UK Green Party Adopts ‘Zionism Is Racism’ Motion at Annual Conference
October 8 update: Maggie Chapman Defends Position; Jewish Council Criticizes Greens
Remarks reported: October 7, 2026. Source published: The Courier, October 7 at 5:01 p.m. BST. Update added: October 8, 2026.
Scottish Green MSP and Dundee University rector Maggie Chapman backed the England and Wales party’s motion, according to The Courier. She described Zionism as “fundamentally incompatible with racial equality,” arguing that political ideologies giving one ethnic or national group superior rights conflict with equality.
Chapman also called for equal rights and protection for Palestinians and Israelis, said Jewish people must be able to live safely, opposed antisemitic abuse and violence, and distinguished criticism of Zionism or Israel’s government from hostility toward Jews.
The Jewish Council of Scotland condemned the motion and Scottish Greens’ defense of it as antisemitic and discriminatory, arguing that support for a Jewish homeland does not imply exclusion of others and calling for withdrawal.
Status and relevance: These are competing public political statements, not a legal finding. No new Scottish Green party-policy adoption is verified; it is a separate party. The update adds Scottish reaction to the existing story.
Source: The Courier’s October 7 report.
At its annual conference in Brighton on October 4, members of the Green Party of England and Wales voted 1,022 to 813 to adopt a motion titled “Zionism is racism.” The motion says Zionism, as it defines the political ideology and practice, will be treated as a form of racism. It also calls for a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. The party says the conference decision now forms part of its policy.
Members rejected an amendment that would have stated the policy should not be used to pressure, proscribe, or discipline members because of their affiliation with Jewish community institutions. The motion itself says it addresses a political ideology and not the religious or ethnic background of people who identify as Zionists.
The vote has drawn disagreement within the party. ITV reported that four of the party’s five MPs publicly rejected the motion. A Green Party spokesperson said the party remains anti-racist and committed to equality, justice, human rights, and opposition to racism. Jewish community leaders quoted by ITV criticized the decision and raised concerns about its implications for British Jews; those statements are their characterization of the motion. The Guardian reported that some Jewish party members were concerned about whether they could remain in the party.
Party leader Zack Polanski did not vote, having left the conference to campaign in a parliamentary by-election. Before the vote, he said the motion defines Zionism as involving the displacement and genocide of Palestinians, which he said was clearly racist. These are competing political positions and reported concerns; the conference vote itself is not a legal finding about discrimination or antisemitism.
Sources: The Guardian and ITV News, October 4, 2026.