Polanski will not overturn Greens’ Zionism motion

Green Party leader Zack Polanski says he will not seek to overturn a party motion describing Zionism as racism, but wants members to amend it at the first opportunity, which he says will be in 2028 under party rules. The motion was passed at the party’s conference in Brighton by 1,022 votes to 813, according to reports of the tally. Polanski said in a BBC interview that conference policy remains in force for two years and that he would respect the decision made by party members. He has said he would not have supported the motion without amendments. Polanski said he wanted to move away from a one-state position and toward allowing Israelis and Palestinians to decide their future for themselves. He did not say he would seek an immediate change to the policy or revise the party rules to bring forward an amendment. The motion remains party policy unless members change it through the party’s process. The vote has prompted criticism within and outside the Greens. Some Green MPs have called for the party’s member-led decision-making procedures to be reviewed, citing the small number of members who took part. Reports say fewer than 1% of the party’s 230,000 members voted. The party’s...