According to a report by Reuters on October 5th, the British Green Party voted to classify Zionism as a form of racism, which has drawn criticism from British Jews and the Israeli government. The Israeli government stated that it now considers the party to be 'a group that legitimizes terrorism' and has prohibited the party's leaders from entering the country.
The UK Green Party stated that they consider Zionism to be a ‘ethnic nationalist political project’, and once again called on the British Labour government to end all arms trade with Israel.
This party reiterated in a statement issued on October 4th that it supports Palestinian self-determination and calls for the establishment of a single democratic state throughout the historical territory of Palestine.
According to media reports from the UK's The Guardian and others, the Green Party has seen rapid growth as a smaller political party. Multiple surveys indicate that its national support rate ranges between 16% and 18%, which is similar to or even higher than that of the Conservative Party and the current ruling Labour Party.
Jewish nationalism inspired the establishment of the modern State of Israel in the 20th century; there has been long-standing controversy over its definition and what it means for the rights of non-Jews in Israel and neighboring territories.
Green Party vice-chairman Mo Xin'al expressed support for the motion, stating that Israel's offensive in Gaza resulted in a large number of Palestinian deaths and was key to the vote.
Ali said: "This resolution is very clearly defined as Jewish nationalism. It defines it as an ethnic nationalist movement, a racial cleansing, and also genocide."
Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians. Israel denies any claims of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Israel's overwhelming military response has led to greater diplomatic isolation, triggering unprecedented international legal scrutiny, and has sparked strong calls for an end to its occupation of Gaza.
Reuters said that this incident has polarized the debate regarding Israel's policies towards Palestinians, and increased Western support for Palestinian statehood, with the United States being a clear exception.
In response, Israel has prohibited the party leader Zac Polandski from entering Israel. Polandski is Jewish and did not vote in favor of this measure.
However, although Poland’s Prime Minister did not participate in this vote, he previously stated that the “displacement and genocide” suffered by the Palestinian people clearly constitute acts of racism. A spokesman for the Green Party said that this was a “serious and profound debate,” and emphasized that their party is an “anti-racist political party.” They have always been against illegal occupation and called for ending military sales to Israel.
Zack Polanski's speech at the Green Party annual meeting, Visual China
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a statement on its X platform account on Sunday, stating that the initiative "constitutes a clear antisemitic text according to the definition of the IHRA (International Holocaust Memorial Alliance), as it denies Jews their right to self-determination."
Despite opposition from many senior figures, the motion was approved with 1022 votes to 813 votes, prompting accusations of anti-Semitism from Jewish groups in Britain.
The Progressive Jewish Movement stated, “The Green Party has turned anti-Semitism into a policy of the party, and has become a racist political party.” They added that the support some Jews give to this movement does not mean that it will not be used to discriminate against others.
The chairman of the ruling party, the Labor Party, Philipson, also condemned this decision as 'shameful', arguing that it essentially labeled the vast majority of Jews who support Israel's right to exist as racists.
In fact, this vote is not an isolated event. In recent years, the Green Party has been stepping up its opposition to Israel. According to the party’s official statements, as early as September 2024, the Green Party already classified Israel as a “racial segregationist” state and accused it of carrying out “genocide” in Gaza. This makes the Green Party the first political party in England and Wales to do so. The Green Party calls on the British government to stop selling weapons to Israel and advocates for a comprehensive arms embargo, extensive sanctions, and the termination of military and intelligence cooperation with Israel. In September 2026, the Green Party also welcomed the British government’s sanctions against Israeli settlements but called for more comprehensive actions.
