The Green Party has adopted a controversial new position on Zionism after a closely fought vote exposed divisions within the party over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The motion, which passed by 1,022 votes to 813, describes Zionism as an “ethnonationalist political project” and calls for Britain to end its arms trade with Israel. It also backs Palestinian self-determination and the creation of a single democratic state across historic Palestine.
The decision came despite opposition from several senior Green figures and has drawn criticism from British Jewish organisations and the Israeli government.
The Movement for Progressive Judaism accused the party of making antisemitism “party policy”, while Israel called on other British political parties to condemn the vote.
Green Party supporters of the motion argue that its position is focused on Palestinian rights and opposition to the actions of the Israeli government. Mothin Ali, the party’s deputy leader, said the scale of Palestinian deaths in the conflict with Hamas was central to the debate.
Party leader Zack Polanski did not vote on the motion. He and other senior Green figures have nevertheless said they will continue to criticise what they describe as crimes committed by the Netanyahu government, while arguing that Palestinian rights and Jewish rights can be supported simultaneously.
The vote highlights the increasingly contentious debate within British politics over how criticism of Israel, Zionism and antisemitism should be understood—and where political parties should draw the line between opposition to Israeli government policy and attitudes towards Jewish people.