Zack Polanski vows to reject exclusion after Green motion
Green Party leader Zack Polanski insists he will not accept exclusion based on faith after members voted to declare Zionism a form of racism, prompting scrutiny from Labour MPs.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Green Party leader Zack Polanski vows to reject any exclusion of members based on background or faith.
- Party members in Brighton voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism.
- Over a dozen Labour MPs referred the Green Party to the EHRC and Sussex Police over serious concerns.
- Polanski, who is Jewish, emphasized that antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state must remain distinct.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has declared that he will not tolerate the exclusion of any member based on their religious or communal affiliations, following a contentious party conference vote in Brighton where members adopted a motion defining Zionism as a form of racism.
The policy motion, put forward by activists at the conference, was approved by 1,022 votes to 813, exposing deep divisions between the party's newly expanded grassroots membership and its elected MPs in Parliament. Polanski himself did not participate in the vote, and four out of the party's five MPs opposed the motion.
"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."
Zack Polanski
The controversial motion asserted that the historical and ongoing displacement and disenfranchisement of Palestinians is a manifestation of Zionism. In response to the decision, a group of more than ten Labour MPs, organized by former Home Office minister Mike Tapp, wrote two formal letters to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and referred the matter to Sussex Police to investigate potential antisemitic offenses.
This internal rift highlights the delicate political tightrope minor and opposition parties must walk when addressing complex international geopolitics. For the Green Party, balancing the passionate foreign policy stances of activist members with statutory equality laws and community cohesion poses a severe leadership challenge, especially given the strict regulatory oversight applied to political bodies in the UK regarding discrimination.
The Labour MPs' letters raised alarm over the rejection of amendments designed to protect Jewish members attending Zionist synagogues, questioning whether Jewish participants can engage equally within the party without facing disciplinary risks. Meanwhile, the European Green Party stated it wishes to unequivocally distance itself from the motion, adding further institutional pressure on the UK leadership.
Source: BBC Politics
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