Green Party Investigates Lubna Speitan Following Controversy Over Zionism Motion and Al-Qaeda Links

Based on reporting by BBC UK:

The Green Party has commenced an investigation into party member Lubna Speitan after it came to light that she was listed in court documents as a "close friend" of a man who was subsequently jailed for supporting al-Qaeda.

Speitan, a British-Palestinian artist, was the originator of a contentious Green Party conference motion that characterized Zionism as an ideology supporting "an ethnonationalist Jewish state." This motion, which also called for a "single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine," was approved by party members with 1,022 votes to 813.

A Green Party spokesperson stated that internal processes exist to investigate when members express views that do not align with the party's values, and an investigation is currently underway.

Prior to the Green Party confirming the investigation to the BBC, Speitan posted on Instagram asserting that she rejects any claims made about her that she deems defamatory or nonsensical. She further stated that she rejects attempts to remove context from statements she has made in the past.

Speitan asserted that the focus on her was a distraction, stating that the actual issues are racism, Zionism, and the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians.

In June, a UN commission of inquiry reported that Israel had deliberately targeted Palestinian children, leading to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in the Gaza Strip. Israel has consistently denied that its actions in Gaza constitute genocide, maintaining they are justified as self-defense.

The motion proposed by Speitan drew criticism from some Jewish groups and opposition parties, who characterized it as an "attack on the Jewish community." Four out of five Green Party MPs also opposed the motion.

Adrian Ramsay, a former Green MP for Waveney Valley and former party leader, described the motion as "wrong in principle" and an "unhelpful distraction," noting that the Green Party has always supported the right to self-determination for all peoples. Ramsay mentioned to Matt Chorley on BBC Radio 5 Live that he was not ruling out any options regarding his membership at that time.

On Tuesday, the Jewish Chronicle reported on the existence of a 2015 letter from Speitan wherein she offered to serve as a defense witness in the trial of Minh Quang Pham. US prosecutors alleged that Pham had been directed by al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki to detonate explosives at Heathrow's arrivals area after receiving training in Yemen. Pham was sentenced to 40 years in the US after pleading guilty to supporting al-Qaeda, although he denied planning a suicide attack.

US court documents from 2015 listed Speitan as a "close friend" who could offer "critical testimony regarding Pham's mental state." In a subsequent letter to the US District Judge, Speitan expressed high regard for Pham, stating that if the judge had known the Minh [Pham] that she and others admired, the entire case might have been dismissed. She acknowledged that Pham might have developed some behavioral issues but described him as one of the most sincere, honest, trustworthy, and respectful people she had ever known.

Documents do not suggest that Speitan was aware of Pham's criminal activities when they knew each other.

Following the appearance of the letter on Tuesday afternoon, a Green Party spokesperson stated that the party has internal processes to investigate views that do not align with its values. On Wednesday, the party issued an updated statement confirming that an investigation is ongoing, and the spokesperson clarified that Lubna Speitan holds no party positions other than being a member.