The Greens were branded 'the most anti-Semitic party in the UK' today after passing a highly controversial 'Zionism is Racism' motion.
asserted
Zionism → brand → motion
In a move set to send shockwaves through the divided hard Left party's ranks, members backed a conference proposal that calls for Israel to be treated like apartheid South Africa by 1,022 votes to 813.
asserted
Israel → set → 813
It also supports the 'establishment of a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital', branded a plan to destroy Israel itself.
asserted
It → support → Israel
The motion triggered a major internal row, with deputy Green leader Mothin Ali saying he would vote in favour.
asserted
he → trigger → favour
But three former party leaders: Caroline Lucas, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer, warned it was divisive and would alienate Jews in the party.
asserted
it → warn → party
Current leader Zack Polanski, however, missed the vote in Brighton - he is the Green candidate in next week's Holborn and St Pancras by-election and spent Sunday campaigning in London.
asserted
he → miss → London
Former Green deputy leader Shahrar Ali told the Daily Mail today: 'This is a very sad day for the Green Party.
asserted
This → tell → Party
I am deeply ashamed and horrified at what the party has become.
asserted
party → horrify → ?
'Making Zionism is Racism our official party policy
asserted
Zionism → make → ?
has made us the first openly anti-Semitic party in the UK.
asserted
us → make → UK
In a move set to send shockwaves through the divided hard Left party's ranks, members backed a conference proposal that calls for Israel to be treated like apartheid South Africa by 1,022 votes to 813.
asserted
Israel → set → 813
Mothin Ali (pictured) saidhe would back it
Carla Denyer last night said she would not support a plan that could 'set us back' in terms of helping Palestinians
Current leader Zack Polanski, however, missed the vote in Brighton - he is the Green candidate in next week's Holborn and St Pancras by-election and spent Sunday campaigning in London
'
uncertain
he → picture → London
The motion calling for the creation of a single state of Palestine requires the extinction of the state of Israel.
asserted
motion → call → Israel
'We're not talking about 1967 borders here as a baseline for a two state solution but the total obliteration of the state of Israel as a political entity.'
asserted
We → talk → entity
The motion's passing now makes the Greens the only British political party to be formally against Zionism.
asserted
Greens → make → Zionism
And it comes after a long fight from pro-Palestine groups within the Greens to declare Israel an 'apartheid state'.
asserted
Israel → come → Greens
Activists last tried to pass the motion at the party's Spring conference, but strict time rules saw members unable to vote on the motion after technical difficulties and filibustering from opposition groups.
asserted
members → try → groups
But the motion passed today with just one minute left of the 'plenary' session Green members told the Daily Mail, with all amendments to water down its text failing to pass.
asserted
amendments → pass → text
This is despite multiple Green Party figures voicing opposition to the motion in recent days, with former co-leader Carla Denyer last night saying that it 'risks alienating a significant proportion of Jewish people, including those who vehemently disagree with the Israeli government'.
asserted
who → voice → government
She said: 'I do not think that trying to pin down a definition for something that has been a point of contention among scholars for decades helps us in our efforts to support the people of Palestine or end the genocide.'
asserted
that → say → genocide
Both Adrian Ramsay, Ms Denyer's former co-leader, and Caroline Lucas, the Green Party's first ever MP, also voiced their opposition this weekend.
asserted
Ramsay → voice → opposition
A Jewish Green member said the motion 'endorses a one state solution'.
asserted
motion → say → solution
They added: 'This is Hamas policy.
asserted
This → add → ?
It goes beyond all sensible discourse for a two-state solution, it goes beyond the Palestinian Authority position and calls for the Jewish State to be dismantled.
asserted
State → go → position
'Anyone recognising Israel's right to exist will be tarnished as a racist.
asserted
Anyone → recognise → racist
Worse than that, the Party rejected an amendment that clarified it would keep Jews safe.
asserted
it → reject → Jews
While Mr Polanski has previously called the proposal an 'unhelpful distraction', he pointedly refused on Friday to declare that Israel had a right to exist.
asserted
Israel → call → right
The party leader dodged the question multiple times, instead saying that the role of political parties is to 'defend the rights of people not defend the rights of nations', and that both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to exist.
asserted
Israelis → dodge → right
The Green leader has used similar reasoning to justify his stance on Israel in the past.
asserted
leader → use → past
When asked earlier this month whether Israel had a right to exist at a Jewish hustings for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, he said that 'countries have always been ideas, and ideas change over time.'
And in May he said: 'I don't believe any country has a right to exist.
uncertain
country → ask → right
People have a right to exist.'
asserted
People → have → right
A Green Party spokesman said: 'This has been a serious and deeply felt debate within our membership.
asserted
This → say → membership
Our members value the ability to bring forward and decide party policy, and conference has now made its decision.
asserted
conference → value → decision
The Green Party is an anti-racist party and has consistently opposed the illegal occupation of both Palestinian and Syrian land, called for an end to arms sales to the Israeli government and spoken out fearlessly about the devastating situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
asserted
Party → oppose → Gaza
'Those positions remain central to our approach.
asserted
positions → remain → approach
So too does our deeply held commitment to equality, justice and human rights for all and opposition to racism in all its forms.
asserted
commitment → do → forms
The motion culminates a tense few days at the conference, with a 'safe room' being set up for Jewish members and a steady police presence outside the conference centre to separate pro-Palestine and pro-Israel groups.
asserted
room → culminate → groups
The Daily Mail can also reveal that two Green members had their passes revoked on Saturday – one after silently protesting in a Palestine fringe meeting, and the other, a Jewish Green, on filming the interaction.
asserted
passes → reveal → interaction
The protester stood at the front of a fringe called, 'Palestine: The Golden Thread that Unravelled Britain', wearing a t-shirt reading 'Some people are Zionist—Get over it!'
asserted
people → stand → it
He was removed from the meeting for 'disruption' and told to hand in his pass.
asserted
He → remove → pass
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
