(Image: Agency)
City of Edinburgh Council could ‘formally condemn’ the Green Party of England and Wales’ controversial ‘Zionism is Racism’ motion in a debate next week.
Conservative councillor Marie-Clair Munro has hit out at the “divisive language and implications” of the GPEW motion, suggesting that the “blanket characterisation” risks “denying the legitimacy of Jewish national identity and self-determination”.
A motion submitted by Councillor Munro asks councillors to “unequivocally” reaffirm that the capital stands with its Jewish community and to acknowledge that elected leaders have a responsibility to “challenge antisemitism and avoid language that risks encouraging prejudice or hostility”.
She also took aim at the Scottish Greens, whose co-leader, Ross Greer MSP, recently told the BBC that he believed Zionism was a racist ideology.
"The state of Israel was founded by an act of genocide against Palestinians and that continues today. That's what we need to focus on,” Mr Greer told the broadcaster earlier this month.
Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer. (Image: N/A)
"The state of Israel has always been a state that puts one group above others in an ethnic superiority complex, a system of racism.
"Israel was founded in 1948 with the expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians from the land that they already lived on. Thousands were massacred. That was how the state of Israel was created.”
GPEW leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, did not participate in the vote or debate at the party's annual conference.
"I think Zionism is racism in the practical application of it," he told the BBC. "Now the conference had a debate about the motion, about the word. I said I think debates about words are unhelpful, and I still think that."
However, Councillor Munro’s motion, which is set to be debated at a full council meeting on October 29, states that defining Zionism as racist may “contribute to antisemitism, prejudice and hostility towards Jewish communities”.
If the motion is approved, council leader Jane Meagher will be tasked with writing to Andy Burnham and John Swinney to “reaffirm Edinburgh’s unequivocal opposition to antisemitism and its commitment to protecting Jewish communities”.
She will also write to the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation and the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, “making clear that Edinburgh’s Jewish community is a valued and integral part of our city, where they will always be welcome, respected and supported”.
The council, which adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism in 2018, has previously affirmed its support for the capital’s Jewish community on several occasions.
The IHRA definition states that it is antisemitic to “claim that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour”.
A motion tabled by Conservative councillor Neil Cuthbert at the council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee in May 2026 asked officers to take “practical steps” to tackle antisemitism in the city ahead of the festival season.
At the time, he said: “It is an absolutely crucial thing because of the international festivals in the summer, especially with the eyes of the world being upon us and what has happened in recent years.”
Councillors expressed support for the Jewish community before this year's festival season. (Image: NQ)
In July 2025, a Fringe show by comedian Philip Simon, who is Jewish, was cancelled by the capital’s Banshee Labyrinth pub.
Mr Simon claimed on social media that he had been “cancelled just for being Jewish”, while the venue claimed the decision had been taken due to a “significant rise in both ‘Free Palestine’ and Zionist graffiti”.
The comic subsequently took the owners of the Banshee Labyrinth to court, ultimately reaching a settlement in which the venue accepted it had acted unlawfully by discriminating against him.
Read more:
- 'Radical' bookshop in row with travel writer over alleged 'antisemitic' posts
- Ross Greer says Zionism is racist and Israel's creation was ethnic cleansing
- Greens make ‘Zionism is racism’ policy as Polanski skips vote
Following the incident, councillors charged officials with assessing that “anti-discrimination provisions” are in place at Fringe venues and “ensuring a shared understanding of responsibilities regarding non-discrimination and the support available to venues hosting Jewish artists and events”.
In response to Councillor Cuthbert’s motion, Green councillor Alys Mumford said at the May meeting: “Protest against the actions of a state government or military should not be construed as criticism of citizens of that state.
“We want to avoid the council contributing to a situation where legitimate criticism of the actions of the Israeli government in Palestine is conflated with antisemitism which we do see happening.”
She added: “We are speaking to ensure that the intent of the motion to stand in solidarity with Jewish communities in Edinburgh is not undermined by a wider conversation that we can also have about condemning the genocide being carried out by the Israeli government."