British Greens Adopt Resolution Defining Zionism as Racism
The Green Party approved a resolution on Sunday defining Zionism as a form of racism, ethnic cleansing, and genocide during its annual conference. The vote passed with 1,022 delegates in favor and 813 opposed, establishing the party officially as antizionist. Mothin Ali, the party’s deputy leader and a proponent of the measure, attributed the resolution to the high number of Palestinian casualties resulting from Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Rezoluce definuje sionismus zcela jasně. Označuje ho jako etnonacionalistické hnutí. Definuje ho jako etnické čistky. Definuje ho jako genocidu,
Ali said. The vote immediately drew sharp condemnation from Jewish community organizations and the Israeli government. The Green Party won six percent of the vote in the 2024 elections.
Jewish Groups and Israeli Government Condemn the Vote
British Jewish organizations swiftly denounced the decision, with the Movement for Progressive Judaism stating that the Green Party had adopted antisemitism as official party policy and transformed into a racist organization. The Israeli government also responded Sunday, calling on other British political parties to condemn the vote. Israeli President Isaac Herzog labeled the resolution shameful, while an official Israeli statement asserted that the Greens had embraced not only the green color of Hamas but also its ideology of eliminating the state of Israel through armed struggle. Israel rejects all accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Meanwhile, the current British government considers the actions of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank to essentially constitute ethnic cleansing, while stating that courts must decide whether other Israeli actions amount to genocide.
Top Green Party Officials Distance Themselves from the Resolution Vote
While the resolution secured majority support among delegates, top party officials distanced themselves from the vote. Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, did not participate in the ballot. Polanski is running for the vacant seat formerly held by onetime Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Thursday’s parliamentary by-election. Polanski assumed leadership of the party a year ago and has overseen a period of growth that included numerous gains in local elections this spring, though the party currently holds five seats in the 650-seat House of Commons.
Historical Context of United Nations Resolutions on Zionism
The vote mirrors international diplomatic history from decades prior. In 1975, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which determined that Zionism was a form of racism, a measure supported at the time by Czechoslovakia. In 1991, the General Assembly passed a resolution to revoke the 1975 designation, with Czechoslovakia again voting in favor of the repeal. Ideologically, Zionism originated in the 19th century. Reuters noted that the definition of Zionism—which inspired the creation of the modern state of Israel in the 20th century—and what it implies for the rights of the non-Jewish population in Israel and neighboring territories generates disputes, with Jewish groups sometimes defining it as the right of Jewish self-determination.
Common Questions Regarding the Green Party Resolution
What was the exact vote count on the resolution? The measure passed with 1,022 votes in favor and 813 votes against during the party’s annual conference.
How many seats do the Greens hold in Parliament? The party currently holds five seats in the 650-seat House of Commons.
What distinction does the newly adopted resolution make regarding antisemitism? The text of the resolution explicitly emphasizes that antizionism must not be confused with antisemitism.
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