UK Greens Label Zionism Racism
The UK Green Party has declared Zionism a form of racism, a decision adopted at its annual conference on Sunday.
In the vote, 1,022 members supported the motion while 813 opposed it. The motion also calls for a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine.
The policy has drawn sharp criticism from British Jewish groups and the Israeli government. A letter from the Board of Deputies, Community Security Trust and Jewish Leadership Council warned of the implications for the safety of British Jews.
Following the vote, the party issued a joint statement by its leader, co‑deputy leaders and five MPs. The statement reaffirmed the party’s opposition to genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the illegal occupation, and pledged to remain an anti racist party in every way.
The motion exposed divisions within the party. Leader Zack Polanski, who is running for a seat in London, did not attend the vote. Three of the five Green MPs opposed the motion, while Polanski had earlier described the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people as clearly racism.
