Greens adopt policy treating Zionism as racism

[Twiglets1]

The Greens have formally adopted a policy which equates Zionism with racism, a move that will dismay the bulk of the party’s MPs and has alarmed some Jewish members.

In a vote on Sunday at the party’s annual conference in Brighton about whether to back a motion which calls for Zionism, the movement for a Jewish state, to be “treated as any other form of racism”, it passed by 1,022 votes to 813.

The motion, which is now formal policy for the Greens in England and Wales, also calls for a single Palestinian state in place of Israel “with equal rights for all”.

Four of the party’s five MPs have condemned the motion, as did Caroline Lucas, the former leader who was the Greens’ first MP.

Adrian Ramsay, who co-led the Greens before Polanski, said in a statement he would vote against it, as it set out what sort of Palestinian state should exist without taking into account the self-determination of Israelis and Palestinians.

Siân Berry, another of the MPs, made the same point.

Carla Denyer, the Bristol Central MP who was co-leader with Ramsay, said the wording “risks alienating a significant proportion of Jewish people, including those who vehemently disagree with the Israeli government”.

Another Green MP, Ellie Chowns, said the motion “risks fuelling division, and risks undermining the party’s ability to advocate effectively for justice and peace”.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/04/green-party-votes-adopt-policy-zionism-racism

"It is fundamentally wrong and the leadership of the Green Party must make clear that this will not be their position moving forwards."

The leaders can do no such thing, because they cannot override the will of the Party. All they can do is resign. If they do this en masse, they could take the opportunity to create a new "Core Green" or "Environmental Green" or "Ecological Green" party. I really hope this is what they're currently discussing behind closed doors, but I won't be holding my breath.

Yes they’re held by the membership and the vote. It becomes party policy immediately.

It must be awful for them 💐

The leaders are Polanski, Rachel Millward who has been remarkably quiet and Mothin Ali- about whom the least said the better. What needs to happen is that the Green MPs who have to represent their constituents need to resign and leave the Green Party with one MP. It's possible the Gaza Independents will join The Greens. Some of them are openly homophobic, which will be interesting.

@localnotailGreens are now officially worse that Reform, Restore and all other bottom dwellers.
Please see this response from Jewish Members of Reform UK.
https://www.thejc.com/news/letter-to-the-jc-from-jewish-members-of-reform-uk-pjgy2mgl

So over thr summer, the Green Party here incited Scotland invited a teacher who taught at my primary school to be recognised as fabulous leader. Today there are multiple articles about how this teacher is being investigated by police Scotland for various problematic tweets. And also a business she’s had while being a state school teacher that gets government funding to hand out resources to teachers about the eradication of Israel. I have lost my entire afternoon digging into this debacle and am left absolutely horrified.

Shocking. It's a problem in schools.

Mothin Ali has today (not so subtly) accused a Labour MP of racism today when he said that the Green Party leadership statement saying Jews are welcome in the party was worthless because Ali had signed it.

I've had it to the back teeth with people who moan about Trump and Musk and then discuss Gaza without a single mention of how bloody horrendous Hamas is.

'Terrible, terrible, what the Israelis have done to Gaza!'
'So what would you have done?'
'What?'
'What would you have done if dozens of your civilians were being held hostage by a terrorist organisation that had embedded itself in civilians areas?'
'Well, I wouldn't have...[done xyx]'

Unfortunately at this point I tend to lose my shit or let myself be diverted, rather than just saying, Okay, not what you wouldn't have done, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? I haven't fallen out with anybody yet, but I have the horrible looming sense that a massive bust up with someone, dunno who, dunno when, is absolutely inevitable.

The obsession with the Israel/Gaza conflict ahead of any other conflict anywhere ever does my head in. Jews, innit? That is the only explanation, and it absolutely disgusts me that so many people harbour some degree or other of antisemitism. And the irony is that they think of themselves as living on the moral high ground.

And yes, like a PP, I've also had it with the laughing emojis, the antisemitic tropes and the cartoons.

