England and Wales Greens Call Zionism Racism, Drawing Rebukes From Allies
The Green Party of England and Wales has adopted a binding policy that describes Zionism as a form of racism.
The vote took place at the party's conference in Brighton on Sunday, according to reporting published on 5 October, and the policy is now binding on the party The Guardian. The text says Zionism, the movement supporting Israel as a Jewish state, should be treated as any other form of racism. It backs a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine with equal rights for all. That differs from a two-state solution, the plan for separate Israeli and Palestinian states.
Four of the party's five MPs opposed the motion. Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire and a former co-leader, was among the opponents and said party policymaking "urgently needs to be modernised". The motion passed with just over 1,000 votes, about 0.4% of the party's total membership. Dissent was not new. In February 2026, officers of Jewish Greens urged members to vote against the motion 'Zionism is Racism' before it was tabled at the Spring 2026 conference Jewish Greens. After the Brighton vote, Sandy Ruthven, chair of Amnesty International UK's charitable trust and a longstanding Green member, resigned over the motion. The party published the outcome on 4 October 2026 as "Green Party adopts anti-Zionist policy".
The European Green Party, which brings together 47 parties including the Green Party of England and Wales, said it supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. It said the "Zionism is Racism" resolution voted at the Green Party of England and Wales congress "goes against the agreed positions of the EGP and its Member Parties" European Green Party. It said it "will immediately demand clarity from the leadership and parliamentary group of the Green Party of England and Wales over the motion." Felix Banaszak, co-leader of the German Greens, formally Alliance 90/The Greens, called the policy "intolerable" and "unacceptable". He said it runs counter to the positions of the German Greens and the European Green Party, including support for Israel's right to exist. The Israeli government and British Jews also criticised the October 2026 vote Reuters. Zack Polanski was banned from Israel after the policy was adopted The Telegraph.
The broader context here is about enforcement and affiliation rather than language alone. Binding votes act like club rules members are expected to follow, which creates strain when most MPs opposed the measure and the wider European federation backs a different settlement. The vote does not change British law or foreign policy. It changes what one party with five MPs must defend in interviews, in council chambers, and in European forums, and whether the leadership can manage a policy backed by a small share of members, what tools the EGP has beyond asking for clarity, and whether resignations and bans affect candidate selection and coalition work.
