Britain: Greens back motion equating Zionism with a form of racism

The left-wing British Green Party has voted in favour of a motion defining Zionism as a form of racism, prompting strong reactions from three British Jewish organisations, the Labour Party (currently in government) and the Israeli government. Members of the Green Party, which has five MPs in the British Parliament (comprising 650 seats) and has seen a rise in support in recent local and by-elections, approved the motion by 1,022 votes in favour and 813 against. The Israeli Foreign Ministry, describing the resolution as ‘a clearly anti-Semitic text’, announced a counter-measure: Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has banned the leader of the Greens, Zack Polanski, from entering Israel.

According to the motion, Zionism should be ‘treated like any other form of racism’ and the party supports the creation of a ‘single democratic Palestinian state across the whole of historic Palestine’. However, in recent months Polanski’s popularity has declined, as shown by opinion polls, following a number of missteps. ‘This motion would make the Green Party the first major British political force, in living memory, to adopt what appears to be a blatantly anti-Semitic political platform,’ stated three organisations from the Jewish community in a letter sent to the party ahead of the vote.

“Today, the British Green Party has ceased to act as a political party and has transformed itself into a body that lends legitimacy to terrorism, adopting not only Hamas’s green colour but also its ideology: the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle”, writes the Israeli Foreign Ministry in a statement, regarding the resolution passed today at the party’s annual conference in Brighton, in which Zionism is described as a form of racism. ‘The shocking resolution adopted today legitimises armed struggle, calls for a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea” – which amounts to the destruction of the State of Israel – and brands the Jewish people’s aspiration to self-determination as “racist”. This goes far beyond the bounds of legitimate political debate. As long as this resolution remains in force, it will be a stain on the history of the United Kingdom. All British political parties, and first and foremost the ruling Labour Party, must unequivocally reject this aberrant resolution,’ continues the statement from the Israeli ministry.

In a move opposed by the majority of the party’s MPs, according to *The Guardian*, members voted – during the annual conference in Brighton – in favour of a motion calling for “Zionism, the movement for a Jewish state, to be treated like any other form of racism”. The motion was passed with 1,022 votes in favour and 813 against. The text, which now constitutes the official position of the Greens in England and Wales, also calls for the creation of a single Palestinian state in place of Israel, “with equal rights for all”. Earlier in the vote, an amendment was passed to update other parts of the Greens’ manifesto to incorporate the motion’s provisions. Three other amendments were, however, rejected, including one stipulating that the motion should not be used to “exert pressure, impose sanctions or take disciplinary action against members on the basis of their affiliation with Jewish community organisations”.

The main motion, entitled ‘Zionism is Racism’, was tabled by the ‘Greens for Palestine’ group, which also encouraged non-members to join the party to ensure that the issue was debated and a policy adopted. The motion argues that Zionism is inherently racist in that it ‘favours one ethnic group at the expense of others, based on their subjugation’. The text adds: “This motion is directed at the political ideology and practice of Zionism, as defined, and not at the religious or ethnic identity of those who identify with Zionism. Not all Jews are Zionists, and not all Zionists are Jews...”.