The key facts
- The resolution was adopted at the conference by 1,022 votes to 813, with a party membership of 230,000
- Polanski did not vote on the resolution and previously said he would not have supported it without amendments
- The fallout overshadowed Polanski's campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, where he came second behind Labour
Polanski will not rescind the resolution
Green Party of England and Wales leader Zack Polanski, speaking on BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, said he will not seek to rescind the resolution adopted by the party conference in early October, which defined Zionism as an ideology supporting an 'ethnonationalist Jewish state in historic Palestine to the detriment and/or for the domination of the non-Jewish population'. He said he would like to change the wording, but the resolution remains party policy until 2028, because under party rules conference decisions stand for two years. Polanski rejected the characterisation of the resolution as controversial.
The leader's position and internal divisions
'I am not going to try to rescind it. At the first opportunity I want to change it — I want to move away from the idea of one state to the position that Israelis and Palestinians should decide their own future,' Polanski said. Asked whether, as leader, he would change the decision-making rules, he replied that he respects the democratic will of party members. Polanski had previously said he would not have voted for the resolution without amendments, and was criticised for not taking part in the vote.
Reaction and consequences
The resolution has split the party and drawn sharp criticism from MPs, Jewish rights campaigns, the government and the European Green movement. The scandal overshadowed the end of Polanski's campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, where he came second behind Labour, and, according to the BBC, put his leadership at risk. The resolution was adopted by 1,022 votes to 813 — with the party having 230,000 members. Green MPs, including Ellie Chowns, called for decision-making procedures to be reviewed given the low turnout. According to the BBC, Labour intends to sever cooperation with Green groups on councils that back this policy, and the equalities regulator has sent the party a letter regarding the resolution.
Zack Polanski was interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday morning
