Greens provide a refuge for Jewish members amid conference tensions
Green Party officials in Brighton have set aside a room for Jewish members who feel threatened, as tensions grow over the party’s stance on Israel. The arrangements come before a conference vote on a motion describing Zionism as racism, amid police-managed demonstrations by pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups.
A Jewish member said the room had been used for a meeting with a rabbi, while party officials confirmed they had provided a contact number and separate entrance. Former leaders Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay have criticised the motion, and deputy leader Rachel Millward has called it problematic without protections for Jewish members; joint deputy leader Mothin Ali supports it. Organisers also tightened registration deadlines and increased security checks for the three-day conference.
- Greens set aside a room for Jewish members concerned about threats.
- Delegates are due to vote on defining Zionism as racism.
- Party figures are divided over the motion and protections for Jewish members.
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The Green Party is a UK political party whose members meet at conferences to debate policy and vote on motions. The party’s position on Israel and Palestine has become a point of disagreement among members, including over the meaning of Zionism, a movement supporting a Jewish national home.
Jewish members and others have raised concerns about antisemitism and their safety during these debates. The dispute matters because the party is weighing how to discuss Israel and Palestinian rights while ensuring that members can take part without facing hostility.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the motion may argue that describing Zionism as racism is a political judgement about a movement and its effects on Palestinians, not a claim about Jewish people. They may see a strong statement as necessary to confront Palestinian dispossession and unequal rights, while maintaining that Jewish members must be protected from antisemitism and intimidation. The room and security measures can be understood as practical safeguards that allow members to participate amid heightened tensions.
The case against
Opponents may argue that equating Zionism with racism risks treating a diverse range of Jewish attachments to Israel as inherently racist, and could leave Jewish members feeling unwelcome or exposed within the party. They may believe the party can criticise Israeli policy and defend Palestinian rights without adopting language that blurs the line between political Zionism and Jewish identity. Their concern is that protections and a refuge, though useful, do not resolve the motion’s potential effect on trust and inclusion.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Greens are forced to give Jewish delegates safe room at ‘febrile’ party conference”.