UK Green Party Adopts Anti-Zionist Stance, Sparking Outrage

The UK Green Party has officially adopted a policy labeling Zionism as racism and advocating for the replacement of Israel with a Palestinian state, igniting a significant internal backlash and drawing sharp condemnation from Israel's Foreign Ministry. Vivian Lichtenstein, leader of the party's Jewish Greens branch, announced she is considering resigning from the party, calling the decision a "terrible shame." She stated that the party should not define Zionism or decide the future of Israelis and Palestinians, warning that the resolution could endanger Jewish members and others within the party. Lichtenstein, who has a history of peace activism, expressed sadness at the situation, noting that some members do not recognize her as part of the anti-occupation movement simply because she supports Israel's right to exist.

The adopted resolution calls for Zionism to be treated "like any other form of racism" and proposes a single Palestinian state with equal rights for all. An amendment intended to prevent disciplinary action against party members for affiliations with Jewish community institutions was rejected.

The proposal was reportedly advanced by a group called Greens for Palestine, which encouraged non-members to join to ensure its passage. The party leader who is Jewish and has been critical of Israel, was not present for the vote. In response to the resolution, Israel's Foreign Ministry declared the Leader of the Green Party barred from entering Israel, stating the Green Party had "ceased to function as a political party and has become a body supporting terror," labeling the decision "antisemitic" and "appalling."

The Board of Deputies of British Jews also issued a strong condemnation, asserting that Zionism is anti-racism and provides a refuge for Jews in their ancestral homeland after millennia of persecution. They warned that labeling most British Jews and Jewish institutions as racist fuels hatred, citing recent antisemitic attacks in the UK.