UK Green Party Adopts Anti-Zionist Stance, Declaring "Zionism is Racism"

The UK's Green Party has passed a controversial motion at its annual conference in Brighton, declaring "Zionism is racism." The resolution, approved by a vote of 1,022 to 813 on Sunday, defines Zionism as an "ethno-nationalist political project" and asserts that opposition to Zionism should not be equated with antisemitism. The motion also calls for support for Palestinian resistance, including boycotts, divestment, sanctions (BDS), an arms embargo against Israel, and the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine, from the river to the sea.

The decision has sparked significant debate within the party. While party leader Zac Polenskey did not participate in the vote, Member of Parliament Carla Denyer had previously warned that the motion could harm the party's traditional stance on the right to self-determination for both peoples.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar strongly condemned the move, labeling it an expression of a hostile stance towards Israel and a call for its de facto elimination. In a social media post, Saar stated that the Green Party has ceased to function as a political party and has become a supporter of terrorism, adopting an ideology that calls for Israel's destruction through armed struggle. He further argued that the resolution legitimizes armed conflict and effectively calls for Israel's annihilation by advocating for a Palestinian state "from the river to the sea." Saar described the text as crossing the boundaries of political discourse and a stain on the UK's history. He urged major British parties, particularly the Labour Party, to unequivocally disavow the decision, warning that silence would be interpreted as legitimizing the conference's positions.