The Green Party of England and Wales has adopted a policy that defines Zionism as racism and calls for a single democratic state in all of historic Palestine. The motion was passed at a conference in Brighton on Sunday with 1,022 votes in favor and 813 against. The policy has sparked a global backlash and internal divisions within the party, with some members expressing concerns that it could put Jewish and other members at risk.
Vivien Lichtenstein, the head of the Jewish Greens, has stated that she may leave the party due to the new policy. A 29-year member of the Greens, Lichtenstein has worked on Israeli-Palestinian peace initiatives since the 1980s. She believes that the policy won't make a difference to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank but could potentially put Jewish and other members at risk. Lichtenstein will make a decision about her future in the party before the Jewish Greens hold elections in November.
The European Green Party (EGP) has distanced itself from the motion, demanding that the English and Welsh Greens clarify their position on Jewish self-determination and the protection of Jewish people and members in the party. The EGP condemns the genocide against Palestinians and human rights abuses committed by the current Israeli government while emphasizing the fight against antisemitism and for human rights. The group has always supported a two-state solution, with self-determination for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Multiple English and Welsh Greens members have quit the party in protest against the motion, including Sandy Ruthven, the chair of Amnesty International UK's charitable trust, and Waterloo councillor Kieran Dams. Ruthven stated that the party failed to confront prejudice when it appears on their own side. Meanwhile, a survey released on Monday by the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research found that 66% of British Jews identified as Zionist in 2025.
The Jewish Greens shared a survey showing that their members were deeply divided on the motion. Although 81% of 108 respondents said they did not identify as Zionist, 53% – including self-identified antizionists – thought the adoption of the motion could make discrimination against Jews more likely. Meanwhile, 68% of respondents expressed concerns about the policy's potential impact on the party's electoral prospects.
Sam Alston, the Jewish Greens secretary, proposed a failed amendment to protect synagogue-going members. Alston himself does not identify as Zionist but is a long-time member of a Liberal Jewish synagogue that promotes connection with and debate about Israel. He believes that the motion passed because many people are rightly horrified about what's happening in Israel, but it backfired by fueling division and alienating Jewish members.
The fallout from the vote has intensified scrutiny over the party's decentralized structure, with policies made at two annual conferences involving a small proportion of members. Less than 1% of the party's membership voted on the Zionism motion. Four of the Green Party's five MPs – Ellie Chowns, Adrian Ramsay, Siân Berry, and Carla Denyer – publicly opposed the motion. Zack Polanski, the Jewish leader of the Green Party, did not attend the vote, prompting criticism from party members.
Key points
- The Green Party of England and Wales has adopted a policy defining Zionism as racism.
- The policy has sparked a global backlash and internal divisions within the party.
- Some members, including the head of the Jewish Greens, are considering leaving the party due to the new policy.
