The Green Party of England and Wales is set to vote on a controversial motion at its upcoming conference that defines Zionism as racism and calls for the establishment of a single Palestinian state in historic Palestine.
The motion, proposed by the internal group Greens 4 Palestine, will be debated at the party’s conference in Brighton starting Sunday. If passed, it would declare the Green Party an anti-Zionist party, oppose Zionism as a form of racism, and endorse the view that Israel is an apartheid state committing genocide.
The motion also supports the creation of a single democratic Palestinian state encompassing all of historic Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. Under the proposed definition, Zionism would be treated as equivalent to other forms of racism by the party.
Key figures in the party have publicly opposed the motion, including former leaders Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay, as well as current leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish and has identified as anti-Zionist. Lucas warned that the motion could be seen as a sign that Jewish people are not welcome in the party, stating in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that she has serious concerns about its potential divisiveness.
Ramsay, who served as co-leader until 2022, told The Times he would vote against the motion, calling it wrong for the party to adopt. Polanski, who became the party’s sole leader last year, has previously stated his opposition to Zionism but has not explicitly commented on the motion itself.
The motion’s proponents, led by Greens 4 Palestine, argue that it aligns with the party’s long-standing support for Palestinian rights and opposition to what they describe as Israeli apartheid and occupation. The group has successfully pushed the motion to the top of the conference agenda, signaling its significance within internal party debates.
The Green Party has historically positioned itself as a progressive, internationalist movement with strong advocacy for human rights and anti-racism. The outcome of the vote could have implications for the party’s stance on Israel-Palestine relations and its internal cohesion, particularly among Jewish members and supporters.
The conference, scheduled to begin on September 6, will determine whether the motion passes and how the party’s leadership responds to the divisions it has exposed.