Israel Bans UK Green Party Leader From Entering Country

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has banned Zack Polanski, the leader of the UK's Green Party, from entering Israel. The decision follows a party conference resolution that defined Zionism as a form of racism and supported the establishment of a single Palestinian state across all of "historic Palestine." Polanski, who identifies as an anti-Zionist Jew, did not vote for the resolution, which passed with 1,022 votes in favor and 813 against. He had expressed reservations about parts of the proposal and, when asked about Israel's right to exist, stated that "human beings have a right to exist." The Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the resolution, calling it "unequivocally antisemitic" according to the IHRA definition, as it denies the Jewish people's right to self-determination and legitimizes armed struggle against Israel. The ministry stated that the Green Party has "officially adopted Hamas's green color and its ideological doctrine calling for the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle." The resolution, which also calls for an end to British arms sales to Israel, has caused significant internal debate within the Green Party, with several former leaders opposing it. Matan Bar Noy, head of the World Zionist Organization's delegation to Britain and Europe, symbolically tore up the resolution in a video posted outside the British Parliament, comparing the situation to a 1975 UN resolution that equated Zionism with racism, which was later repealed. He emphasized that while criticism of the Israeli government is legitimate, denying the Jewish people's right to self-determination is unacceptable. Israel's Ambassador to the EU, Avi Nir, also denounced the decision, stating, "If Zionism is racism, then I am a proud racist." He reiterated the historical persecution of the Jewish people and condemned the resolution as based on hatred and falsehood.