Calls for the Green Party to declare itself an anti-Zionist party

Pressure group Greens for Palestine is urging the Green Party to declare itself “an anti-Zionist party”. The group has issued a statement in support of a motion which it calls “groundbreaking”. The motion also supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and calls for the de-proscription of Palestine Action.

Greens for Palestine statement

Greens for Palestine are calling on The Green Party to take a strong and principled stance in support of Palestinian rights and against all forms of racism without any fear or favour. Motion A105: Zionism Is Racism is a key step toward building a framework that supports Palestinians in seeking justice, dignity and accountability. This groundbreaking motion has received overwhelming support and is gaining momentum, both in and out of the party, demonstrating strong backing among Green Party members and the Palestine solidarity movement.

An anti-Zionist party

The motion urges the Green Party to declare itself an anti-Zionist party, while rejecting attempts to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism or to create hierarchies of racism. We are clear that not all Jews are Zionist and not all Zionists are Jewish. Opposition to a political ideology and the policies of a state must not be misrepresented as hostility toward Jewish people, who hold diverse political views, including opposition to Zionism. This motion calls for the Rejection of the IHRA and JDA definitions of antisemitism which have been weaponised to silence legitimate criticisms of the
actions of the state of Israel.

In its dominant contemporary form, Zionism underpins a system of inequality, dispossession, and violence against Palestinians. It is increasingly associated with far-right politics in Israel and with policies that deny Palestinians equal rights, safety, and dignity. A movement committed to justice, equality, and international law must be willing to confront this. The motion also calls for the Green Party to support the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, equal rights for all, and the right of return for Palestinians and their descendants.

A Palestinian state does not refer to an ideological project but to a democratic state, founded upon the collective will and equal rights of all people who belong to Palestine. This vision rejects
any notion of exclusion or supremacy and instead asserts a civic identity rooted in justice, equality, and self-determination for all. A democratic Palestinian state would therefore guarantee full political, civil, and religious rights for people of all backgrounds, Palestinians of every faith and those of none, as these lands did before the manifestations of Zionism upon them.

Boycott, divestment and sanctions

The motion calls for the Green Party to heed the call from Palestine civil society to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era, and calls upon the United Kingdom Government to impose full embargoes and sanctions against Israel.

Acknowledging Zionism as inherently racist is both a moral and political issue. Recent history is showing us how accusations of antisemitism have been cynically weaponised to silence legitimate criticism of Israel and to undermine movements for Palestinian freedom. The left cannot continue to retreat in the face of bad-faith attacks. Clarity, solidarity, and courage are required.

The motion also calls for the de-proscription of Palestine Action and for the release of political prisoners targeted by the state for non-violent direct action in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Greens for Palestine affirms the long tradition of non-violent civil resistance as a legitimate and necessary tool in struggles against injustice. Greens for Palestine believes that opposing racism, apartheid, and mass violence is inseparable from supporting Palestinian liberation. We urge Green Party leaders and members to back this motion and reaffirm the party’s commitment to universal human rights, anti-racism, and justice for all.

Featured image via Left Foot Forward