The leader of the United Kingdom’s Green Party, Zack Polanski, has called for changes to the party’s internal rules following a controversial decision by members to declare Zionism a form of racism.
In an article published in The Guardian on Sunday, October 11, Polanski argued that the party’s decision-making system needs reform to give its leadership greater responsibility for setting the party’s strategic direction. He said the party should encourage wider participation among members and make its internal processes more effective and accessible.
The controversy began on October 4, when Green Party members voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion equating Zionism with racism. The motion also supported Palestinian liberation, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, a boycott of Israel, sanctions and a full arms embargo against the Israeli government. It further called for a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine.
The decision has sparked divisions within the party. Four of its five members of parliament opposed the motion, while Jewish organisations and Israeli officials criticised it, with some describing it as antisemitic. Supporters of the motion argue that their opposition is directed at Zionism as a political ideology and at Israeli policies towards Palestinians, rather than at Jewish people as a religious or ethnic group.
Polanski also addressed criticism over his absence from the vote, explaining that he had been campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election. He acknowledged that some party members felt disappointed by his decision not to participate in the debate.
The dispute has intensified discussions about how the Green Party should make policy as its membership grows. Polanski’s proposed reforms could reshape the balance between grassroots decision-making and the authority of party leaders, although the precise changes have yet to be finalised