The UK Green Party has voted to classify Zionism as a form of racism, sparking widespread criticism from British Jews and the Israeli government. The party, which received 6% of the vote in a national election in 2024 and currently enjoys around 10% support in opinion polls, defines Zionism as "an ethnonationalist political project". This move has been met with strong opposition from many senior figures within the party.
The Green Party's motion also calls for the establishment of a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine and reiterates their support for the right to self-determination. Additionally, the party has repeated its call for the UK's Labour government to end all arms trade with Israel. Mothin Ali, deputy leader of the Green Party and a supporter of the motion, cited the significant Palestinian death toll during Israel's offensive in Gaza as key context for the vote.
The definition of Zionism and its implications for the rights of non-Jews in Israel and neighboring territories is highly contentious. Israel has rejected claims of genocide and ethnic cleansing, despite tens of thousands of Palestinians being killed in the Israeli offensive that followed the October 7, 2023, surprise attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel. This attack resulted in 1,200 people being killed and 251 hostages being taken to Gaza.
Israel has responded to the UK Greens' move by barring party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel. Polanski, who is Jewish and did not vote on the motion, is seeking election to the British parliament in former prime minister Keir Starmer's now-vacant London constituency. The Israeli foreign ministry stated that the motion "constitutes a clear anti-Semitic text according to the IHRA definition, as it denies the Jewish people's right to self-determination".
The Green Party motion passed by a majority of 1,022 to 813, despite opposition from many senior figures, prompting condemnation from British Jewish groups. The Movement for Progressive Judaism described the move as making anti-Semitism a party policy and accused the party of being racist. Britain's Community Security Trust recorded the second-highest number of anti-Semitic incidents since 1984 last year, with incidents rising after Israel's offensive in Gaza.
Israel has called on other British political parties to condemn the Green Party vote, stating that the Greens have adopted "not only the green of Hamas but also its ideology: the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle". Britain's governing Labour Party has stated that the vote crosses a line and should be condemned across the political spectrum. The UK government views Israeli settlers' actions in the West Bank as amounting to ethnic cleansing but has said courts must decide if other Israeli actions qualify as genocide.
Despite the controversy, Polanski and other senior Green Party figures 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 Green Party's stance has polarised the debate over Israel's policies towards the Palestinians and has increased Western support for Palestinian statehood, with the notable exception of the US.
Key points
- The Green Party's motion defines Zionism as an ethnonationalist movement.
- Israel has barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country.
- The UK Labour Party has condemned the Green Party's vote as crossing a line.
