Jewish Green Party member slams ‘Islamo-leftist’ takeover after Zionism is racism vote | Politics | News
A Jewish Green Party member has claimed an “Islamo-leftist” takeover of the party is “well under way” following a bitter row over Zionism. The claims come after Green members voted at their annual conference in Brighton to adopt a controversial motion declaring Zionism a form of racism. Members backed the policy by 1,022 votes to 813, despite opposition from several senior figures in the party. The motion says Zionism should be “treated as any other form of racism” and commits the Greens to being an anti-Zionist party. It also supports a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine. But a separate row has now broken out over elections to some of the party’s internal committees. Greens for Palestine, an activist group which backed the Zionism motion, circulated a list of candidates it recommended members support in the internal elections.
The group defended the practice, saying other groups within the Green Party also recommend candidates to their supporters. A spokesperson said: “This is relatively common practice and lots of groups within the Green Party do the same.
“The majority of these recommended candidates being elected simply goes to show how strong and united our movement is.”
According to the Daily Mail, more than half of the candidates on the group’s list secured committee positions, with endorsed candidates winning places on every committee targeted by Greens for Palestine.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the results and Green leader Zack Polanski. He said: “When a movement openly campaigning to be ‘Anti-Zionist’ succeeds in getting at least half of its candidates elected to every committee they contested, it is no longer credible to dismiss antisemitism as a fringe faction.”
While promoting its recommended candidates, Greens for Palestine stated: “We are building an Anti-Zionist Green Party.”
A Jewish Green member, who was not named by the Daily Mail, also criticised the results.
They said: “Greens for Palestine used their orchestrated online campaign to direct recently joined members to elect over half of committee positions from the Palestinian slate.”
The member claimed the campaign involved less than 0.5% of the party’s membership and said they had seen reports of anger from local parties.
Former Green deputy leader Shahrar Ali also raised concerns about factionalism within the party.
He described the results as “a direct consequence of the increased factionalism that has taken root in the party for several years now”.
Greens for Palestine, however, rejected suggestions that the results amounted to a wider conspiracy or takeover.
Its spokesperson added: “As has become expected now, the Mail seems to be imagining some grand conspiracy, when really it’s simply the work our members have put in paying off.”
