Green Party vows to block extremist capture after Zionism controversy

The Green Party has committed to safeguarding itself against infiltration by extremists and racists following a contentious vote that adopted a motion equating Zionism with racism. Westminster leader Ellie Chowns described the policy as ‘significant and damaging,’ stating she would work to reform party structures to prevent further division.

The controversy centers on a motion passed earlier this month at the party’s conference, which defines Zionism as an ideology supporting an ‘ethnonationalist Jewish state.’ The policy also calls for a single democratic Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine, including modern-day Israel, with Jerusalem as its capital and equal rights for all residents.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Chowns expressed concern that the party could be ‘captured’ by extremist elements. She emphasized that the motion does not reflect the views of the majority of Green Party members or the wider public, describing Zionism as a ‘contested concept.’ She warned that adopting such policies risks becoming a distraction from the party’s existing campaigning for Palestinian rights.

Chowns highlighted procedural issues, noting that the policy was approved by only 0.4% of the party’s 230,000 members. The final vote tally was 1,022 in favor and 813 against among those who attended the conference.

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, who led the party from 2008 to 2012, suggested that existing constitutional safeguards were insufficient to protect against ‘entryism’—a tactic where individuals join a party to alter its direction from within. Lucas, who served as the party’s first and only MP until 2024, stated that the party must remain a ‘welcoming place for Jewish people’ but placed the blame on outdated structures rather than current leader Zack Polanski.

Jewish organizations, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, strongly criticized the motion. They argued that Zionism is inherently anti-racist, serving as a movement that created a refuge for Jews in their ancestral homeland after centuries of persecution.

Current leader Zack Polanski admitted the motion was ‘imperfect’ and stated he would have voted for an amended version. However, he defended the core assertion that the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people are underpinned by racist ideology, a characterization Israel denies. Polanski did not remain at the conference to vote on the final motion, having left early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

Following his defeat in the by-election, Vivien Lichtenstein, leader of the Jewish Greens, called for Polanski’s resignation. She criticized his decision to avoid a debate on the controversial motion, calling it a ‘big mistake.’ Despite the call for his departure, Polanski told BBC Breakfast he would ‘absolutely’ stay on as leader.

The political turmoil comes as the Green Party faces a decline in polling support after an initial surge following Polanski’s leadership bid in May 2025. In the recent London by-election, Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali won with 45% of the vote, while Polanski secured 33%. Although he lost, the Green vote share increased by 22 percentage points compared to the 2024 general election.