Zack Polanski refuses to overturn Green Party Zionism motion

Zack Polanski has stated that he will not overturn a motion passed by Green Party members which declared Zionism to be racist. Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the party leader explained that while he would prefer to amend the motion, it will remain official party policy until 2028, and he denied that the decision was controversial.

The motion deeply divided the party and triggered a major backlash from Members of Parliament, Jewish campaigners, the government, and the European Green movement. The fallout overshadowed the final days of Polanski's campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, where he finished second behind Labour, posing a significant threat to his ongoing leadership.

Polanski previously faced criticism for abstaining from the vote on the motion, which ultimately passed with 1,022 votes to 813—representing only a small fraction of the party's 230,000 members. When asked if he would step in as leader to overturn the decision, Polanski maintained that he would not attempt to repeal it, though he hopes to amend it at the earliest opportunity to shift away from a single-state framework toward an outcome decided by Israelis and Palestinians themselves.

"I think if members have made a decision, then I respect the democratic will of our members."

Zack Polanski

When Kuenssberg pressed him on whether he would alter party rules in his capacity as leader, Polanski emphasized his respect for internal democracy, noting that he had previously stated he would not have supported the original motion without amendments. Green MPs, including Ellie Chowns, have since called for a review of the party's member-led decision-making procedures due to the extremely low voter turnout.