Following a vote to adopt a policy that equates Zionism with racism, and calls for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state “with equal rights for all”, some Jewish members say they are considering whether they are welcome in the party.
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they → follow → party
While Green members celebrated, or mourned, the motion passing, some have questioned its purpose, arguing it will distract from what’s important – keeping eyes on Gaza and holding the Israeli government to account – instead igniting a divisive discussion about ideology that will only harm the party.
Today, I spoke to Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, to understand how the vote has been received by many Jewish people beyond the Greens, and senior political correspondent Peter Walker, who reported on the fallout of the vote at the party conference in Brighton at the weekend.
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who → celebrate → weekend
That’s after the headlines …
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That → ’ → headlines
RAF Fairford | No 10 has insisted the Gloucestershire base is secure a day after the US air force suddenly withdrew a dozen B-1 bombers that had been stationed there amid security concerns about a possible threat from Iran.
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that → insist → Iran
Donald Trump’s approval ratings reached a record low on Monday, according to new opinion polls.
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ratings → reach → polls
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Trump’s approval rating at a record-low 32%.
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poll → show → %
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Brazilian elections | Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, is poised to win the Brazilian presidency, after a shock first-round victory.
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Bolsonaro → imprison → victory
Jeffrey Archer, the bestselling author and former MP whose political career ended in disgrace when he was imprisoned for perjury, has died at the age of 86.
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he → end → 86
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Cancer | Cases of seven types of cancer have risen sharply among younger people in England, major new research has found, prompting warnings that lifestyle choices are costing thousands of lives each year.
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choices → rise → lives
In depth: Why the Greens are divided over Zionism
Yesterday, the head of the Jewish Greens Vivien Lichtenstein confirmed that she is considering leaving the party after Sunday’s vote.
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she → divide → vote
Many other Jewish Greens – a significant majority of whom described themselves as anti-Zionists when polled – are similarly taking stock.
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majority → describe → stock
The chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, described the motion as “poisonous antisemitism” and Israel immediately barred Zack Polanski, the Green party’s Jewish leader, from entering the country.
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Israel → describe → country
The Israeli foreign ministry denounced the motion as “a stain on the history of the United Kingdom”.
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ministry → denounce → Kingdom
With four of the Green’s five MPs opposing the new policy, yesterday evening the group representing European Green parties expressed dismay at the move which runs counter to their support for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
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which → oppose → Israel
There is now growing anger internally with Polanski, who avoided the debate to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, where he is running for former prime minister Keir Starmer’s seat.
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he → be → seat
What is the motion about – and who supports it?
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who → support → it
Zionism isn’t a clearly defined, singular ideology.
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Zionism → define → ?
Broadly speaking, it means support for Jewish self-determination, realised today in the state of Israel.
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it → speak → Israel
The motion argues that Zionism is racist because it “privileges one ethnic group on the basis of the subjugation of others” and that in Israel this is based upon “European settler-colonial systems of domination and oppression”.
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this → argue → domination
It adds: “This motion is aimed at the political ideology and practice of Zionism … and not at the religious or ethnic background of those who may identify as Zionists”.
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who → add → Zionists
Prior to this, senior Greens have been some of the most vehement voices in the UK in condemning Israel’s destruction of Gaza, which a UN commission of inquiry found to be a genocide.
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commission → condemn → inquiry
They have also spoken out against the ongoing occupation of the West Bank, as well as pushing for a full arms and trade embargo.
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They → speak → embargo
The motion was put forward by Greens for Palestine, an internal pressure group that calls for the creation of a single Palestinian state, in which Jews and Palestinians can freely live.
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Jews → put → which
One of the sponsors, Kieran Andrieu, a British Palestinian, described it as a “unifying motion”, arguing there was “enormous virtue” in naming what he said was a “damaging ideology”.
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he → describe → motion
During the debate, he added, “everyone was agreeing that we need to disagree agreeably”.
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we → add → debate
The vote happened behind closed doors, but longstanding Green supporters have shared with Peter their concerns that the motion was being pushed by relatively new members.
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motion → happen → members
Greens for Palestine have been very open about encouraging people to join the party to support this single issue.
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Greens → encourage → issue
A legal case against the new policy is highly likely – some Green members are already consulting lawyers over whether the party could be challenged for breaching equalities legislation.
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party → consult → legislation
Barrister Adam Wagner KC, who led a case that decided Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party broke equalities laws over antisemitism,
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party → lead → antisemitism
told Peter he believed such a case would have a good chance of success.
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case → tell → success
There is huge frustration, particularly from longer established members, at what they consider a lack of leadership from Polanski.
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they → be → Polanski
Other senior party figures, such as the former co-leader Carla Denyer, have voiced concern that the motion draws attention away from what’s important.
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what → voice → attention
“I’m concerned that elected Greens will be forced to spend our time and energy debating and defending definitions, at the expense of focusing on the essential actions that only we can take to make things materially better for people in Palestine,” Denyer said in a statement on X.
Polanski has said he agrees that Zionism, when defined as “the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people”, does “clearly” constitute racism.
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Zionism → ’m → racism
Critics say he could have supported what was regarded as a “safeguarding” amendment, which offered reassurance that members would not be disciplined for their membership of Jewish organisations with Zionist affiliations, even synagogues – as the amendment did not garner enough support to pass.
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amendment → say → support
This is a now a “genuine fear” among some Jewish members, Peter tells me.
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Peter → tell → me
Greens for Palestine have consistently stated this was not its intention, emphasising that the policy refers to Zionism as a political ideology, supporting the state of Israel which they believe relies on apartheid and racism to uphold a majority Jewish population.
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they → state → population
“But as the Jewish Greens pointed out, Zionism can mean so many different things,” said Peter.
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Peter → point → things
A Palestinian in the West Bank or Gaza, a left-leaning kibbutznick and a Netanyahu supporter will each have different interpretations.
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Palestinian → lean → interpretations
“Many now worry that this enshrines a definition of Zionism that only reflects an extreme, right wing version of it.
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that → worry → it
”
What is Zionism, and who identifies with it?
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who → identify → it
…and 45 more, not listed.
The Aporia
