The Green Party of England and Wales adopted a policy motion at its annual conference in Brighton on Sunday that defines Zionism as a form of racism. Members voted 1,022 to 813 in favor of the measure.

The motion describes Zionism as an ideology supporting an "ethnonationalist Jewish state" and states that it "will be treated as any other form of racism." It also calls for the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for Palestinians and their descendants.

Israel's foreign ministry condemned the resolution as a "clear antisemitic text" that denies the Jewish people's right to self-determination. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced that Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, has been banned from entering Israel. The ministry described the party as a body that gives legitimacy to terrorism.

Polanski did not participate in the vote. He had left the conference early to campaign in a by-election in Holborn and St Pancras. In prior comments, he said that if Zionism equates to the displacement and genocide of Palestinians, it is clearly racist, though he expressed reservations about the single-state proposal.

The vote exposed divisions within the party. Joint deputy leaders Mothin Ali supported the motion, while Rachel Millward called aspects of the wording problematic. The party's five sitting MPs, along with Polanski and the deputy leaders, issued a joint statement affirming that the Greens would never tolerate discrimination or harassment and that there is no conflict between supporting Palestinian rights and Jewish rights.

Jewish organizations and community leaders criticized the decision. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council stated that Zionism represents anti-racism by creating a refuge for Jews after centuries of persecution. The chair of Jewish Greens, Vivien Lichtenstein, indicated she may leave the party over the policy.

The motion marks a shift from previous Green Party positions, which had left the form of any final settlement to Israelis and Palestinians. It was advanced by activist groups within the party and passed after an amendment aimed at protecting Jewish members was rejected.