What is Zionism, and why is it being debated at the Green party conference?

The Green party's annual conference is preparing to debate a motion stating that "Zionism is racism," a move that has reopened long-running arguments over the meaning, history and political implications of the term.

Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green party, has said he identifies as anti-Zionist, a position that has drawn attention to the debate ahead of the conference vote.

Zionism is generally understood as the movement supporting the establishment and continued existence of a Jewish state in the historic land of Israel, and emerged as an organised political movement in the late 19th century amid rising antisemitism in Europe. Supporters describe it as a movement for Jewish self-determination and safety following centuries of persecution.

Critics of Zionism, including some who support the motion at the Green party conference, argue that the movement's implementation has involved the displacement of Palestinians and amounts, in their view, to a form of ethnic or racial discrimination. Many Jewish organisations and other critics of the motion reject this characterisation, arguing that equating Zionism with racism unfairly singles out Jewish self-determination and can shade into antisemitism.

The debate reflects a broader and long-standing international disagreement over how to characterise Zionism, one that has intensified amid the war in Gaza and the wider conflict in the Middle East. The outcome of the Green party's internal vote is not yet known.