UK Green Party in Turmoil Over Pro-Palestinian Faction's Attacks on Former Leader

A fierce internal conflict is shaking the UK's Green Party, with pro-Palestinian activists launching a campaign to oust former party leader Caroline Lucas. Lucas, a prominent environmentalist and the party's first-ever Member of Parliament, is being targeted by a campaign within the party, reportedly coordinated by the "Greens for Palestine" group. This campaign accuses her of acting in favor of Israel, despite her own strong criticisms of the country, including accusations of genocide in Gaza.

The controversy was ignited by the party's recent decision at its conference to officially define Zionism as racism. This resolution, passed with a majority of 1,022 votes to 813, passed despite less than one percent of the party's membership voting for it. The resolution, which calls for the abolition of Israel and labels the Jewish people's right to self-determination as racist ideology, has been condemned by Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis as "toxic antisemitism." The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the Green Party had become a "terror organization."

Lucas herself has been critical of the resolution, calling it "dangerous," "divisive," and "fundamentally flawed." She warned that the party's refusal to acknowledge the complexities of the Middle East situation has made many Jewish members feel unsafe and unwelcome. However, pro-Palestinian activists are now accusing Lucas of collaborating with Israel due to her opposition to the party's resolution. Leaked WhatsApp messages reveal activists calling her "toxic, divisive, and a collaborator with apartheid and genocide."

Adding another layer to the conflict, a report in The Telegraph revealed that Lubna Speitan, a left-wing activist behind the Zionism resolution, was allegedly close to an Al-Qaeda terrorist who had planned to bomb a passenger plane from Israel to London. Lucas called for Speitan's suspension pending an investigation into these claims, stating that while she wasn't judging the validity of the accusations, they were deeply concerning and required action.

This internal strife occurs as the Green Party experiences significant growth, with its membership nearly quadrupling in the past year to around 230,000. However, this expansion is accompanied by accusations of antisemitism and a struggle between long-time environmental activists and radical left-wing and Islamist elements, who moderate members claim are attempting to influence party policy from within. The party's rules prevent significant policy changes before 2028, and party leader Zak Folensby has indicated he does not intend to alter the regulations.