Britain’s Green Party voted to classify Zionism as racism / Israel accuses the party of legitimizing terrorism

The Green Party of Great Britain voted on Sunday for a motion classifying Zionism as a form of racism, prompting strong reactions from British Jewish organizations and the Israeli government. The party argues that Zionism is “an ethnonationalist political project” and calls on the Labour government to halt all arms transactions with Israel.

The motion was adopted with 1,022 votes in favor and 813 against, despite opposition expressed by several prominent party figures. The party’s leader, Zack Polanski, did not vote. The party also reaffirmed its support for self-determination and for the establishment of a single democratic state on the territory of historic Palestine.

Supporters of the motion associated Zionism with “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide,” accusations rejected by Israel.

British Jewish groups accused the Green Party of antisemitism and racism. The Israeli government called on the other British parties to condemn the decision and stated that the party had adopted Hamas’s ideology. Israel rejects the accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide, while the British government maintains that the courts should determine whether certain Israeli actions fall within the definition of genocide.