Green Party recognises Zionism as a form of racism and backs single Palestinian state

What Happened

At its party conference in Brighton, the Green Party of England and Wales voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism and backing a single democratic Palestinian state with equal rights for all ethnic and religious groups, according to Middle East Eye. The vote made it the first major UK party to recognise Zionism as a form of racism and to oppose a two-state solution. Members rejected an amendment stating the motion 'shall not be used to pressure, proscribe or discipline members based on affiliation with Jewish community institutions, such as synagogues, community centres or denominational groups, that describe themselves as Zionist' and rejected a similar safeguard regarding sanctioning Jewish members for views such as support for a two-state solution. Members did approve an amendment supporting the 'inalienable right to self-determination' for Palestinians.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The vote marks the first time a major UK political party has formally declared Zionism a form of racism and backed a single democratic Palestinian state, a shift from the two-state consensus. It occurs amid the ongoing Gaza war and intensifying domestic debate in Britain over Israel-Palestine, and could influence other parties' policy positions while raising internal tensions over how to address concerns from Jewish members and communal institutions.

Watch For

Monitor whether the Green Party executive or the five Green MPs issue further formal guidance on how the motion applies to members of synagogues that describe themselves as Zionist, especially after the rejected safeguard amendment. Watch for reactions from Jewish communal bodies and other UK political parties, and track whether the single-state position appears in the Green Party's next election manifesto or subsequent conference decisions.