The Green Party has stated its intention to ensure it is not susceptible to control by extremists and racists following a contentious vote by activists approving a motion that defined Zionism as racism. The measure, which became official party policy after passing during the group's conference earlier in the month, has sparked internal division and faced strong condemnation from Jewish organizations. Westminster leader Ellie Chowns stated that it was a substantial and damaging policy, pledging to work toward reforming the organization.
The development follows remarks from former leader Caroline Lucas, who expressed concern that current party frameworks failed to shield the group from entryism, a phenomenon where outside individuals join an organization specifically to alter its platform. The contested policy also advocates for a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine, encompassing modern-day Israel.
Speaking to media, Chowns noted she could not confirm the presence of extremists within the ranks but emphasized the goal of protecting the organization from such influence. The lawmaker characterized Zionism as a contested concept and maintained that the motion failed to reflect the perspectives of the vast majority of members or the wider public. Chowns pointed out that enacting significant policy through a vote involving a fraction of the total membership indicates that existing policy-making structures require adjustment.
Members of the Green Party of England and Wales approved the policy motion by a vote of 1,022 to 813, out of a total membership pool of 230,000. In addition to characterizing Zionism as an ideology supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish state, the motion backed the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, equal rights for all, and a right of return for Palestinians and their descendants.
Major Jewish communal bodies, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, criticized the outcome, arguing that Zionism represents anti-racism and provides a sanctuary for Jewish people following historical persecution. Lucas noted that the party's constitution was drafted decades prior to its current scale and stressed the importance of maintaining an inclusive environment for Jewish members.
A party spokesperson defended the internal process, highlighting that membership has grown and that members retain the right to propose and establish policy through debate at large conferences. Current leader Zack Polanski previously indicated he would not have supported the motion in its original form, though he maintained that the displacement and genocide of Palestinians were driven by racist ideology, a characterization that Israel has repeatedly denied.
Following a by-election defeat in Holborn and St Pancras where the Greens finished second behind Labour, the leader of Jewish Greens called for Polanski's resignation, criticizing him for departing the conference early to campaign and avoiding debate on the controversial motion.