Israel bars UK Green Party leader over 'Zionism is racism' policy

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Sunday directed immigration authorities to bar Zack Polanski from entering the country, a decision announced shortly after the Green Party's annual conference concluded in Brighton. The ministry coordinated the prohibition with relevant security agencies, according to an official statement.

Party policy shift

Green Party members approved the motion earlier Sunday, making opposition to Zionism official party policy for the first time. The text characterizes Zionism as a racist ideology and an ethnonationalist political project, endorsing a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine with equal rights for all citizens. The party reaffirmed its support for Palestinian self-determination, the right of return for refugees, and a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel.

Israeli accusations

The Foreign Ministry accused the Greens of legitimizing armed resistance against Israel and denying Jewish self-determination, asserting that the policy amounted to antisemitism under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition. The ministry said the party had become "supporters of terrorism," calling on Britain's governing Labour Party and other political factions to reject the motion.

Green Party response

The Green Party rejected any equation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism, describing Zionism as an ethnonationalist political project rather than a religious or ethnic identity. Polanski has not yet issued a personal statement regarding the travel restriction. The Israeli ministry specifically urged Britain's governing Labour Party to reject the motion, though Downing Street has not yet issued a formal response.