Britain's Green Party has voted to classify Zionism as a form of racism, a move that has drawn widespread criticism from British Jews and the Israeli government. The party, which received 6% of the vote in the 2024 national elections, passed the motion with a majority of 1,022 to 813. The motion defines Zionism as "an ethnonationalist political project" and reiterates the party's call for the UK government to end all arms trade with Israel.
The Green Party's decision has been condemned by British Jewish groups, who argue that the motion is antisemitic and denies the Jewish people's right to self-determination. The Movement for Progressive Judaism stated that the party has made antisemitism a part of its policy and has become a racist party. The Israeli government has also strongly criticized the move, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar deciding to bar Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel.
The definition of Zionism and its implications for the rights of non-Jews in Israel and neighboring territories is a contentious issue. While Jewish groups sometimes define Zionism as a right to Jewish self-determination, the Green Party's motion argues that it is an ethnonationalist movement that has led to ethnic cleansing and genocide. Mothin Ali, deputy leader of the Green Party and a supporter of the motion, stated that the heavy Palestinian death toll in Israel's conflict with Hamas was a key context for the vote.
The Green Party's motion also restates its backing for the right to self-determination and calls for the establishment of a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine. The party's leaders have stated that they will continue to call out the "heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government" and that there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.
The Israeli government has called on other British political parties to condemn the Green Party's vote, stating that the party has adopted the ideology of Hamas, which seeks to eliminate the State of Israel through armed struggle. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the Green Party's motion constitutes a clear antisemitic text according to the IHRA definition, as it denies the Jewish people's right to self-determination.
The UK government has previously viewed Israeli settlers' actions in the West Bank as amounting to ethnic cleansing but has stated that courts must decide if other Israeli actions qualify as genocide. Israel rejects claims of ethnic cleansing and genocide. The Green Party's vote has sparked a significant controversy, with many senior figures within the party opposing the motion.
The Green Party's leader, Zack Polanski, did not vote on the motion, as he is seeking election to Parliament in a by-election. The party's deputy leader, Mothin Ali, has stated that the motion defines Zionism clearly and that it is an ethnonationalist movement that has led to ethnic cleansing and genocide. The controversy surrounding the Green Party's vote is likely to continue, with many critics arguing that it is antisemitic and denies the Jewish people's right to self-determination.
Key points
- The Green Party's motion defines Zionism as an ethnonationalist political project and reiterates the party's call for the UK government to end all arms trade with Israel.
- The Israeli government has condemned the move, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar deciding to bar Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel.
- The controversy surrounding the Green Party's vote has sparked a significant debate about the definition of Zionism and its implications for the rights of non-Jews in Israel and neighboring territories.
