UK Greens Vote 'Zionism Is Racism' Despite Revolt From 4 of 5 MPs as Israel Bans Polanski

Britain's Green Party has formally adopted a policy treating Zionism as a form of racism, triggering condemnation from Jewish organisations, opposition from several of its own MPs and a sharp response from Israel.

Members of the Green Party of England and Wales backed the motion by 1,022 votes to 813 at the party's annual conference in Brighton on Sunday.

The resolution, titled 'Zionism is racism', describes Zionism as an 'ethnonationalist political project' and says it should be treated like other forms of racism under the party's anti-racism policies.

Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, did not take part in the vote. He had left the conference to campaign ahead of the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election.

Jewish Groups Condemn Green Party Vote

The decision immediately drew criticism from Jewish organisations, which warned that defining Zionism broadly as racism could stigmatise Jewish people who see support for Israel or Jewish self-determination as part of their identity.

The Movement for Progressive Judaism described the policy as antisemitic, while the Board of Deputies of British Jews also condemned the motion.

Critics argue that Zionism has multiple interpretations and cannot be reduced to a single definition. Broadly, the term has historically referred to support for Jewish national self-determination and the establishment or continued existence of a Jewish homeland in Israel.

The Green motion, however, states that it is aimed at a political ideology rather than Jewish identity or religion. It explicitly says not all Jews are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jews.

Supporters argue the policy is directed at what they regard as a political system that privileges one ethnic group while denying Palestinians equal rights.

Four Green MPs Opposed the Motion

The vote also exposed a significant internal divide.

Four of the party's five MPs publicly opposed the motion before it passed, warning that its language risked alienating Jewish communities and oversimplifying one of the most contested political terms in the Israel-Palestine debate.

MP Ellie Chowns warned that defining Zionism simply as racism could reinforce divisive, 'zero-sum' politics.

Former co-leader Carla Denyer similarly argued that the wording risked alienating Jewish people, including those who strongly oppose the Israeli government. Former Green leader Caroline Lucas also opposed the proposal.

Despite those objections, conference members rejected amendments that would have softened parts of the motion.

The party also reaffirmed support for Palestinian right of return, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a full British arms embargo on Israel and the creation of a single democratic state across historic Palestine with equal rights for all.

Why Did Zack Polanski Not Vote?

Polanski's absence has attracted particular attention because he leads the party and has previously spoken about his Jewish background.

He was not present for Sunday's vote because he had travelled to London to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. Before leaving the conference, Polanski defended the debate around the motion while acknowledging the sensitivity of its language.

He has repeatedly criticised Israel's conduct in Gaza and supported stronger action over Palestinian rights.

Israel responded to the vote by barring Polanski from entering the country. Israeli officials accused the Greens of adopting an antisemitic position and of seeking to undermine Israel's existence.

The Green Party rejects that characterisation, maintaining that criticism of Zionism and Israeli government policy can be separated from hostility towards Jewish people.

The vote leaves the party with a new formal policy, but also a deep internal argument over where criticism of Zionism ends and antisemitism begins.