Four of five Green MPs opposed the Zionism motion. Now Polanski rejects its wording

Four of the Green Party’s five MPs opposed the Zionism motion their members adopted. Now their leader says he would not have voted for it as written either. Zack Polanski’s clarification on the morning of 9 October 2026 leaves a stark mismatch: the party has a policy that most of its parliamentary representatives opposed and its leader describes as “imperfect.” ^{1 90 93}

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Polanski indicated that he would have supported an amended version. That answers part of the question he repeatedly declined to address during the by-election campaign. It does not establish that conference’s decision has been amended or withdrawn, nor does the available account supply the complete wording of the changes he wanted. ^{89 93}

HeyDay News reported on 6 October that the Brighton conference had adopted the motion, that Jewish members were distressed and divided, and that Israel had announced an entry bar on Polanski. Those are the foundations of this dispute, not new decisions. Since then, criticism from former leader Caroline Lucas has escalated, a Welsh deputy leader has left, and Polanski has lost the Holborn and St Pancras by-election while insisting he can continue leading the party.

The leadership problem is no longer simply that Polanski would not explain his position. It is that explaining his position does not change the party’s.

Members of the Green Party of England and Wales adopted motion A105, proposed by Lubna Speitan, on 4 October in Brighton, by 1,022 votes to 813. It defines Zionism as a form of racism and describes the ideology through support for “an ethnonationalist Jewish state.” It backs a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine,” including the territory of modern-day Israel. ^{9 3 5}

The previously reported wording envisaged equal rights for everyone, Jerusalem as the capital and a Palestinian right of return. Supporters distinguish opposition to a political ideology from hostility toward Jewish people. But an ideological declaration also raises a practical membership question: what happens to Jewish members who identify as Zionist, or belong to communal organisations that do? ^{9 34}

Conference rejected an amendment intended to protect Jewish people who identify as Zionist from repercussions. Earlier reporting described protection against pressure or discipline arising from affiliation with Zionist-identifying synagogues and Jewish bodies. Polanski backed an amendment that failed, but left Brighton to campaign in London and did not participate in the final vote. His absence was neither a vote for the motion nor a vote against it. ^{1 3 12}

On election day, 8 October, ITV recorded reporters repeatedly asking whether Zionism is racism and why he had not voted. Polanski declined to answer in that exchange, saying he was talking to residents and would speak later. His subsequent morning clarification supersedes that unanswered position; the older footage is not evidence that he still refuses to state a view. ^{4 90 93}

Lucas told Newsnight that Polanski had “failed to show leadership.” The BBC reported that she did not endorse him carrying on as leader; HuffPost’s account also described her declining to say whether he should stand down. Withholding support is consequential, but it should not be inflated into an established demand for his resignation. ^{2 61}

Andy Burnham, speaking in Berlin on 8 October, called for Green leaders to reverse the motion, arguing that its single-state position ruled out a two-state solution. The prime minister also urged reversal. These are political demands, not decisions binding the Greens, and the reporting establishes no completed reversal. ^{3 4}

After the by-election result, asked whether he could continue as leader, Polanski said, “of course I can carry on.” He also referred to an “ongoing genocide and the displacement of the Palestinian people.” Israel denies that its actions in Gaza constitute genocide; South Africa’s case is before the International Court of Justice, not a final judicial determination. No resignation, removal decision or completed leadership contest is established. ^{2 3}

Voting took place on 8 October, with results published on 9 October. Camden Council confirms Abdi-Wali’s election and 38.76% turnout; Camden New Journal supplies Polanski’s vote total. Turnout is not either candidate’s vote share, and the complete valid-vote total needed to calculate exact shares was not established. ^{70 99}

The BBC described the Greens’ second place as, by a long way, their second-best Westminster by-election result. The precise ranking measure and full historical comparison were not independently established. It gives Polanski a strong showing to point to, but remains a defeat. No voter study establishes how much the Zionism motion helped or hurt him. ²

