Jewish Greens Chair Says She May Quit Party After Members Back 'Zionism Is Racism' Motion

The chair of Jewish Greens, Vivien Lichtenstein, has said she may resign from the Green Party of England and Wales after its members voted to adopt a motion describing Zionism as a form of racism, a decision that has exposed deep divisions within the party's ranks and drawn sharp criticism from Jewish organisations and the Israeli government.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lichtenstein said her departure from the party was "quite possible" following the vote, which took place at the party's autumn conference in Brighton. Asked directly about her future within the Greens, she replied: "I haven't decided yet... It is quite possible that I will leave the party... I'm giving it a little time and to talk with colleagues." Lichtenstein is a former chair of her local party branch, making her potential exit a notable loss for a party that has sought to present itself as a welcoming home for minority communities.

The contested motion, brought forward by a group of activists at the Brighton conference, was approved by members by a margin of 1,022 votes to 813. The Green Party of England and Wales has roughly 230,000 members in total, meaning only a small fraction of the membership was present to cast a ballot on the policy. The motion, among its various clauses, expresses support for "the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, equal rights for all, and the right of return for Palestinians and their descendants" — a formulation that encompasses modern-day Israel within the proposed territory.

In defining Zionism, the motion characterises it as an ideology backing "an ethnonationalist Jewish state." That language formed the core of the criticism levelled against the policy by mainstream Jewish representatives. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council issued a joint rebuke of the motion, stating that "Zionism is anti-racism, creating a refuge for Jews in their ancient homeland after millennia of persecution outside it." The Israeli foreign ministry also condemned the vote, and in a pointed response announced that it had barred party leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel.

Lichtenstein said she had objected to the motion from the moment she first learned of it. "I don't think it's helpful and it doesn't make any difference whatsoever to Palestinians in Gaza who have suffered devastation, orphans left behind, it doesn't make any difference to Palestinians in the West Bank who are currently suffering, are currently being attacked and killed," she told the BBC. Her argument suggests that the symbolic policy gesture, whatever its intent, offers no tangible relief to Palestinians living under the conditions the motion's supporters seek to address.

On the question of her own identity, Lichtenstein said she regards herself as "both Zionist and anti-Zionist" depending on how the term is defined, and pointed to the existence of multiple competing definitions as one of the motion's central flaws. She said she was not personally troubled by accusations that supporting Israel's right to exist makes her a racist, explaining that such a charge "of course is not the case." Nevertheless, she described the measure as a "very bad motion" that "crosses a line."

One specific concern she raised was procedural: the activists who drafted the motion claimed to have consulted Jewish voices, yet did not engage with Jewish Greens, who she said would have proposed amendments to improve the text. She also emphasised the diversity of opinion within Jewish Greens itself, noting that some members back the motion entirely, others support certain elements of it, and still others oppose it outright. Some Jewish Greens, she added, also endorse the idea of a single state.

Lichtenstein noted that the party's official policy has been that "it's up to Israelis and Palestinians to choose their future — one state or two." That position puts the Greens at odds with the stated approach of the UK government and 11 allied nations, which back a two-state solution envisaging a recognised Palestinian state existing alongside Israel. Israel's government, for its part, rejects the two-state framework altogether, meaning the Green motion places the party outside the mainstream diplomatic consensus in several respects.

A further worry for Lichtenstein is that the policy could lead the party to brand UK, Israeli, or Jewish organisations — including groups that work in partnership with Palestinians — as racist. She expressed support for many such organisations, praising those that campaign "against the occupation and even go out on the ground to assist Palestinians." Her remarks suggest that the practical fallout of the motion could extend well beyond internal party debate, potentially complicating relationships with civil society groups engaged in humanitarian and political work in the region.

She also revealed that she knows of non-Jewish members who intend to leave the party, driven by a belief that "the motion crosses a line" as well as professional considerations, since some may be unable to remain associated with an organisation that has adopted "Zionism is racism" as a formal policy position. Asked whether antisemitism exists within the Greens, including among its senior figures, Lichtenstein said "there are certainly some antisemites in the party, I don't know about at senior level, that is not my experience."

The party's leader, Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, had pushed for the motion to be amended in two ways: adding protections for Jewish members and removing the reference to a "single democratic Palestinian State." Both amendments were rejected by members. Polanski did not remain at the conference for the votes on either the amendments or the substantive motion, having left early to campaign in Holborn and St Pancras, where he is contesting a by-election for a seat in Parliament.

Following the vote, a Green Party spokeswoman insisted that the party would safeguard Jewish members, stressing that they would not face persecution for attending synagogues that define themselves as Zionist. Lubna Speitan, the Green member who brought the motion, defended its purpose after the result was announced, arguing that its backers wanted to express opposition to "racist systems of oppression." She added: "We stand united against all forms of racism and discrimination — no exemptions."

The vote laid bare a split not only among the membership but within the party's leadership. While the majority of Green MPs opposed the motion, the top tier of the party was divided. In an interview on the Today programme on Friday, co-deputy leader Rachel Millward described the motion as "problematic," while her counterpart Mothin Ali told the BBC on Saturday that he would support it in its original form. The contrasting positions of two senior figures underscore the difficulty the party now faces in reconciling its internal factions and repairing its relationship with Jewish members and affiliated organisations.