Green party conference to debate motion declaring Zionism a form of racism

The Green Party is due to debate a conference motion that would declare Zionism "racism" and direct the party to treat it as it would any other form of racism, according to reports.

If adopted, the resolution would become official party policy. The party's rules bar membership for people belonging to groups it considers racist, and critics have raised questions about how the policy would apply to members who are also part of organisations describing themselves as Zionist — a category that, according to Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, includes most synagogues and synagogue movements in Britain and elsewhere.

Writing in The Guardian, Freedland argued that the motion reflects a limited understanding of Zionism, Jewish identity and the dynamics of antisemitism. He said that, under a literal reading of the resolution, Jews whose religious practice is connected to synagogues identifying with Zionism could face questions about their standing in the party.

The debate is expected to take place at the party's conference this weekend. The Guardian has invited readers to submit responses of up to 300 words for possible publication in its letters section.

The motion adds to a wider, ongoing debate in British politics over how Zionism, antisemitism and criticism of Israeli government policy should be defined and distinguished, with different groups continuing to hold sharply differing views. No formal response to the criticism had been issued by the Green party in the reporting available at the time of writing.