Green Party Faces Backlash Over 'Zionism is Racism' Policy
Motion passed at early October conference draws condemnation and internal dissent, with coalition prospects ruled out.
Sarah Connor
The Green Party passed a controversial policy at its early October conference, declaring 'Zionism is racism'.
Andy Burnham unequivocally ruled out any future coalition with the Green Party following the policy's adoption.
Three former leaders of the Green Party—Caroline Lucas, Adrian Ramsay, and Carla Denyer—opposed the motion.
Conservative MP Dame Harriet Baldwin asserted the Green motion describing 'Zionism' as racism was antisemitic.
Dame Harriet Baldwin also urged Labour to align with Kemi Badenoch's stance against forming a partnership with Reform UK.
The Green Party motion was unequivocally antisemitic.
Andy Burnham further claimed the Green Party motion was unequivocally antisemitic.
The motion was reportedly branded by some as a plan to destroy Israel itself.
Zack Polanski, a prominent Green Party figure, missed the vote as he was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Polanski has raised concerns about the conflation of Zionism with Judaism, stating that ongoing arms sales to Israel are a significant concern.
He also claimed that the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people is clearly underpinned by racist ideology.
Israel has repeatedly denied its actions in Gaza amount to genocide, directly countering Polanski's claims.
Party sources indicated that too many 'variables' exist to definitively state when the controversial policy could be altered.
The Prime Minister visited Berlin on October 8, stating the motion was 'wrong' and 'antisemitic'.
Lubna Speitan claimed the motion aimed to oppose 'racist systems of oppression', directly contrasting with claims from Dame Harriet Baldwin and Andy Burnham that the Green motion was unequivocally antisemitic.