UK Green Party Classifies Zionism as Racism; Israel Bans Its Leader

The left-leaning UK Green Party classified Zionism on Sunday as "a form of racism" during a vote at its annual conference, a move that sparked angry reactions from British Jewish groups and the Israeli government.

Members of the Green Party, which holds five seats in the 650-seat House of Commons and has made gains in recent local and by-elections, approved the classification with 1,022 votes in favor and 813 against.

The resolution states that Zionism should be treated "like any other form of racism," and affirms the party's support for establishing "one democratic Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine."

In a letter to the party before the vote, three organizations representing the Jewish community stated, "Adopting this proposal would make the Green Party the first significant electoral political party in Britain to adopt, in living memory, a political platform that appears to include explicitly antisemitic positions."

The organizations warned of "the potential implications for the security and safety of all British Jews."

Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which described the decision as "clearly antisemitic text," announced that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar had barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also described the party's decision as a "stain of shame."