Britain’s Green Party voted Sunday, October 4, to adopt a policy formally describing the party as anti-Zionist, after members approved the conference motion by 1,022 votes to 813.
The party’s own statement defines Zionism as an “ethnonationalist political project” and says anti-Zionism should not be treated as equivalent to antisemitism. The motion also backs Palestinian self-determination, the right of return, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, a full British arms embargo on Israel, and a single democratic state across historic Palestine.
What the vote changed
The conference decision makes the position formal party policy. It does not change British government policy: the Green Party is not the governing party, and arms-export decisions remain with the Labour government.
Party leader Zack Polanski did not vote on the motion. Other senior Green figures had opposed it, underscoring internal disagreement over both the definition and its likely political effect.
Criticism from Jewish groups and Israel
The Movement for Progressive Judaism condemned the decision as antisemitic and warned that the policy could be used to discriminate against Jewish people. Israel’s foreign ministry likewise rejected the motion and said Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had decided to bar Polanski from entering Israel.
The Green Party said its position supports equal rights and that advocacy for Palestinians does not conflict with Jewish rights. Israel rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide cited by supporters of the motion.
Why terminology matters
Zionism has competing definitions and meanings. Many Jewish organizations describe it as support for Jewish national self-determination and the continued existence of Israel. The Green motion uses a different political definition centered on nationalism, displacement and Palestinian rights.
Because the terms are disputed, AskNovus is attributing the competing descriptions to the organizations making them. The conference vote establishes what Green members approved; it does not resolve broader historical, legal or political disputes.
What happens next
The vote is likely to shape scrutiny of Green candidates and relations with Jewish organizations. It may also intensify debate inside the party, where senior figures and members have taken different positions.
For more international political coverage, see AskNovus’s World News section.
Featured image: Roberto Catarinicchia/Unsplash.