Motion branding Zionism racist: Green Party leader Zack Polanski says he will not overturn it for two years

Motion adopted at conference

Green Party members passed a motion earlier this month that characterised Zionism as racist. It defined the ideology as supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish state in historic Palestine, with the non-Jewish population excluded or dominated.

The motion’s passage drew attention during the party’s conference and became a source of political fallout. Polanski had previously said he would not have supported it without amendments.

Polanski rejects intervention

Asked whether he would use his position as leader to reverse the decision, Polanski said he would not seek to overturn it. He said conference decisions become party policy for two years under the rules.

As a result, he said, the motion could not be amended before 2028. His comments leave the policy in place for that period.

Campaign overshadowed by row

The dispute cast a shadow over the final days of Polanski’s campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. He finished second to Labour. The controversy also threatened his leadership, according to the report. Polanski’s position is that he would not have backed the motion in its original form, but he will not now try to reverse it.