Israel has barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country after members of his party adopted a motion describing Zionism as a form of racism.
The Israeli foreign ministry condemned the motion as a “clear antisemitic text”, saying it went beyond “the boundaries of legitimate political debate”.
The motion, approved at the Green Party conference in Brighton on Sunday by 1,022 votes to 813, defines Zionism as an ideology supporting “an ethnonationalist Jewish state” and backs the establishment of “a single democratic Palestinian state” across historic Palestine.
Polanski, who did not participate in the vote, had earlier sought amendments to the motion.
He wanted the reference to a single Palestinian state removed, arguing that the Green Party and British government should not determine the final political settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.
He also wanted the motion to make clear that Jewish members should not face disciplinary action for attending synagogues that identify as Zionist.
Both amendments were rejected by party members.
Speaking before the vote, Polanski said, “If your Zionism is the displacement of the Palestinian people then that is clearly racist, and I say that as a Jewish leader of a British political party.”
He also said he wanted to see the reference to a single Palestinian state changed, arguing, “I don’t believe we as a Green Party of England and Wales, or even the British government, should be deciding what the future settlement looks like.”
The motion has deepened divisions within the Green Party, with senior figures taking opposing positions. Deputy leader Mothin Ali backed the motion, while fellow deputy leader Rachel Millward described its wording as “problematic”.
Four of the party’s five MPs—Ellie Chowns, Adrian Ramsay, Carla Denyer and Sian Berry—had publicly opposed the motion. Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas also spoke against it during the debate.
Lucas told members, “I urge you not to support the over-simplification at the heart of this motion – a refusal to accept complexities which is leading to so many Jewish members feeling scared and unwelcome in our party.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council criticised the motion, saying, “Zionism is anti-racism, creating a refuge for Jews in their ancient homeland after millennia of persecution outside it.”
The organisations also accused the policy of stoking anti-Jewish hatred, while the Israeli foreign ministry described the motion as “a stain on the history of the United Kingdom”.
The Green Party said it would protect Jewish members, while Polanski later joined a statement by the party’s five MPs and deputy leaders pledging to ensure the party remained “an anti-racist party in every way”.
The statement added that there was “no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people”.
Under Green Party rules, policies approved by members become official party positions, although they do not necessarily have to appear in the party’s manifesto at the next general election.
