Britain’s Green Party votes to class Zionism as a form of racism
Britain's Green Party has voted to classify Zionism as a form of racism, sparking backlash from Jewish groups and the Israeli government. The motion, which calls for an end to arms trade with Israel, passed despite opposition from senior party members.
Why it matters
This decision marks a significant shift in political discourse within the UK, highlighting deep divisions regarding the definition of Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Britain’s Green Party voted on Sunday (October 5, 2026) to class Zionism as a form of racism, drawing criticism from British Jews and from the Israeli government which said it now viewed the party as “a body that gives legitimacy to terrorism”.
The party — which received 6% of the vote in national elections in 2024 — said it regarded Zionism as “an ethnonationalist political project” and repeated its call for Britain’s Labour government to end all arms trade with Israel.
“The motion also restates the Green Party’s backing for the right to self-determination and calls for the establishment of a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine,” the party said in a statement.
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