Polanski Says No One Will Be Excluded From Greens as "Zionism Is Racism" Motion Sparks Watchdog Complaints and Police Referral

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has broken his silence over a contentious conference vote that declared Zionism a form of racism, insisting he will not permit anyone to be shut out of the party on the basis of their religious or communal affiliations. In a lengthy statement issued Tuesday, his first public remarks since the motion carried on Sunday, Polanski said he took seriously his obligation to ensure all members feel secure and welcomed within the party.

The controversy stems from a policy motion debated at the Greens' conference in Brighton, where activists put forward a text describing Zionism as an ideology that backs "an ethnonationalist Jewish state." The motion also expressed support for "a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine," a position that critics say effectively calls into question the legitimacy of Israel's existence as a Jewish homeland.

Delegates endorsed the motion by a margin of 1,022 votes to 813, a result that immediately laid bare internal fractures within a party whose membership has swelled under Polanski's leadership. The leadership and the party's parliamentary wing, elected at the last general election, appear increasingly at odds over the direction of Green policy on the Middle East.

Polanski, who is Jewish, chose not to participate in Sunday's ballot, and four of the party's five MPs voted against the motion. In his statement, he emphasized that antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli government must remain entirely separate concepts, a distinction he described as fundamental to the party's values. He further asserted that the Greens stand for compassion, fairness, and equality for everyone, regardless of background or place of worship.

The fallout has extended well beyond the conference hall. More than a dozen Labour MPs wrote to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on Monday, arguing that the motion and the rejection of amendments designed to protect Jewish members who attend Zionist synagogues raise grave questions about whether Jewish people can participate fully and equally in Green Party life. The letter, coordinated by former Home Office minister Mike Tapp, suggested that members' religious and communal ties could expose them to complaints or disciplinary measures.

Separately, nine Labour MPs referred the matter to Sussex Police, requesting that the force examine whether any alleged antisemitic offences at the conference warrant a criminal investigation. Neither Sussex Police nor the Green Party has issued an immediate response to that request.

The EHRC, which oversees equality law in Great Britain and previously identified shortcomings in how the Labour Party handled antisemitism, confirmed it has received the complaint. The watchdog said it would review each complaint carefully but has not opened a formal investigation at this stage. It also reminded political parties of their obligations under the Equality Act 2010, noting that all duty-bearers must comply with the law and take steps to prevent discrimination.

The international reaction was swift. Israel's foreign ministry announced it would bar Polanski from entering the country, a move that underscored the diplomatic sensitivity of the party's new position. Jewish organizations in the UK have characterized the motion as an attack on the Jewish community, and the chair of Jewish Greens has indicated she might leave the party over the vote.

The European Green Party, the umbrella organization to which the Green Party of England and Wales belongs, issued its own statement on Monday seeking to "unequivocally distance" itself from the motion. The body said it would "immediately demand clarity" from the party's leadership about how Jewish people and the principle of self-determination would be protected going forward.

Within the party, Green MP Ellie Chowns told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that she was "deeply saddened" by the outcome but rejected the characterization of the motion as antisemitic. She argued that it rested on principled opposition to the actions of the Israeli government. Chowns also raised procedural concerns, pointing out that fewer than one percent of the party's more than 200,000 members had taken part in the vote and suggesting a review of how Green policy is formulated might be necessary.

The episode has exposed a broader tension between the party's rapidly expanding grassroots membership, which has grown under Polanski's leadership, and its smaller parliamentary cohort, which must appeal to a wider electorate. The leadership's response in the coming days will likely determine whether the rift widens or whether the party can present a unified front.

For now, Polanski's statement attempts to thread a difficult needle: affirming a commitment to inclusion while defending a motion that many Jewish groups and political opponents view as inherently exclusionary. Whether that balancing act can hold will depend on how the EHRC proceeds, how the police respond, and whether the party's internal review gains traction.