Phil Davies resigned as Welsh Green deputy leader and cancelled his membership on 6 October. He had belonged for seven years and was selected as deputy in 2024. Our earlier report already identified the departures of Sefton councillor Kieran Dams, former councillor Andrée Frieze and Amnesty International UK chair Sandy Ruthven; those should not be counted as newly discovered resignations. There is no comprehensive total of departures over the motion. ^{5 82 83 49}

Jewish Greens chair Vivien Lichtenstein, a member for 29 years, said it was “quite possible” she would leave and that the motion “crosses a line.” Her consideration of departure is not a confirmed resignation. Some Jewish members supported the motion; others fear their membership has become precarious. Polanski’s assurance that nobody would be made unwelcome because of faith or where they worship addresses that fear in principle, but supplies no agreed disciplinary safeguard. ^{1 46 30}

The BBC reported membership growth of more than threefold over the preceding year. A separate Jerusalem Post report on 6 October gave 230,000 members, without an established official measurement date or confirmation. Those figures cannot produce a reliable starting membership. Internal critics’ allegations about hard-left newcomers or organised infiltration also remain separate from the documented growth: no verified demographic or voting breakdown establishes them. ^{2 49}

Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs referred the party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. A referral is not an investigation, a finding of discrimination or a judgment of unlawfulness. No announced EHRC investigation or filed legal challenge was established in the reporting checked through 9 October; that evidentiary gap does not prove no process exists. ^{48 81}

No public date is established for another policy vote, a leadership decision or a legal hearing. The election is over and Polanski’s personal position is clearer. What conference adopted, and how members will be treated under it, still require an answer.

Broadcast and initial reporting: Sky News ¹; BBC News ^{2 3 5}; ITV News ^{4 7}; Channel 4 News ⁶; The Telegraph ⁸.

Policy and conference references: Green Party ⁹; A105 text ^{10 53}; Reuters ¹¹; Jewish News ¹²; Middle East Eye ¹³; BBC ¹⁴; Jewish Chronicle ¹⁵; Belfast Telegraph ¹⁶; VERITY ¹⁷; Action Network ¹⁸; Times of Israel ²⁹; Independent ^{31 58}; Times ³²; Greens for Palestine ³³; Brixton Buzz ³⁴; Argus ³⁵; Jerusalem Post ⁴⁴; stated.news ⁴⁵; Zionism Is Not Racism ⁵⁴; Brighton Journal ⁵⁵; Novara Media ⁵⁶; Anadolu ⁵⁷; The Intelligent ⁵⁹; KioskNews ⁶⁰.

Entry-bar reporting: Euronews ¹⁹; Independent ^{20 51}; The State of Israel ²¹; Ynet ²²; Times of Israel ²³; InView ²⁴; Jewish Chronicle ²⁵; Standard ²⁶; VINnews ²⁷; Dublin Post ²⁸; Jewish News ³⁶; Virtual Jerusalem ³⁸; Al-Monitor ⁸⁶; Haaretz ⁸⁷.

Membership and responses: Left Foot Forward ³⁰; Ground News ³⁷; Jewish News ^{39 48}; Independent ⁴³; BBC ^{46 82 83 96}; Jewish Chronicle ^{47 52}; Jerusalem Post ⁴⁹; Metro ⁵⁰; GB News ⁸⁰; Londonlovesbusiness ⁸¹; Telegraph ⁸⁴; Jewish Telegraphic Agency ⁸⁵; Standard ⁸⁸.

Leadership follow-up: HuffPost ⁶¹; Guardian ⁶²; Independent ^{63 68}; Standard ⁶⁴; National ⁶⁵; BBC ^{66 90 92}; LBC ⁶⁷; BBC-content copies ^{69 89 94 95}; Brit Brief ⁹¹; Vaultz News ⁹³.

Election references: British Political Data ⁴⁰; BBC ^{41 71 72 97}; UCL ⁴²; Camden Council ⁷⁰; Independent ^{73 74 79 101}; Wikipedia ⁷⁵; RTÉ ⁷⁶; Standard ^{77 78 100}; Parliament News ⁹⁸; Camden New Journal ⁹⁹; versus ¹⁰².