Green Party split over controversial 'Zionism is racism' motion

The Green Party is facing a deep internal revolt over a controversial motion to declare Zionism a form of racism at its annual conference. The debate has severely divided members, with some Jewish Greens warning they will resign from the party immediately if the proposal is passed.

Zack Polanski, a leader of the Green Party who has previously described himself as an anti-Zionist, is reportedly planning to skip the vote on the motion. The proposal was brought forward by the group Greens for Palestine, exposing raw divisions over how the party should approach the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Why is the Green Party split over Zionism?

For critics within the party, Zionism is viewed as a colonial project. They point to the Nakba—the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948—and what they describe as an apartheid system of unequal rights in the occupied territories, alongside ongoing discrimination against Palestinian citizens within Israel.

For many Jews, however, Zionism is not a monolith but a diverse movement representing Jewish self-determination, collective pride, and a safe haven from centuries of persecution, particularly after the Holocaust. Opponents of the motion argue that singling out the Jewish national movement as uniquely racist is antisemitic and serves to deny Jewish people the right to self-determination.

What is the history of the 'Zionism is racism' claim?

The argument is not new and has its roots in Cold War diplomacy. In 1975, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 3379, which declared Zionism to be a form of racism and racial discrimination. Sponsored by the Arab League and promoted by the Soviet Union, the resolution passed with support from developing nations.

However, the resolution was highly controversial and was formally revoked in 1991 following intense diplomatic pressure from the US administration of President George HW Bush. Opponents of the resolution argued then, as they do now, that equating Zionism with racism delegitimises the very existence of Israel as a Jewish homeland.

What does UK law say about anti-Zionism?

The debate has also been tested in British courts. Two years ago, an employment tribunal ruled that anti-Zionist beliefs can be classified as a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010.

The landmark case involved David Miller, a former professor of political sociology who was dismissed by the University of Bristol in 2021. The tribunal, and a subsequent appeal, upheld that Miller’s view—that Zionism is an inherently racist, violent, and imperialist ideology—was protected under law. Miller, a prominent anti-Zionist activist, has close links to Greens for Palestine, the group behind the current party motion.

With the conflict in Gaza ongoing, arguments over the nature of Zionism have grown increasingly polarised. But for the Green Party, the immediate challenge is managing an internal debate that threatens to permanently fracture its membership.