Key facts
- A motion to label Zionism as racism is set for a vote at the Green party's annual conference.
- Greens for Palestine (GfP) has actively recruited members to support the motion.
The UK Green party is grappling with a contentious motion to declare Zionism as racism, a move that has drawn criticism from some members and raised concerns about external manipulation. The motion, spearheaded by the group Greens for Palestine (GfP), calls for a single Palestinian state and could lead to disciplinary action against members who support Zionism. The controversy highlights a broader debate about the definition of Zionism and its relationship with antisemitism.
The internal conflict within the UK Green party over the 'Zionism is racism' motion highlights broader debates about antisemitism, political activism, and the definition of Zionism. The outcome could impact the party's electoral prospects and its relationship with Jewish communities.
The UK Green party is facing internal division over a motion to declare Zionism as racism, with concerns that external groups are attempting to manipulate the party's policy. The motion, which calls for a single Palestinian state, is scheduled for a vote at the party's annual conference this weekend.
Greens for Palestine (GfP), a group not formally affiliated with the party, has been actively encouraging people to join the Green party specifically to support the motion. This has led to worries among some members that the party risks being influenced by extremist elements. Jewish members have privately expressed fears about their ability to remain in the party if the policy passes.
Green party leader Zack Polanski has faced pressure to take a clear stance, particularly with a crucial by-election looming in Holborn and St Pancras, where he is a candidate. Polanski has stated he is anti-Zionist, arguing it is a form of racism due to the displacement and genocide of Palestinians, but has also supported amendments to soften the motion. Lubna Speitan, a key GfP member and co-author of the motion, has rejected these amendments, stating that leadership views are not a barrier to their goals.
Further controversy stems from GfP's links to the Anti-Zionist Movement (AZM), a more militant group advocating for the dismantling of Israel. David Miller, a former academic associated with AZM, has publicly stated his aim to dismantle Zionist organizations globally and has claimed Zionists act as "infiltrators and subversives" within UK institutions. GfP and Speitan have collaborated with AZM on social media and Speitan attended an AZM meeting.
A spokesperson for the Green party stated that membership has grown due to their overall policy platform and that the "vast majority of members joined prior to a specific attempt at mobilisation." The party also clarified that it "does not support the views of the AZM." GfP, in response, cited Miller's employment tribunal ruling that anti-Zionist beliefs are protected and rejected conflations of anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
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