Zack Polanski’s full statement following Zionism is racism motion passing at Green Party conference

Members of the Green Party voted for a motion this weekend which described Zionism as ethnonationalist political project and a racist ideology. Alongside this, the motion also committed the party to advocate for the creation of a single democratic Palestinian state with equal rights for all.

55 per cent of attendees at the party’s autumn conference in Brighton backed the motion, with 45 per cent voting against it.

That decision has – as you might expect – attracted substantial media attention and public debate.

Criticism of the position has primarily centred around suggestions that it is antisemitic in nature, and that it brands substantial portions of British Jews – two thirds of whom describe themselves as Zionist according to opinion polls – as racist. Proponents of the motion deny this, making the case that the motion refers only to the political ideology of Zionism, that not all Jews are Zionists, and that opposing Zionism is not in itself antisemitic.

Following the passing of the motion, the party’s leadership team and MPs released a statement which read: “As Greens, we will always uphold universal human rights. We will never tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.

“We will continue to stand in opposition to genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the illegal occupation. We will continue to call out the heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government.

“And we will continue to work to ensure that the Green Party is an anti-racist party in every way. We know there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”

Since then, the Green Party leader Zack Polanski has released an additional statement. That statement reads in full:

“Antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are, and must always be, completely distinct – blurring the line between the two is not only wrong but antisemitic, and makes Jewish people less safe. It’s our role as a movement for justice to protect both the rights of Palestinians and our Jewish communities here in the UK. As leader I will not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of.

“I take seriously my responsibility to make sure everyone feels safe and welcome in our party. Under my leadership, no-one will be made unwelcome because of their background, their faith, or where they worship. As leader, my role is to bring people together and ensure we are all working in unity for the things we believe in and care about: freedom and safety for all.

“I am proud of our party’s principled position on fighting for freedom and justice for Palestinians.

“In the UK and across the world people have been horrified by the atrocities carried out by the Israeli government in Gaza – with a classroom of children being killed every day.

“Through the Green Party’s unified stance and dedicated pressure, we have begun to shift this government away from its complicity with the Israeli government’s atrocities in Gaza, with the Foreign Secretary now taking the long overdue step of ending trade with illegal settlements.

“When I was elected leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, I was so proud to stand as a Jewish party leader, side by side with my deputy leaders Mothin and Rachel. Together, we exemplify everything this party stands for: we come from different backgrounds, faiths and traditions, but we share our deeply held values of compassion, fairness and equality for all.”

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward