Britain’s Green Party declares Zionism a form of racism

Britain’s Green Party, which won six percent of the vote in the 2024 election, passed a resolution at its annual party conference on Sunday defining Zionism as a form of racism. According to Reuters, 1,022 delegates voted in favour and 813 against; the decision has already been criticised by British Jewish organisations.

How the Greens explain the decision

Deputy party leader Mothin Ali said the resolution was prompted by the large number of Palestinian casualties during Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. “The resolution is absolutely clear in how it defines Zionism. It calls it an ethno-nationalist movement. It defines it as ethnic cleansing. It defines it as genocide,” Ali said.

A split in the party and criticism from a Jewish organisation

Green leader Zack Polanski, who on Thursday was contesting the by-election for the seat vacated by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, did not take part in the vote. According to Reuters, other party leaders also viewed the resolution negatively.

The British organisation Movement for Reform Judaism said the Greens had made antisemitism party policy and had turned themselves into a racist party.

Israel’s harsh response

Israel, which rejects the accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing, called on Sunday for other British parties to condemn the Greens’ vote. Israel’s statement said the party had adopted not only Hamas’s green colour but also its ideology — the destruction of the State of Israel through armed struggle. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the resolution “shameful.” The document itself officially describes the Greens as an “anti-Zionist party” and stresses that “anti-Zionism must not be confused with antisemitism.”

Zionism, the UN and a Czechoslovak footnote

Zionism as an ideology emerged in the 19th century and in the 20th century became one of the factors behind the creation of the modern State of Israel. According to Reuters, the definition of Zionism and what it means for the rights of the non-Jewish population in Israel and neighbouring territories remains disputed: Jewish organisations sometimes interpret it as the right of Jews to self-determination. A similar resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1975 — with Czechoslovakia voting in favour at the time — and in 1991 the General Assembly revoked the document, with Czechoslovakia also supporting the revocation. The Greens currently hold five seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, but since Zack Polanski took over as leader a year ago, the party has been on the rise, winning a good number of seats in local elections this spring.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz