Story summary
Green party members voted to adopt a policy equating Zionism with racism at the party's annual conference in Brighton. The motion passed by 1,022 votes to 813 and declares the Greens an "anti-Zionist party." It also supports establishing a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.
The policy defines Zionism as an ideology supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish State and argues that it privileges one ethnic group, inherently making it racist. The motion has drawn criticism from some Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council, who warned about implications for the safety and welfare of British Jews.
Party leader Zack Polanski missed the vote to campaign in Holborn and St Pancras, where he is standing in a parliamentary by-election. Several senior figures within the party, like former leaders Sian Berry, Adrian Ramsay, and Carla Denyer, were critical of the proposal.
Supporters of the motion argue it aims to highlight racism inherent in Zionism but does not imply disciplinary action against Jewish members or those attending synagogues that consider themselves Zionist. However, critics worry this could discourage practicing Jews from joining the party.
The Green Party's stance on supporting a single Palestinian state and equating Zionism with racism has divided senior figures within the party, such as deputy leaders Mothin Ali and Rachel Millward. The policy remains official for the Greens in England and Wales despite amendments to ensure it does not pressure or discipline members based on their affiliation with Jewish institutions being rejected.
Written for “Green Party Zionism Policy Controversy” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 17 other(s) covering the same event.
Mr Polanski did not take part in the vote on the motion, having left the party conference after his speech on Friday to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
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Polanski → take → election
Israel accused the Green Party of legitimising “the destruction of the State of Israel” with a “clear antisemitic text”.
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Israel → accuse → text
In an update on Sunday evening, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Greens’ resolution “constitutes a clear antisemitic text according to the IHRA definition, as it denies the Jewish people’s right to self-determination”.
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it → say → determination
“Therefore, as a first step, foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has decided this evening to declare Green Party leader Zack Polanski barred from entering Israel,” a statement said.
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statement → decide → Israel
“Today, the Green Party in Britain adopted a resolution equating Zionism with racism, legitimising armed struggle against Israel, and calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea” – meaning the destruction of the State of Israel,” it added.
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it → adopt → Israel
In a statement with Green MPs and his deputies, Mr Polanski said there is “no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people”.
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Polanski → say → people
Members in Brighton backed the motion with 1,022 votes in favour and 813 against.
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Members → back → favour
It declares the Greens to be an “anti-Zionist party” and sets into its policy that Zionism, the movement to develop and protect a Jewish state in Israel, will be “treated as any other form of racism”.
It also supports the establishment of a “single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital”.
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Jerusalem → declare → capital
Supporters chanted “say it loud, say it clear, Zionists are not welcome here” as the campaigners behind the motion, Greens for Palestine, gathered to speak to the media.
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campaigners → chant → media
Asked if the new stance meant Zionists would be kicked out of the party, former councillor Salma Yaqoob said “absolutely not”.
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Yaqoob → ask → party
This type of motion does not have a “material impact on governance or disciplinary procedures”, a Green Party spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → have → governance
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“This has been a serious and deeply felt debate within our membership.
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This → read → membership
Our members value the ability to bring forward and decide party policy, and conference has now made its decision.
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conference → value → decision
“The Green Party is an anti-racist party and has consistently opposed the illegal occupation of both Palestinian and Syrian land, called for an end to arms sales to the Israeli government and spoken out fearlessly about the devastating situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
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Party → oppose → Gaza
“Those positions remain central to our approach.
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positions → remain → approach
So too does our deeply-held commitment to equality, justice and human rights for all, and opposition to racism in all its forms.
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commitment → do → forms
The members voted against adding a clause to make clear the motion should not be used to “pressure, proscribe or discipline” party members for their affiliation to synagogues or other Jewish groups that describe themselves as Zionist.
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that → vote → Zionist
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the Greens have become “an extremist party”.
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Greens → say → Jews
“The motion passed by the Green Party today is an attack on the Jewish community,” a statement said.
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statement → pass → community
Jewish leaders said the failure of the Green Party leadership to oppose the move “shows a staggering indifference to the welfare of British Jews”.
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failure → say → Jews
The chief executives of the Board of Deputies, Community Security Trust and Jewish Leadership Council wrote a letter to Green Party leaders ahead of the conference airing their concerns and referring back to a warning they issued over the motion earlier this year.
“We also emphasised the implications for the safety and welfare of all British Jews, and our belief that this motion would make the Green Party the first electorally significant UK political party in living memory to adopt what appears to be an overtly antisemitic political platform,” they said.
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they → write → memory
Two senior Rabbis said the motion was “antisemitic in its formulation and intention”.
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motion → say → formulation
Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy said: “By adopting it, the Green Party has made antisemitism party policy and become a racist party.”
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Party → say → it
The vote has exposed divisions within the party as four of its five MPs – Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry and ex-leaders Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer – came out to publicly reject the motion.
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four → expose → motion
Ms Chowns said in a social media post that she was concerned the motion “risks fuelling division and risks undermining the party’s ability to advocate effectively for justice and peace”.
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motion → say → justice
Afterwards, party leader Mr Polanski and the five MPs released a joint statement saying they would “always uphold universal human rights”.
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they → release → rights
“We will never tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.
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We → tolerate → discrimination
“We will continue to stand in opposition to genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the illegal occupation.
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We → continue → genocide
“We will continue to call out the heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government.
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We → continue → government
“And we will continue to work to ensure that the Green Party is an anti-racist party in every way.
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Party → continue → way
“We know there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”
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We → know → people
The position will become party policy but the Greens do not require all their politicians to back it.
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Greens → become → it
Party leader Mr Polanski is running to become an MP in Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat and the Greens had encouraged members to leave Brighton to support his campaign in London.
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Greens → run → London
Mr Polanski said he believes that the “displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people” is “clearly racism” in an interview with the BBC earlier this week.
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displacement → say → BBC
But he said he wanted an amendment to call for one Palestinian state in the motion, “because what I want to see is equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians”.
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want → say → Israelis
Chair of the Labour Party Bridget Phillipson described the decision as “fundamentally wrong”.
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Phillipson → describe → decision
She said: “It is shameful to vote against a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and to condemn the vast majority of British Jews and Jews around the world as racist for supporting Israel’s right to exist.
“
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It → say → right
It is fundamentally wrong and the leadership of the Green Party must make clear that this will not be their position moving forwards.”
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be → make → Party
The Conservatives said it showed the Green Party is “toxic to its core”.
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Party → say → core
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “British Jews should not have to disclaim a belief in Jewish self-determination and the existence of Israel in order to be accepted by a British political party.”
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Jews → say → party
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