UK Green Party adopts policy equating Zionism with racism
publishers 7articles 8first reported 4 Oct, 14:30 UTCdeveloping since 4 Oct · 21 editions
The Green Party of England and Wales adopted a binding policy equating Zionism with racism and supporting a single Palestinian state, after members approved the motion by 1,022 votes to 813 at the party’s conference in Brighton on Sunday.
The motion says Zionism, which it describes as Israel’s foundational ideology, should be “treated as any other form of racism.” The Guardian reported that it supports a single democratic Palestinian state with equal rights for all, while the Jerusalem Post reported that it calls for Jerusalem as its capital.
Four of the party’s five MPs opposed the measure. Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns said they were “deeply saddened,” while Siân Berry and Carla Denyer pledged support for Jewish members who believed they were being targeted. Party leader Zack Polanski missed the vote while campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection.
Some Jewish Green members have voiced concern that the policy could lead to disciplinary action against members affiliated with Zionist Jewish organizations or synagogues. Supporter Salma Yaqoob said nobody would be disciplined for expressing Zionist beliefs, but delegates rejected an amendment that would have explicitly protected affiliations with Jewish community institutions.
The Guardian reported that some members are consulting lawyers about a possible challenge under the Equality Act 2010. Barrister Adam Wagner KC said there was a strong risk the policy could discriminate against or harass people holding Zionist beliefs and Jewish people more broadly. The Jewish Greens declined to take an official position after an internal survey showed members were nearly evenly divided on opposing the motion.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 2 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 2 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written within the hour the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
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WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: The story needs a small attribution/edit to avoid blending details from different sources into one unattributed statement. - "It supports a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital and equal rights for all.": The sources do not say the adopted motion calls for Jerusalem as its capital and equal rights for all in the same formulation; the Guardian supports equal rights for all, while JPost reports Jerusalem as capital. - "The Jewish Greens declined to take an official position after an internal survey showed members were nearly evenly divided on opposing the motion.": The source says the survey average was 5.1, indicating an almost exact split, but also gives other details; this sentence is supported and not a material issue.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
UK Green Party adopts policy equating Zionism with racism
The Green Party of England and Wales adopted a binding policy equating Zionism with racism and supporting a single Palestinian state, after members approved the motion by 1,022 votes to 813 at the party’s conference in Brighton on Sunday.
The motion says Zionism, which it describes as Israel’s foundational ideology, should be “treated as any other form of racism.” ItThe Guardian reported that it supports a single democratic Palestinian state acrosswith historicequal Palestine,rights withfor all, while the Jerusalem Post reported that it calls for Jerusalem as its capital and equal rights for all.capital.
Four of the party’s five MPs opposed the measure. Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns said they were “deeply saddened,” while Siân Berry and Carla Denyer pledged support for Jewish members who believed they were being targeted. Party leader Zack Polanski missed the vote while campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection.
Some Jewish Green members have voiced concern that the policy could lead to disciplinary action against members affiliated with Zionist Jewish organizations or synagogues. Supporter Salma Yaqoob said nobody would be disciplined for expressing Zionist beliefs, but delegates rejected an amendment that would have explicitly protected affiliations with Jewish community institutions.
The Guardian reported that some members are consulting lawyers about a possible challenge under the Equality Act 2010. Barrister Adam Wagner KC said there was a strong risk the policy could discriminate against or harass people holding Zionist beliefs and Jewish people more broadly. The Jewish Greens declined to take an official position after an internal survey showed members were nearly evenly divided on opposing the motion.
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