The Movement for Progressive Judaism condemns the Green Party’s adoption of the motion ‘Zionism is Racism’. The motion is antisemitic in its formulation and intention. By adopting it, the Green Party has made antisemitism party policy and become a racist party.
Jewish self-determination is a right. Declaring it racist is an attack on Jews. The Green Party has chosen to brand Jews who hold this belief as racists and make their equal participation in the party conditional on renouncing it.
The Green Party would not presume to tell other minorities what their identity means and then use that definition to exclude them. Jews are entitled to the same respect. The party cannot impose its own meaning on a central part of Jewish identity, declare it racist and demand that Jews renounce it.
Zionism is deeply rooted in the lives of many British Jews, in our synagogues, youth movements, education and family relationships. These are parts of Jewish life, and treating them as grounds for suspicion, investigation or exclusion is antisemitic discrimination.
Jews do not have to justify their connections to Israel to be entitled to equal treatment. Nor should they have to disown their communities to participate in British politics. Support for this motion from some Jewish members does not excuse discrimination against other Jews.
The Green Party must reverse this policy. Its leadership is responsible for ensuring that Jewish members can participate fully without being required to renounce their Zionism or communal affiliations. A party that adopts an antisemitic policy cannot credibly claim to oppose racism.
We stand with Jewish members and our communities. We will challenge this policy and hold the Green Party’s leadership accountable for the discrimination it has endorsed.
Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy
Co-Leads, The Movement for Progressive Judaism