polanski
- “It is hugely welcome that Andy Burnham appears to have ruled out a partnership with the Green Party as long as they subscribe to this policy that has caused such shock and distress in the Jewish community.” — Adam Langleben, executive director of Progress
What’s Next
The motion will remain party policy until 2028, when the Greens may consider amendment. Labour’s October 15 deadline forces local Green groups to decide whether to distance themselves from the resolution or lose coalition arrangements. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s inquiry is ongoing, and its findings could determine whether the motion breaches the Equality Act 2010. Polanski’s leadership continues to be tested by declining poll numbers and internal dissent.