Henry Zeffman: Tensions exposed among Greens by 'Zionism is racism' conference vote

Tensions exposed among Greens by'Zionism is racism' conference vote It is not exactly typical for a British party conference, let alone that of one of the smaller parties, to elicit international condemnation. Yet that is the position the Green Party of England and Wales is in today after Israel's foreign ministry said it was banning their leader, Zack Polanski, from entering the country. The cause was the motion proposed by party members and adopted by the conference on Sunday, declaring Zionism, which is the belief in the right to a Jewish homeland, to be racism. The Green motion describes Zionism as an ideology supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish state, and supports instead a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine. It's hardly likely that Polanski or indeed many Greens are going to be much troubled by Israel's condemnation of the motion.