UK Greens adopt motion defining Zionism as racism, drawing internal opposition and Israeli ban
publishers 42articles 55first reported 4 Oct, 14:30 UTCdeveloping since 4 Oct · 21 editionstop 25 #9
Britain’s Green Party has adopted a binding policy defining Zionism as a form of racism and supporting the creation of a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine.
Members approved the motion by 1,022 votes to 813 at the party’s annual conference in Brighton on Sunday. It also reaffirmed support for Palestinians’ right of return and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
The decision exposed divisions within the party. Four of its five MPs opposed parts of the resolution. Vivien Lichtenstein, head of the Jewish Greens, told BBC Radio 4 that the motion was unhelpful and said she might leave the party. She expressed concern that Jewish and joint Arab-Jewish organisations could be labelled racist because they support Zionism. The motion’s supporters have said Jewish members would not face disciplinary action merely for belonging to Zionist organisations.
Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, missed the vote and had been campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election. He said that Zionism is racist if it entails displacing Palestinians, but opposed prescribing a single-state outcome from outside. Some party members criticised his absence.
Israel condemned the resolution, saying it denied Jewish self-determination and legitimised the destruction of Israel. Israel said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar decided to bar Polanski from entering the country. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the policy would endanger Jews and Israelis.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 42
- Source articles
- 55
- Given to the writer
- 8, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
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 two details softened to match what the sources actually report. - "Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, missed the vote while campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election.": The sources say Polanski was away campaigning before the byelection and that the vote occurred on Sunday; they do not say he personally missed the vote while campaigning at the exact time. - "Foreign Minister Gideon Saar subsequently barred Polanski from entering the country.": Middle East Eye attributes the decision to bar Polanski to Gideon Saar, but the wording suggests Saar directly imposed it as a subsequent act; the source says he decided that evening to declare Polanski barred after the resolution.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
UK Greens adopt motion defining Zionism as racism, drawing internal opposition and Israeli ban
Britain’s Green Party has adopted a binding policy defining Zionism as a form of racism and supporting the creation of a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine.
Members approved the motion by 1,022 votes to 813 at the party’s annual conference in Brighton on Sunday. It also reaffirmed support for Palestinians’ right of return and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
The decision exposed divisions within the party. Four of its five MPs opposed parts of the resolution. Vivien Lichtenstein, head of the Jewish Greens, told BBC Radio 4 that the motion was unhelpful and said she might leave the party. She expressed concern that Jewish and joint Arab-Jewish organisations could be labelled racist because they support Zionism. The motion’s supporters have said Jewish members would not face disciplinary action merely for belonging to Zionist organisations.
Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, missed the vote whileand had been campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election. He said that Zionism is racist if it entails displacing Palestinians, but opposed prescribing a single-state outcome from outside. Some party members criticised his absence.
Israel condemned the resolution, saying it denied Jewish self-determination and legitimised the destruction of Israel. Israel said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar subsequentlydecided barredto bar Polanski from entering the country. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the policy would endanger Jews and Israelis.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →