Greens defend 'Zionism is racism' policy

What's happened

The Green Party has adopted a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism and has made it party policy. Leader Zack Polanski has said he will not overturn the motion but wants to amend it at the next allowable opportunity in 2028. The vote has prompted internal splits, an equality watchdog inquiry and condemnation from other parties and Jewish groups.

What's behind the headline?

What is driving this crisis

• Rank-and-file members passed a binding motion to treat Zionism as an ethnonationalist ideology; that motion has become official party policy.
• The vote is exposing a gap between grassroots membership decisions and the party leadership's strategy. Leader Zack Polanski has defended parts of the motion but has avoided voting and has prioritized campaigning in a by-election.

Immediate consequences

• Labour has publicly ruled out partnering with the Greens while the policy stands; Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called the motion "wrong" and "antisemitic".
• The Equality and Human Rights Commission has written to the Greens to request information and to assess potential discrimination under the Equality Act.
• Several senior Greens and Jewish members have threatened to leave or called for leadership changes, increasing internal instability.

Who benefits and who loses

• The motion is consolidating a more radical minority inside the Greens while alienating moderate members, parliamentary figures and potential coalition partners. Labour benefits politically as it regains left‑leaning voters.

Likely next steps

• The Greens will face legal and regulatory scrutiny as the EHRC assesses practical effects; that process will keep the issue in the headlines.
• Polanski will be under sustained pressure to demonstrate control: he will either move quickly to change party procedures or risk further resignations and electoral damage.
• The party will have two years before members can formally alter conference policy; however internal rule changes or leadership action could be proposed to speed adjustments.

What this means for politics in Britain

• This will increase pressure on small parties to show how member-decided policy aligns with coalition and governance prospects. Local power-sharing arrangements with Labour and council cooperation will come under review and will be renegotiated where Labour decides to dissociate.

How we got here

Members at the Greens' October conference voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt the motion. Many senior Greens, four of five Green MPs and Jewish campaigners have criticised the motion. The party has faced by-election losses and public backlash since the vote.

Our analysis

The Mirror quotes Polanski saying he believes "Zionism is racism in the practical application of it" and that he will not overturn the motion but wants to amend it in 2028 (The Mirror, 18 Oct). BBC reporting noted Polanski told Laura Kuenssberg he would not try to overturn the policy and that party rules prevent amendment until 2028; BBC also recorded the conference vote tally of 1,022 to 813 and reported widespread criticism from Green MPs and others (BBC Business, 18 Oct; 15–14 Oct). The Equality and Human Rights Commission has written to the Greens to request information and assess practical implications, and the party has replied it will not discriminate against Zionist views (BBC Business, 15 Oct). Al Jazeera published an interview with Lubna Speitan, a backer of the motion, who described threats against supporters and defended the motion as targeting an ideology, saying it "targets an ideology: Zionism" (Al Jazeera, 15 Oct). Prime Minister Andy Burnham has publicly condemned the motion in the House of Commons as "wrong" and "antisemitic" and said Labour will not partner with the Greens while the policy stands (The Times of Israel; Politico; BBC Business, 14–15 Oct). The Guardian and BBC reported internal Green figures — including Vivien Lichtenstein and Caroline Lucas — criticising Polanski for missing the conference vote and calling his leadership into question (The Guardian; BBC Business, 9–5 Oct). Together, these sources show a split between grassroots supporters who backed the motion and party figures, regulators and other parties who are treating the policy as politically and legally consequential.

Go deeper

• Will the Greens propose rule changes to let the leader amend conference policy before 2028?
• How will the EHRC assessment affect the party's membership rules and disciplinary processes?
• Which local councils will change cooperation agreements with the Greens because of this policy?

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