Zack Polanski banned from Israel after Green Party backs ‘Zionism is racism’ motion

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Zack Polanski has been barred from entering Israel after Green Party members voted to define Zionism as racist.

A controversial motion calling for the move at the party’s annual conference in Brighton saw 1,022 votes in favour and 813 against.

Party leader Mr Polanski did not take part in the vote on the motion, having left the conference after his speech on Friday to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

Israel accused the Green Party of legitimising “the destruction of the State of Israel” with a “clear antisemitic text”.

In a statement on Sunday evening, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Greens’ resolution “constitutes a clear antisemitic text according to the IHRA definition, as it denies the Jewish people’s right to self-determination”.

“Therefore, as a first step, foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has decided this evening to declare Green Party leader Zack Polanski barred from entering Israel,” it said.

“Today, the Green Party in Britain adopted a resolution equating Zionism with racism, legitimising armed struggle against Israel, and calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea” – meaning the destruction of the State of Israel,” it added.

In a statement with Green MPs and his deputies, Mr Polanski said there is “no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people”.

The motion was passed despite opposition from several senior figures within the party.

Brought forward by the members’ group Greens 4 Palestine, it defines Zionism as a political ideology advocating “an ethno-nationalist Jewish State” and calls for the establishment of a single Palestinian state with equal rights for all citizens, including Jewish people.

A pro-Israel demonstration during day two of the Green Party Conference at Brighton CentreGettyHowever, the motion also states that Zionism should be “treated as any other form of racism”, which critics point out could include practicing Jews and members of synagogues across Britain – making it impossible for them to join the Greens.

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Westminster leader Ellie Chowns made a last-minute intervention calling for the motion to be defeated, while former party leaders Sian Berry, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer were also critical of the proposal.

The party’s deputy leaders were split, with Rachel Millward voting against the motion while fellow deputy leader Mothin Ali backed it.

Green leader Zack Polanski did not vote on the motion itself, but supported amendments that would have softened some of its language and added protections for Jewish members who identify as Zionists. Those amendments were rejected.

The motion was selected for debate after topping a ballot of issues submitted by party members for discussion at conference.

Following the vote, a joint statement was sent out which was originally attributed to the party’s five MPs and later reissued to include Mr Polanski and deputy leaders Mothin Ali and Rachel Millward.

Zack Polanski did not vote on the issue (Will Colebourne/PA)PA WireThe statement reads: “As Green Party leaders and MPs, we will always uphold universal human rights. We will never tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.

“We will continue to stand in opposition to genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the illegal occupation. We will continue to call out the heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government.

“And we will continue to work to ensure that the Green Party is an anti-racist party in every way. We know there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”

The Green Party’s existing policy has supported either a one-state or two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if achieved through a democratic process. The newly approved motion specifically calls for a single Palestinian state and does not advocate a two-state settlement.

MP Ellie Chowns attempted to get ride of the motionGettyUnder Green Party rules, the decision means the motion will now form part of official party policy.

In a statement following the vote, a party spokesperson said: “This has been a serious and deeply felt debate within our membership. Our members value the ability to bring forward and decide party policy, and conference has now made its decision.

“The Green Party is an anti-racist party and has consistently opposed the illegal occupation of both Palestinian and Syrian land, called for an end to arms sales to the Israeli government and spoken out fearlessly about the devastating situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

“Those positions remain central to our approach. So too does our deeply-held commitment to equality, justice and human rights for all, and opposition to racism in all its forms.”

Only 1,835 members participated in the vote, despite the party having a membership of more than 200,000.