UK Green Party declares Zionism is racism, angering Israel

The leader of Britain's Green Party, Zack Polanski, has been barred from entering Israel after the party's members voted to define Zionism as racism. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar made the decision the same evening as the vote at the party's annual conference, describing it as "a clear antisemitic text." The Greens have adopted the ideology of Hamas, which aims to eliminate the State of Israel through armed struggle.

Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, called the party's decision "a disgrace." The motion passed with 1,022 votes to 813, committing the party to support a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine. Jewish groups warn of increased safety concerns for Jews in Britain following the vote, with a record number of antisemitic incidents recorded in the first half of 2026.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust, and the Jewish Leadership Council have all condemned the motion as making the Green Party the first electorally significant UK political party to adopt an overtly antisemitic platform. The Green Party has faced internal divisions over the issue, with at least three of its five MPs opposing the motion.

Despite the controversy, Polanski, who is running to become an MP in London, defended the party's stance, stating that supporting Palestinian rights and Jewish rights are not mutually exclusive.