Britain's Green Party has voted to define Zionism as a form of racism and declared itself an "anti-Zionist party," triggering an immediate response from Israel, which barred the party's Jewish leader from entering the country. The vote, held at the party's annual conference in Brighton on Sunday, October 4, has drawn condemnation from British Jewish groups, Labour, and the Conservatives — while the party's leadership defended it as a legitimate stance against ethnic cleansing.
The Brighton Vote
Party members voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion — pushed by a Greens for Palestine pressure group — that treats Zionism "as any other form of racism." The motion also commits the party to supporting "a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital," the right of return, boycott and divestment measures, and a full arms embargo on Israel.
During the debate, supporters chanted "say it loud, say it clear, Zionists are not welcome here." Two amendments were rejected: one to soften the single-state wording, and another to protect Jewish Green members affiliated with "Zionist" synagogues from disciplinary complaints — a protection more than 1,000 members voted against.
Party leader Zack Polanski did not vote; he was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, Keir Starmer's former seat, where polling takes place on Thursday, October 8. Asked by the BBC before the vote whether Zionism is racist, Polanski said: "In the motion, it is defined as the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people. I think that is clearly racism." He had wanted the single-state clause amended, saying the party should not dictate the final settlement.
Deputy leader Mothin Ali told Sky News: "The motion defines Zionism quite clearly. It defines it as an ethnonationalist movement. It defines it as ethnic cleansing. It defines it as genocide."
Israel Bars the Party Leader
On Sunday evening, Israel's Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar had barred Polanski from entering Israel, "as a first step." In a post on X, the ministry called the resolution "a clear antisemitic text" and said: "Today, the Green Party in Britain ceased to act as a political party and became a body that gives legitimacy to terrorism... The Greens have adopted not only the green of Hamas, but also its ideology: the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle."
President Isaac Herzog called the decision "a disgrace," adding that "Zionism is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people."
Condemnation and Fallout at Home
The Board of Deputies of British Jews called the Greens "an extremist party" and the motion "an attack on the Jewish community." In a pre-vote letter, the Board, the Community Security Trust, and the Jewish Leadership Council warned the motion would make the Greens the first electorally significant UK party "in living memory" to adopt "an overtly antisemitic political platform."
Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said: "It is shameful to vote against a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and to condemn the vast majority of British Jews and Jews around the world as racist for supporting Israel's right to exist." Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said British Jews "should not have to disclaim a belief in Jewish self-determination and the existence of Israel in order to be accepted by a British political party."
Inside the party, the fallout is visible: four of the Greens' five MPs — Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry, Adrian Ramsay, and Carla Denyer — publicly rejected the motion. Chowns said it "risks fuelling division and risks undermining the party's ability to advocate effectively for justice and peace." Vivien Lichtenstein, chair of the Jewish Greens, told the BBC it was "quite possible" she would leave the party. A joint statement from Polanski, the five MPs, and co-deputy leaders said: "We will continue to call out the heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government... there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people."
What Happens Next
The Greens, who took 6% of the national vote in the 2024 elections, now face the prospect of defections and a fraught by-election on October 8 in one of Britain's most closely watched seats. The party's leadership insists the vote was a serious, deeply felt democratic decision — but with Israel's entry ban in force and condemnation mounting, the motion's aftermath is only just beginning.
Watch
🎥 The Green Party's Zionism vote: A turning point for the party? — Sky News video report
🎵 Reel music: Kevin MacLeod — "Hitman" (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0.