Israeli-Palestinian conflict divides UK after Green motion calls Zionism racism

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is causing a new divide in the United Kingdom. The Greens on Sunday approved a motion claiming that Zionism is a form of racism, drawing condemnations from British Jewish associations, the Israeli government and Britain's ruling Labor Party.

Israel sees it as a “clearly anti-Semitic” text

The adoption of the motion was therefore strongly condemned by Israel. President Isaac Herzog called the motion a “disgrace” and a “disgrace.” The motion “constitutes a clearly anti-Semitic text […] insofar as it denies the right of the Jewish people to self-determination,” declared the Israeli Foreign Ministry, announcing that the leader of the Greens, Zack Polanski – who did not take part in the vote – was now banned from entering Israel.

The Greens, who have 5 deputies out of a total of 650, made a breakthrough after the arrival at their head a year ago of Zack Polanski, who accentuated the left-wing positioning of the party. They won many seats in local elections in the spring, to the detriment of Labor, in particular by putting forward a pro-Palestinian policy and very critical of Israel.

The motion, adopted during its political congress, “officially” makes the Greens “an anti-Zionist party” and affirms that “anti-Zionism must not be equated with anti-Semitism”. She says Zionism should be “considered like any other form of racism.” It “calls for the creation of a single democratic Palestinian state throughout historic Palestine, guaranteeing equal rights for all,” according to the text of the motion.

Divisions among the Greens

The text, which was approved by 1,022 activists (813 voted against), divided the party. Adrian Ramsay, Green MP, said he was “deeply saddened” on X by the adoption of the motion. “It reflects neither the principles of the Greens nor my personal opinion,” he wrote.

Even before the motion was voted on, three British Jewish community organizations had sent a letter to the party: this text would make the Greens “the first British political party of significant electoral importance, in recent memory, to adopt what appears to be an openly anti-Semitic political platform,” they wrote.

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The ruling Labor Party also condemned the vote. “It is shameful to vote against a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and to label the overwhelming majority of British Jews and Jews around the world as racist because they support Israel's right to exist,” said Bridget Phillipson, the party's chair.