Chief Rabbi attacks 'Zionism is racism' vote as Polanski banned from Israel

The leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski, has been banned from entering Israel after his party passed a controversial resolution declaring ‘Zionism as racist’.

Mr Polanski, who is Jewish, had hoped to pass an amendment to the resolution clarifying that a party member who entered a synagogue which identifies as Zionist could not be disciplined under party rules, but this was not passed.

The leader did not vote on the motion, having left the conference early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, in which he is standing this Thursday, October 8.

Late on Sunday night, Israel accused the Green Party of legitimising “the destruction of the State of Israel” with a “clear antisemitic text”.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Greens’ resolution “constitutes a clear antisemitic text according to the IHRA definition, as it denies the Jewish people’s right to self-determination”.

“Therefore, as a first step, foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has decided this evening to declare Green Party leader Zack Polanski barred from entering Israel,” a statement said.

“Today, the Green Party in Britain adopted a resolution equating Zionism with racism, legitimising armed struggle against Israel, and calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea” – meaning the destruction of the State of Israel,” it added.

The resolution has also sparked fierce criticism from the UK, with the chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis saying the motion was a “threat to British Jews and to Britain”.

He said he was “appalled” by the motion, claiming the Green Party had resurrected a “discredited and dangerous slander” first promoted by the Soviet Union.

“All decent people will see this for what it is: poisonous antisemitism, a threat to British Jews and to Britain,” he said.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the Greens have become “an extremist party”.

“The motion passed by the Green Party today is an attack on the Jewish community,” a statement said.

The vote has exposed divisions within the party as four of its five MPs – Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry and ex-leaders Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer – came out to publicly reject the motion.

Ms Chowns said in a social media post that she was concerned the motion “risks fuelling division and risks undermining the party’s ability to advocate effectively for justice and peace”.

Afterwards, Mr Polanski and the five MPs released a joint statement saying they would “always uphold universal human rights”.

“We will never tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.

“We will continue to stand in opposition to genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the illegal occupation.

“We will continue to call out the heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government.

“And we will continue to work to ensure that the Green Party is an anti-racist party in every way.

“We know there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”

The position will become party policy, but the Greens do not require all their politicians to back it.

Chair of the Labour Party Bridget Phillipson described the decision as “fundamentally wrong”.

The Conservatives said it showed the Green Party is “toxic to its core”.