Britain'S Greens Vote That Zionism Is Racism, and Israel Bans Their Leader from Entering the Country

Britain's Green Party, which holds five of the 650 seats in parliament, has made a sweeping declaration on the Middle East its official policy. At the Green Party's conference in Brighton on Sunday 4 October, members voted 1,022 to 813 for a motion that declares the party "anti-Zionist" and says Zionism will be:

“treated as any other form of racism”

— Green Party conference motion on Zionism, adopted 4 October 2026 (via Euronews)

The motion, brought by the members' group Greens 4 Palestine, defines Zionism as an "ethno-nationalist" political project and calls for a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. @visegrad24, whose post is the source of this Signal, adds that it backs the Palestinian right of return, the BDS movement and a full British arms embargo on Israel. The party's earlier line allowed for either a one-state or two-state solution.

Israel hits back within hours

Israel's Foreign Ministry called the text "a clear antisemitic text" under the IHRA definition and said:

“The Greens have adopted not only the green of Hamas, but also its ideology: the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle.”

— Israel's Foreign Ministry (via Euronews)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar then barred Polanski from entering Israel, "as a first step". President Isaac Herzog called the vote "a disgrace".

A party split down the middle

Polanski did not vote. He had left the conference after his Friday speech to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, where he later finished second behind Labour. He backed amendments to soften the wording and to protect Jewish members who identify as Zionists, but they were rejected. At least three of the party's five MPs opposed the motion, and so did former leaders Sian Berry, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer. The deputy leaders split: Rachel Millward voted against, Mothin Ali for. Polanski, the MPs and the deputies issued a joint statement:

“We know there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”

— Joint statement by Zack Polanski, the Green MPs and deputy leaders (via The Standard)

Only 1,835 members took part in the vote, in a party with more than 200,000. Labour chair Bridget Phillipson called it "shameful", and the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it stokes "anti-Jewish hatred" after a year of attacks on Jewish communities in Britain. The Conservatives' Chris Philp said:

“British Jews should not have to disclaim a belief in Jewish self-determination and the existence of Israel in order to be accepted by a British political party.”

— Chris Philp, Conservative shadow home secretary (via Euronews)