Sabotage throttles Green conference as members left heartbroken over “Zionism is Racism” motion
The Green Party held its Spring Conference on Saturday 28 March, with members meeting online to debate and vote on the party’s future direction. At the centre of attention is a highly poignant and emotionally charged motion: Zionism is Racism.
Zionism is Racism
After members overwhelmingly backed bringing the motion forward – despite earlier attempts to block it entirely – pro-Palestinian Greens are now watching closely to see if the party will formally break with Zionism.
This embattled call for principled leadership has been led by Lubna Speitan, who referred to her Palestinian heritage and her people’s immeasurable suffering at the hands of their occupier, genocidal Israel.
After years of watching powerful leaders offer diplomatic cover while hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children have been murdered, with those surviving left to endure constant bombardment and sheer deprivation, socialists are now demanding far more from those in power.
Pro-Israel saboteurs running rampant in the Greens – still.
However, as mentioned previously, the motion has faced no end of pressure, whether from pro-Zionist Greens or typical hateful attacks from pro-Israeli lobby groups. Just today, another member proposed to rule “Zionism is Racism” out of order by arguing they already have a policy for two state solution.
On the other hand, if any policy should be thrown out, it is the two-state solution. Palestinians should have an inherent right to define what justice looks like for their people, and many argue that the prospect of two states is no longer viable on land that is rightfully theirs.
Nonetheless, sabotage or delay tactics have clearly been at play in the Greens today, with two votes of no confidence were brought in the very last twenty minutes. Each time, hundreds of Greens told them where to go by throwing the vote of no confidence out.
One member in the last 10 minutes bravely pointed out the very clear tactic at play to subvert the democratic vote on whether Zionism is indeed racism.
Which, obviously, it bloody well is.
Unwilling to be deterred, Lubna Speitan spoke powerfully defending her motion in the morning, saying:
Okay, as you know, I am Palestinian. This party says it stands with Palestinians and is one of the supporters for its stance. And I’m here today for those Palestinian and bringing forward this motion drafted by Palestinians. And with support from our Jewish allies with legal input on our motion.
adding:
Zionism is racism has had a record-breaking number of over 332 proposals.
Poignantly, she highlighted the clear attempts to subvert democracy by some members:
.. this attempt being made to rule out order is an attempt, an attack at democracy. To silence me, a Palestinian Muslim woman, confronting the racist reality of Zionism and its erasure of my family and people.
There are a huge number of people here who want to hear this motion.
Acknowledging the attacks they have received for this motion, Speitan reminded that taking action would be in line with international law and the Geneva Convention.
We are so sorry, Lubna – you deserved justice and true democracy
Ahead of the planned Zionism is Racism vote, Lubna became emotional and teary as she reminded of the impact of Zionism on her loved ones. She powerfully argued that Zionism has been the dispossession of her grandmother, the scars across her father’s body and emotionally added:
it’s the 56 of our relatives slaughtered in this genocide.
She finished:
A vote for this motion is a vote for clarity and equality. Zionism is racism and must be truly confronted… We reject all amendments to this motion. Free Palestine.
Subsequently, the chair said they could no longer proceed straight after Lubna powerfully spoke – and ended the conference. Frankly, it was incredibly painful and heartbreaking to witness the cold way in which this highly anticipated and emotionally charged motion ended up unheard.
So, the saboteurs won out, once again. And one thing is for sure; democracy, compassion and frankly, basic human decency, lost out once more.
Shame on all those who worked against such a crucial and landmark motion – history will not look kindly on you.
