Greens adopt policy equating Zionism with racism, calling for single Palestinian state

What happened

The Guardian reports that the Green party conference in Brighton voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion treating Zionism as a form of racism and called for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state with equal rights for all. This motion is now official policy for the Greens in England and Wales.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The policy was pushed by Greens for Palestine, who mobilized new party members to support the motion. It defines Zionism as privileging one ethnic group via subjugation of others and states that it is distinct from Jewish identity. The motion explicitly focuses on the political ideology, not religion or ethnicity.

Most Green MPs, including four of the five current MPs and the former leader Caroline Lucas, opposed the motion. They criticized the policy for risking alienation of Jewish members, failing to consider Israeli self-determination, and increasing internal party division. Some Jewish Greens expressed private concern about their future in the party.

Known from the source

• The Green party voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion equating Zionism with racism.
• The motion calls for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state with equal rights.
• The motion was promoted by Greens for Palestine, who encouraged new member sign-ups.
• Four of five Green MPs and former leader Caroline Lucas opposed the motion.
• Zack Polanski, the party leader, missed the vote and described Zionism as involving displacement of Palestinians.

What remains unclear

The party leader Zack Polanski, who missed the vote while campaigning in a London byelection, described Zionism in terms of displacement and genocide of Palestinians, equating that with racism. However, this characterization is his view and not independently verified in the source article. The policy’s broader connections to current conflict events in Gaza remain unconfirmed in the report.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Confirm if any official Green party communications link this policy directly to Gaza conflict updates, casualty tolls, or ceasefire negotiations. Verify statements by Zack Polanski and other party members on the motion's impact and definitions with direct quotes from the full conference materials or official transcripts. Check for official responses from Jewish Greens or other affected community groups beyond the poll mentioned.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: The Guardian Gaza. Open the source.