Green Party leader Zack Polanski has stated that he will not overturn a controversial motion passed by party members that defines Zionism as racist. Speaking during an interview on the Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday programme, Polanski acknowledged the division the motion has caused, but insisted that he would respect the democratic decision made by the party membership.
The motion, which was approved at the party's conference earlier this month, characterizes Zionism as an ideology that supports an "ethnonationalist Jewish state in historic Palestine to the exclusion and/or domination of the non-Jewish population." The decision was reached by a vote of 1,022 to 813, a figure that represents only a small portion of the party's 230,000 members. The outcome triggered significant backlash from Jewish campaigners, the government, the European Green movement, and several MPs.
Addressing the fallout, Polanski noted that the policy will remain in place until 2028, as party rules dictate that conference decisions stand for two years. When asked if he would attempt to change these rules to intervene, he stated, "I think if members have made a decision, then I respect the democratic will of our members."
While Polanski refused to overturn the motion, he expressed a desire to amend it at the first available opportunity. He stated that he wants to pivot the party's position away from a one-state framework, moving toward a stance that encourages Israelis and Palestinians to determine their own future. He had previously indicated that he would not have voted for the motion in its current form without amendments. Meanwhile, some Green MPs, including Ellie Chowns, have called for a review of the party's decision-making procedures, citing concerns over the low voter turnout for such a significant policy shift. The controversy also impacted the final days of Polanski's campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, where he finished second to Labour.