Featured image via the Canary
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‘Why anti-Zionists should oppose the ‘zionism is racism’ motion at Green Party conference’
Article published by the Bright Green blog yesterday. The author (who is Jewish) says that :
“I see Zionism as a settler colonial nationalism rather than racism. Racism is an integral and indivisible part of Zionism, but they are not quite the same thing. While I would agree that Zionism is intrinsically racist, it is not a type of racism. ”
Continuing the exercise in semantics, the author adds :
“Zionism is the belief in Jewish settlement in Palestine. Racist violence, ethnic cleansing of Palestinian inhabitants of the Palestine has been the result of this belief and its realisation in Israel. However, ‘Zionism’ is a term that describes the belief in settlement, rather than the violence and dispossession that has resulted from this settlement. The terms for that are anti-Palestinian racism, or white supremacy.”
https://bright-green.org/2026/03/27/why-anti-zionists-should-oppose-the-zionism-is-racism-motion-at-green-party-conference/
So Zionism is racist, except when its Israel doing it ? Then its settler colonial nationalism ? Or white supremacy ?
The Green party obviously has its fair share of zionist / Israeli apologists.
Addendum to the above.
The Bright Green article carries the disclamer : “This motion is written in a personal capacity and is not the official view of any body Joshua Alston sits on. ”
The author, Joshua Alston is Policy Officer of Jewish Greens, and his article seems to be very much the official view of that group.
Jewish Greens published an article – Why Jewish Greens are urging party members to vote against THE MOTION: ZIONISM IS RACISM – on 1 March (author J.Alston).
https://jewishgreens.greenparty.org.uk/2026/02/12/why-jewish-greens-are-urging-party-members-to-vote-against-a105/
It asks : “We urge Green Party members to listen to their Jewish comrades within the party, and consider whether this motion is appropriate for the type of party they want to be in.
“Especially worrying, and a significant step-change from previous conference motions, is the rather authoritarian implication to not only condemn Zionism, but to actively proscribe members who consider themselves (or who others accuse of being) Zionists. ”
Something for Greens to think about. Was this motion is appropriate for the type of party they want to be in ? Some factions obviously think not.
The idea that definining Zionism as a form of racism means expelling individual Zionists is wrong.
Immigration barriers are inherently racist. Not all supporters of immigration barriers are racists, merely deluded.
Those Green Zionists who believe that Zionism is not ra cist are entitled to their delusions.
Spot on Tony. As with so many things, there are the real bigots and those who simply haven’t thought their arguments through enough. Change comes when we create an atmosphere where discussion, reflection and epiphany can take place.
The key Green votes have to confirm that the Israrli govt and IDF are commiting war crimes, genocide and ethnic cleansing and that there needs to be a full boycott of Israeli goods and no arms sales until this is stopped. Fundamentalist zionism is fascistic and the IDF terrorists, torturing and murdering Palestinians and enabling the settlers to terrorise Pslestinians out of the West Bank. All settlers snd members of the UK are IDF need to be investigated for war crimes if they return to the uk.
But the debate over what to define zionism if it descends into semantics is it racist, colonialist, apartheid driven, fascist just divides us. What matters is uniting over what actions we take and piblicising the zionist war crimes
Absolutely. basically the motion is poorly devised. Why rule against an ideology that isn’t clearly defined. it is obvious this is going to cause problems from the get go. Focus on what is actually happening by the state, not the ideology behind it. A motion to fully boycott Israeli economically would be far more effective and clearer.
I was at the conference. It was genuinely so insufferable and angering to go through. We spent the first 5 hours sorting out technical issues (a possible DDOS attack) as well as a spat within the SOC, and 3 votes off no confidence that ate away at our precious time. Then, after the conference voted overwhelmingly to both move up the “Zionism is racism” motion and to extend the conference by 15 minutes to actually get to it, we had another 2 votes of no confidence, which meant all we could do was sit in anger around the clear lack of action on this act of sabotage of a conference we PAID to be part of so we could help the party move forward in its messaging. Not only that, we effectively skipped virtually everything that the conference was meant to go over, making it possibly the biggest waste of time I have ever been part of.
My heart truly goes out to Lubna. You deserve justice, and being told to “wait until October” (as one organiser put it) for even a crumb of that justice is shameful. This makes Your Party look orderly by comparison.
The Greens need to start with a resolution banning any organization that calls for the extermination or silencing of any ethnic group. Then it can move forward. Anyone speaking in favor of zionism can be excluded because zionism calls for the extermination of other groups
More evidence, if any were needed, that the Green Party of England & Wales – like other Green parties – is no party of working class socialism, but a bourgeois, capitalist and imperialist organisation that is, just like Reform with the working class, taking the middle class Labour vote away from the Left. We need an independent, working class, revolutionary socialist movement, not this ludicrous display.
