“The Greens have adopted not only the green of Hamas, but also its ideology: the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle.”
By United with Israel Staff
Israel sharply condemned Britain’s Green Party on Sunday after members voted to formally declare the party anti-Zionist, define Zionism as a form of racism and endorse the creation of a single Palestinian state across all of what the resolution calls “historic Palestine.”
The controversial motion passed at the Green Party’s conference in Brighton by a vote of 1,022 to 813, despite opposition from four of the party’s five MPs.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded with an unusually forceful statement, accusing the Greens of crossing the line from political criticism of Israel into legitimizing terrorism and seeking the elimination of the Jewish state.
“Today, the Green Party in Britain ceased to act as a political party and became a body that gives legitimacy to terrorism,” the ministry 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.”
The resolution declares the Green Party an “anti-Zionist party” and states that Zionism should be “treated as any other form of racism.”
It also endorses the establishment of a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital,” rather than calling for separate Israeli and Palestinian states.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the proposal effectively calls for the elimination of Israel and rejects the Jewish people’s right to national self-determination.
“The shocking resolution adopted today legitimizes armed struggle, calls for a Palestinian state ‘from the river to the sea’ — meaning the destruction of the State of Israel — and labels as ‘racist’ the aspiration of the Jewish people for self-determination,” the ministry said.
“This goes far beyond the boundaries of legitimate political debate.”
The ministry called on political parties across Britain, particularly the governing Labour Party, to unequivocally reject the resolution, warning that it would remain “a stain on the history of the United Kingdom” as long as it remains party policy.
The motion also sparked concern among British Jewish leaders and significant opposition from within the Green Party itself.
Members rejected an amendment that would have explicitly stated that the new policy should not be used to pressure or discipline members over their affiliation with synagogues or other Jewish organizations that identify as Zionist.
Four of the Greens’ five MPs publicly opposed the motion before the vote.
Green MP Ellie Chowns warned that defining Zionism as racism risked alienating Jewish communities and “fueling division,” while other senior party figures raised concerns over its rejection of Jewish national self-determination.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, did not participate in the vote because he had left the conference to campaign in a parliamentary by-election.
Following the vote, Polanski and the party’s MPs issued a joint statement insisting that the Greens would not tolerate discrimination or harassment and saying there was “no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”
A Green Party spokesperson similarly defended the party as “anti-racist,” citing its opposition to Israeli policies, arms sales to Israel and what it describes as the occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territory.
Supporters of the resolution maintain that their opposition is directed at Zionism as a political ideology rather than Jews as a religious or ethnic group.
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!