Green Party Leader Vows No Exclusion Based on Religion After Zionism Motion

According to the BBC UK, Zack Polanski has declared that he will not permit any exclusion from the Green Party based on the religious or communal group an individual belongs to, subsequent to members passing a motion that characterizes Zionism as a form of racism. The Green leader asserted that no one would be made unwelcome because of their faith, background, or place of worship.

The motion defines Zionism as an ideology that supports an ethnonationalist Jewish state and advocates for a single democratic Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine. This action followed that more than a dozen Labour Members of Parliament reported the Greens to the equality watchdog on Monday, stating that the motion raised "serious questions." Nine Labour MPs also referred the Green Party to Sussex Police, requesting an investigation into whether alleged "possible antisemitic offences" at the conference warranted a criminal inquiry. Both Sussex Police and the Green Party have been contacted for comment regarding these matters.

This motion represents the latest development in a backlash against it, which was introduced by a group of activists at the party's conference in Brighton and received 1,022 votes to 813. The motion stated that the "real, material, manifestation of Zionism has been the historic and ongoing dehumanisation, displacement, dispossession, disenfranchisement and destruction of Palestinians."

This motion has reportedly highlighted divisions between the party's membership, which has recently grown under leader Zack Polanski, and its MPs elected in the last general election. Polanski did not participate in the vote on Sunday, and four of the party's five MPs voted against it. Israel's foreign ministry subsequently banned Polanski from entering the country, while some Jewish groups have characterized the situation as an "attack on the Jewish community."

In his initial statements after the motion passed, having declined interviews on Monday, Polanski issued a detailed statement affirming his commitment to ensuring everyone feels safe and welcome within the party. He added that as leader, he would not accept any refusal to engage with or any exclusion of anyone based on their religious or communal body. Polanski stated that his party and its leadership stand for "deeply held values of compassion, fairness and equality for all." Furthermore, Polanski, who is Jewish, specified that "antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are, and must always be, completely distinct."

On Monday, a group of Labour MPs, organized by former Home Office minister Mike Tapp, submitted two letters to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) expressing concerns about the motion and amendments intended to protect Jewish members attending Zionist synagogues, which were voted down. Their letter to the watchdog noted that taken together, these events raise serious questions about whether Jewish members can participate in the party freely and equally, and whether their religious and communal ties could lead to complaints or disciplinary action. The EHRC, which oversees equality law in Great Britain, had previously identified failings in how Labour managed antisemitism. In a statement to the BBC, the EHRC indicated it would "consider each complaint carefully" and had not initiated an investigation at that stage. It also noted that it possesses guidance advising political parties on their obligations under the Equality Act 2010, emphasizing that political parties, like all duty-bearers, must comply with the Act and take measures to prevent discrimination.

The European Green Party, a member of the Green Party for England and Wales, issued a statement on Monday to "unequivocally distance" itself from the motion. The umbrella organization stated it would "immediately demand clarity" from the party's leadership regarding how Jewish people and self-determination would be protected.

Meanwhile, Green MP Ellie Chowns told Radio 4's PM programme that she was "deeply saddened" the motion became party policy, though she disagreed that it was antisemitic, suggesting it was based on "principled opposition to the actions of the Israeli government." She proposed that a review of Green policymaking processes was necessary, given that less than 1% of the party's more than 200,000 members participated in the vote.