I'm not even Jewish, but I'm depressed by all of this, and just so done.

I've discovered her recently on X and she is excellent in her analysis I agree.

What political capital? Their northern working class voters are all 'filthy potential Reform voters' who haven't gotten the memo on how amazing it is to have your towns and cities irrevocably changed in a matter of decdes and the Muslim bloc will never come back to them again if they so much as come out in favour of Israel.

I don't think some people want to admit this yet. Sectarian politics is the order of the day now. It isn't about what's right or what's wrong but who anybody can ride on top of to get themselves into power.

What makes the Green Party distinctive is that ordinary members can submit motions, debate them at the party conference, and if they pass, they are incorporated into the party’s policy framework.

I believe it is well intentioned - it aims to reflect the opinions and priorities of grassroots members.

But the risk, as identified, is that a small, highly motivated subset of extremist members attend the party conference, that group can have a disproportionate influence over policy.

I mean, what’s to stop a lot of Jewish people and allies from joining and undoing this motion, then putting in some of our own whilst we’re at it.

You're right about sectarian politics

Yes.

This is what previously happened with trans rights activism.

But a strong majority of the party voted for this motion. It is not a fringe issue.

This thread has actually cheered me up a bit. I do think the open, blatant swivel-eyed lunacy of the greens has woken a few people up out there. Love & solidarity to Jewish mnetters here.

Exactly. I'm so sick of the mandatory 'well of course Israel is evil and committing atrocities...'

They're not. They're fighting a war. This is understandable when it comes to every other country, but Israel alone is evil and inhumane for defending themselves in a war they didn't start. During their invasion, the IDF freed Yazidi women who had been held as sex slaves in Gaza for years.

We don't see headline after headline about Russian casualties inflicted by the evil Ukrainians.

I used to drive through north Manchester and was always saddened by the security on Jewish schools.

I remember once wondering if it was excessive, surely not needed in Britain in the 21st century but an understandable precaution due to history.

I was naive. The Jewish community knew as they have always known.

Antisemitism has always been around, the ‘jokes’, the tropes and conspiracies.

There’s been a problem with it being tolerated on the left for my entire lifetime but I never imagined I would see antisemitism openly celebrated in the UK.

My heart goes out to British Jews and I understand why many feel scared and alone.

The Green Party is home to many bigoted fanatics with loud voices but they will not win. They cannot.

Thank you for this, very thought provoking and I’ve sent it to someone I think will also find it interesting

Not of the party, most of the party members don’t attend conferences, obviously the extremists and entryists do.

Talking of Zineb Riboua I just checked her X account and she has linked to an interesting article in the Jewish Chronicle, which covers some of the things we have been talking about. But also this -

There are now calls for Green MPs to resign from the party. Adrian Ramsay said that the party must remain a welcome place for Zionists – but the JC understands that he will not be resigning over the motion.

But some Greens are stepping down.

Waterloo Green councillor Kieran Dams resigned as coordinator of his local party, saying that after speaking out against the motion he had received “hundreds of abusive and threatening messages”, some of which he will be reporting to the police.

Posting on X, he appealed to others to join him in speaking out, “please don’t stay silent. Speak up. It matters,” he said.

www.thejc.com/news/politics/chair-of-amnesty-leaves-green-party-over-antisemitic-motion-q9rf7av9

Fair point. Is there any evidence that its unpopular within the membership? Its a fairly standard view in the pro-Pal movement.

Funny how the atrocities in Sudan don't attract their attention. I read a report from a refugee camp for girls and women who had been victims of sexual violence. It was a very harrowing read.
Why is their story not important?.

As I understand the woman who drafted the motion only joined the Greens to do so. Apparently Your Party was her first choice but wasn’t established quickly enough for her.

They used a similar excuse when candidates were found to be antisemitic about not having mechanisms in place.

Some members of the party are well-meaning student style ‘tax the rich’ politics, some are dangerously naive, their leader is a charlatan chancer, all useful idiots for those with a nefarious agenda.