UK Prime Minister Urges Green Party Leader to Reverse 'Racist' Zionism Resolution

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham called on Green Party leader Zack Polanski Thursday to revoke a party resolution that defines Zionism as a form of racism. Burnham described the decision, approved at the party's conference in Brighton on Sunday, as "completely wrong" and indicative of "the worst possible judgment." The resolution abandons the party's long-standing support for a two-state solution, now advocating for a single democratic Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine. Following the vote, Polanski stated he would not agree to expel anyone from the party based on their religious or community affiliation. Polanski, himself Jewish and a vocal critic of Israeli policy, did not endorse the proposal and specifically distanced himself from rejecting the two-state solution. He stated, "I don't think we as a Green Party should be deciding what the future settlement looks like," emphasizing the party should focus on equal rights for both Israelis and Palestinians. In a separate vote, delegates rejected an amendment, by 1,026 to 684, intended to protect Jewish members active in Zionist organizations, including synagogues and prayer groups, from accusations of racism. The proposal, known as E02 and drafted by Palestinian activist Lubna Shpitan, aimed to make the Greens explicitly anti-Zionist. It asserts that Israel "is committing genocide" and explicitly supports a single Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, guaranteeing equal rights for all religious and ethnic groups. This decision could lead to disciplinary proceedings for racism against some Jewish party members who support Zionism. The proposal faced significant opposition, including from party Members of Parliament, and divides Jewish members as well as the party as a whole.