Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said he will not attempt to overturn a conference motion declaring Zionism to be racist, despite wanting to amend part of the policy. He told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme on 18 October that party rules mean the resolution will remain in place until at least 2028.
Leader says he will respect members’ decision
Asked whether he would intervene to reverse the vote, Polanski said he would not seek to overturn the decision taken by party members. He explained that a conference policy remains in force for two years under the party’s rules.
Polanski nevertheless said he wants to change the motion at the first available opportunity. In particular, he disagrees with prescribing a single-state outcome and wants language that leaves Israelis and Palestinians to determine their political future.
What did the Greens vote for?
At the party’s conference in Brighton on 4 October, members voted by 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion describing Zionism as racism and supporting a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine. Polanski did not participate in that vote. The resolution has prompted disagreement within the party and criticism from Jewish organisations and political opponents.
The meaning and implications of the resolution remain contested. Critics argue that its language threatens Jewish self-determination and risks alienating Jewish communities; supporters distinguish opposition to Zionism from hostility towards Jewish people. These are opposing positions in a political dispute, not findings established by a court.
Why 2028 matters
Polanski said that, under existing party procedures, a newly adopted conference policy cannot be amended for two years. He indicated he would respect that process rather than seek to rewrite the rules to force an earlier reversal.
His comments clarify the distinction between his personal preference for changing the motion’s proposed political settlement and the policy adopted by the membership. No amendment has yet been approved, and the form of any future replacement wording remains undecided.
Political repercussions
The vote has generated criticism from some Green politicians and outside organisations. Labour has also announced measures affecting local power-sharing arrangements with Green groups that support the resolution. Those political responses are separate from the question of whether and when Green Party members can amend their policy.