Board of Deputies declares Green Party a racist party over Zionism motion

The Board of Deputies of British Jews has declared the Green Party of England and Wales a racist party, the BBC reported. The Board's vote on the declaration passed by 118 votes to one.

The declaration follows a policy motion titled "Zionism is racism" that the Greens passed at their party conference in early October. The motion described Zionism as supporting "an ethnonationalist Jewish state in historic Palestine to the exclusion and/or domination of the non-Jewish population". The party later published a page titled "Green Party adopts anti-Zionist policy".

Phil Rosenberg, the Board's president, said the Greens had "by adopting an antisemitic platform, become a racist party".

The Board's motion urged other parties not to do deals with the Greens unless they rejected the Zionism policy. It said that coalition deals with the Greens, at local or national level, would amount to failing to take antisemitism seriously, unless local leadership rejected the policy and committed to overturn it.

Labour has issued an ultimatum to local Green groups it is in coalition with. They must disown the motion or lose Labour's support.

A Green Party spokesman said the party does not discriminate against people who hold Zionist views. He rejected the Board's characterisation of the party.

Party leader Zack Polanski did not take part in the conference vote on the motion. He had left the conference early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, a contest held to fill a single seat in Parliament between general elections. Mr Polanski said he would not overturn the motion, which will remain party policy until 2028.

Some local Green groups have backed the motion. The Brent Green Party said it would defend, explain and advocate for all policies adopted at conference, including every provision of the Zionism resolution.

Israel reacted with anger to the Greens' decision, Reuters reported.