Why Britain is being forced to revisit the Balfour Declaration

What Happened

At its annual conference, the Green Party of England and Wales voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion declaring itself formally anti-Zionist, defining Zionism as an ethno-nationalist project, rejecting the conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and reaffirming support for Palestinian liberation, the right of return, and a single democratic state across historic Palestine. The article, published by Middle East Eye, presents the vote as a break from previous British party criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government by questioning the ideology underpinning the state. It links the moment to Britain's historical role in the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the subsequent Mandate, and recounts that around 750,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled in 1948, with Lydda and Deir Yassin cited as emblematic sites of displacement and massacre.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The vote reflects a sharp shift in British public opinion: the article cites YouGov tracking showing sympathy for Palestinians rose from 19% in the weeks after 7 October 2023 to 38% by September 2025, while sympathy for Israel fell from 19% to 12%. It also reopens Britain's historical responsibility as the issuer of the Balfour Declaration and mandatory power in Palestine. For Israel, the erosion of the 'only democracy in the Middle East' narrative and the explicit challenge to Zionism in a major British political party could signal broader international realignment on the conflict.

Watch For

Watch for responses from other UK political parties, particularly Labour and the Conservatives, and from Jewish communal organisations in Britain. Also monitor whether the Israeli embassy in London or the Israeli government issues formal statements, and whether the Green Party motion leads to further resolutions or policy changes within UK institutions or the European Green movement.