The Green Party of England and Wales, which has also stood out for its policies on the Palestinian issue, adopted a motion calling for Zionism to be defined as racism at its annual conference in Brighton. The motion received 1,022 votes, compared with 813, in Sunday’s vote.
Following the decision, the motion became official party policy. The text argues that Zionism should be “treated in the same way as other forms of racism.”
Policy on Palestine and Israel
A party spokesperson said the motion set out the party’s opposition to Zionism, describing the ideology as “an ethnic nationalist political project.” The spokesperson also said opposition to Zionism should not be equated with antisemitism.
The spokesperson said the party was committed to freedom for Palestinians and their right of return, and supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policy and a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel.
Stating that the Green Party defines itself as an anti-racist party, the spokesperson said it opposed what the party described as the “illegal occupation” of Israeli and Syrian territories.
The approach underpinning the motion
The motion argues that privileging one ethnic group on the basis of subordinating other groups necessarily makes Zionism racist. The text says its target is the defined political ideology and practice of Zionism, and that this position does not target the religious or ethnic background of people who identify themselves as Zionists.
The text also states that not all Jews are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jewish. The party bases this approach on international texts, including the 1973 Apartheid Convention and the 1998 Rome Statute.
Previous decision in 2024
In 2024, the Green Party of England and Wales became the first political party to recognize the Israeli government as an “apartheid” state.
