EUROPE · 07 Oct 2026 · 07:10 GMT ·2 min read

Green Party Policy Shift on Zionism Sparks Widespread Condemnation

The Green Party of England and Wales adopted a policy equating Zionism with racism on October 4, 2026.

NEUTRALITY 77 · BALANCED· 4 sources

Al Jazeera

The Green Party of England and Wales adopted a policy equating Zionism with racism on October 4, 2026. Delegates passed the motion by 1,022 votes to 813. The resolution advocates for a single democratic state across historic Palestine. The Israeli government and British Jewish organizations condemned the decision, labeling the move antisemitic. All five Green Party members of Parliament (MPs) disassociated themselves from the resolution. Israel barred party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country.

Context

The Green Party adopted a new platform following internal debates regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the nature of Zionism. The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust, and the Jewish Leadership Council warned that the motion would isolate the party from mainstream democratic politics.

The vote followed a fatal attack on a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur in 2023. The Green Party now aligns its platform with the goal of a single democratic state. This marks a departure from its previous stance.

Supportive perspectives

The resolution outlines the party's plan for a single democratic state across historic Palestine. The party seeks to resolve the conflict by guaranteeing equal rights for all inhabitants under one government.
The motion passed during the party's annual conference via a formal vote. A total of 1,022 members voted in favor of the measure. This result reflects the position of the party's active membership.

Critical perspectives

The Israeli government condemned the resolution as antisemitic. Officials subsequently barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog characterized the decision as a disgrace. The government stated that the party provides legitimacy to terrorism.
British Jewish organizations, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust, and the Jewish Leadership Council, warned that the motion places the party on the extreme margins of democratic politics. Progressive Judaism further characterized the motion as antisemitic in both its formulation and its underlying intention.
All five Green Party MPs issued a formal statement to disassociate themselves from the motion. The Guardian reported that the statement implicitly distanced the party from the motion.
Carla Denyer, then-co-leader of the Green Party, campaigned against the motion before the vote. She argued the policy would alienate Jewish people and damage the party's relationship with the community.