Absolutely right! I was member of the GP and of its then national economic working group forty years ago and walked away after there seemed to be no credible response to Marx’s observation that “it is in the nature of capitalism to expand indefinitely” thus there can be no compromise via “green capitalism”. This, like so many other contradictions the GP is unable to resolve. Nor will it be able to resolve the problems of international brutality which is the spawn of the system. Membership of the GP is a waste of time and effort.
Part of the reason, I left the English Green Party, was because those who were in charge. Did not have any respect, for those of us, from a council house background. Coupled with the fact, that the leadership, was very much pro-Zionist.
Even with Polanski as leader, I still believe, the Green Party, is very much Zionist.
The Green Party is full of self-deluded utopians at best and cynical grifters at worst who think socialism is about identity and culture, rather than economics and class
Correct the mistake of ’48.
And where was Zack Polanski yesterday? Having a jolly up, posing for selfies and preaching ambiguous platitudes. Lubna’s – and any other anti-Zionist’s integrity – is wasted in the Greens.
And this is only the beginning – perhaps only the beginning of the beginning of the Green Party. Think of how more controversial political issues will fare – Ukraine, Iran, NATO, Nuclear disarmament, – if the Green Party really becomes a viable challenger for State power ? What happened to Corbyn’s Labour Party will seem like a picnic, because the stakes are getting higher and higher as the world’s polarisation accelerates. . Is the Green Party leadership up to withstanding the heat that will be brought to bear? We may have just got the answer to that. Pity the land that has no heroes.
The above is a pity.
We need a true voting alternative in the UK and imo, the Left are the new floating vote.
Polanski has built up a huge following which I think will fall off again if Green returns to its safe Sea Salt Focaccia/Waitrose image, but lowish polling. Let’s hope Zack holds things together and continues to call out the b/s from the Israel lobby.
All eyes on this, as well as on ‘Your Party’ as to how things pan out with their internal difficulties.
Not convinced this motion is a positive step for green party & could do significant harm to potentially increasing support both membership + voters
Zionism is a term used and understood in multiple ways in uk so any policy has to have very clear definitions about what is meant by Zionism
I also think this
– risks division at a time when uk needs greens to be united + clear on policy (which uk public is terrible at engaging with or understanding + media misrepresentation)
– Risks feeding media and other parties attacking greens as antisemitic
– Is not necessary if the aim is to criticise Israeli actions over illegal settlements, attacking other nations or behaviour regarding Palestine/Gaza
– Risks alienating potential voters who care about Gaza, or do not support Israeli actions but are concerned about antisemitism
Also concerning to see members response to even mildest criticism of the motion.
Not agreeing with this motion does not automatically make person a supporter of Israel, or a zionist or out to sabotage green party…
I think focusing too heavily on identity risks grouping people into fixed categories and assuming intent or belief based purely on those labels. That can unintentionally deepen divisions rather than resolve them. The real issue isn’t identity itself, but the individuals and groups who actively promote hostility, exclusion, or violence, regardless of what identity they claim.
If we want to build a genuinely inclusive and peaceful political culture, the focus should shift toward challenging harmful actions, rhetoric, and power structures, rather than framing debates primarily through identity. Otherwise, we risk reinforcing the very divisions we’re trying to overcome.
Just in passing… today the Zionist Israeli government has passed a death penalty law targeting Palestinian prisoners.
What the law does:
▪️ Mandates death by hanging for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in acts classified as “terrorism”
▪️ No pardon possible
▪️ Does not require a unanimous verdict
▪️ Execution must be carried out within 90 days of sentencing
Over 9,300 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 350 children and 66 women. Hundreds could now be subject to execution.
The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the UK urged Israel to abandon the vote. The UN called mandatory death sentences a violation of the right to life. Israel’s own military warned the bill violates international law.