Green Party leader urged to take a position on Zionism resolution — The Guardian
In the United Kingdom, members of the Green Party are urging the party’s leader in England and Wales, Zack Polanski, to publicly state his position on a draft resolution that equates Zionism with racism. The document is likely to be considered at the party conference in Brighton in early October.
As The Guardian reports, the initiative came first in an internal vote by party members on proposals to be discussed at the conference. Green Party policy is approved through votes by party members at conferences.
Contents of the draft
If the resolution is adopted, the party will regard Zionism — the movement for a Jewish state — in the same way as other forms of racism. This could create a risk of disciplinary action against party members who support Zionism.
The draft also calls for the creation of a single democratic Palestinian state across the whole territory of historic Palestine, with its capital in Jerusalem, equal rights for all, and the right of return for Palestinians and their descendants. The document states that the Palestinian people have the right to resist and liberate themselves from Israeli occupation, domination and subjugation within the framework of international law.
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Polanski’s position
Polanski has not yet commented publicly on the resolution. According to the publication, he has reservations about wording that could make Jewish members feel unwelcome in the party or that might not contribute to the peace process.
A resolution with the same title was submitted for the spring conference, but it was not considered due to a lack of time. According to The Guardian, if the document had been brought up for discussion then, Green Party MPs and Polanski would have opposed it.
Two amendments intended to soften the current text have been submitted. One party source told the publication that Polanski appears to support these changes. Another source expressed concern that adopting the resolution in its original form could alienate the United Kingdom’s Jewish community.
There are also concerns within the party over internal disputes. According to a source cited by the publication, in leaked WhatsApp messages some activists claimed that Polanski allegedly has difficulty overcoming Zionist indoctrination.
