Green Party Leader Banned from Israel Following Controversial Motion
Zack Polanski, the leader of the British Green Party, has been barred from entering Israel after his party officially adopted a motion declaring that “Zionism is racism” during their annual conference on Sunday. This decision followed a vote in which party members supported the motion proposed by the Greens for Palestine group, with a tally of 1,022 to 813.
The motion encourages the party to view Zionism as any other form of racism and advocates for a “single Palestinian state,” which essentially suggests the dismantling of Israel. It states that Zionism is rooted in European settler-colonial practices that have created racial hierarchies among Jews in Palestine and has led to the ongoing dehumanization and displacement of Palestinians.
Although Polanski, who identifies as Jewish, was campaigning for an upcoming by-election and did not participate in the vote, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced the ban, asserting that the party he leads “gives legitimacy to terrorism.”
The Ministry stated, “The Greens have adopted not only the green of Hamas but its ideology as well: the elimination of the State of Israel through armed struggle.”
Furthermore, Jerusalem emphasized that the motion legitimizes armed struggle while labeling the Jewish aspiration for self-determination as “racist.” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid voiced his condemnation, asserting his belief in the Jewish right to a state and accusing the Green Party of siding with terrorists and antisemites.
Before the vote, Polanski seemed hesitant, suggesting he would back the motion only if it excluded certain wording, which he felt might label Jewish members attending religious and community activities as racist. However, he agreed with the sentiment that equates Zionism with the displacement of Palestinians.
This motion appears to have created divisions within the Green Party, especially between long-standing left-wing environmentalists and newer members, particularly among Muslims who have distanced themselves from the Labour Party. While Deputy leader Mothin Ali supported the motion, former party leader Caroline Lucas criticized it as “divisive” and indicative of an unwelcoming atmosphere for Jewish members.
Polanski’s leadership, having contributed to a rise in the Green Party’s popularity, is now under scrutiny, especially with an impending by-election that could be pivotal for his position. He dismissed claims that his leadership is contingent on this electoral outcome, describing the situation as “probably 50/50” and “really on a knife edge.”
