UK Green Party Declares Zionism a Form of Racism

The UK's Green Party has passed a resolution labeling Zionism as racism, a move that has sparked significant controversy and internal division. This decision, approved by a vote of 1,022 to 813 at the party's conference in Brighton, states that Zionism will be considered "as any other form of racism." The party, led by British Jew Zac Polonsky, now supports the "establishment of one democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine."

This resolution follows a similar move by the Labour Party, which announced a boycott of products from Judea and Samaria nearly two weeks prior. Political commentators suggest this escalating anti-Israel stance by left-wing parties is a competition for Muslim votes, with Labour seeking to regain ground lost to the Greens. Lance Forman, a Jewish businessman and former MEP, observed that the Greens have aligned with Muslims in recent years, prompting Labour to adopt a more critical stance towards Israel to appeal to similar voters.

Stephen Bush, a columnist for the Financial Times, noted that Labour's policy shift on Gaza was partly due to losing votes to the Greens, who have now adopted a more radical position. A proposed amendment during the Green Party conference that would have protected Jewish institutions was rejected, leading to concerns from organizations like CST that the resolution could embolden attacks on "Zionist synagogues."

Jewish representative bodies, including the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council, condemned the Green Party's decision as an "attack on the Jewish community" and an "antisemitic platform." They stated the Green Party has become "an extremist party with an antisemitic platform based on the most offensive distortion and erasure of the Jewish experience and identity." The UK's Foreign Ministry commented that the Green Party "has ceased to function as a political party and has become a body that legitimizes terror."

Despite holding only five seats in the House of Commons, the Green Party is a growing political force, having gained 587 local council seats in England's May 2026 local elections, many at the expense of the Labour Party. Former Labour leader Keir Starmer had worked to distance the party from the radical left policies of his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, who faced accusations of encouraging antisemitism. Under his successor, Andy Burnham, Labour has hardened its stance on Israel, including the September ban on products from Judea and Samaria.

These political shifts coincide with a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in Britain. The CST recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, a 123% increase since 2022, with nearly half stemming from explicit anti-Zionist motives. Jonathan Arkush believes the Green Party's move towards anti-Zionism will alienate voters, while Forman argues it has already yielded electoral gains by appealing to Islamist elements.