Jewish Greens chair says she could leave party over 'Zionism is racism' motion
Source: BBC Politics ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
Vivien Lichtenstein, chair of the Jewish Greens, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that she may leave the Green Party of England and Wales after the party’s members adopted a motion labeling Zionism as a form of racism and calling for a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine,” which includes present‑day Israel. The motion, put forward by activists at the Brighton conference, passed by 1,022 votes to 813 despite opposition from senior figures, including party leader Zack Polanski, who attempted unsuccessfully to amend the wording to protect Jewish members and remove the “single democratic Palestinian state” clause. Lichtenstein, a former local party chair, said she has opposed the motion from the outset, arguing it does nothing to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and that it crosses a line by conflating Zionism with racism.
The adoption of the motion has sparked condemnation from major Jewish organisations such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, which maintain that Zionism is an anti‑racist movement that provides a refuge for Jews after centuries of persecution. The motion defines Zionism as an “ethnonationalist Jewish state” and calls for the right of return for Palestinians and their descendants, while also demanding equal rights and Jerusalem as the capital of a unified Palestinian state. Polanski, himself Jewish, left the conference early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by‑election, and Israel’s foreign ministry responded by banning him from entering the country. Within the Green Party, the leadership remains split: co‑deputy leader Rachel Millward called the motion “problematic,” whereas co‑deputy Mothin Ali said he would support it in its original form, and four of the party’s five MPs publicly opposed it.
Lichtenstein highlighted the diversity of opinion among Jewish Greens, noting that some support the motion wholly, some only parts of it, and others reject it entirely; a minority even endorse a one‑state solution. She stressed that the party’s policy states the future of Israelis and Palestinians should be decided by those peoples, whether one‑state or two‑state, and pointed out that the UK and eleven allies have reaffirmed support for a two‑state solution, a stance Israel continues to reject. Concerned that the motion could label UK, Israeli, or Jewish organisations working against the occupation as racist, Lichtenstein said she knows non‑Jewish members also consider leaving the party for the same reason. A Green spokeswoman assured that Jewish members would be protected and not penalised for attending Zionist synagogues, while Lubna Speitan, the motion’s author, framed the resolution as a stand against “racist systems of oppression” with no exemptions for any group.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Diplomatic ties can shift subtly whenever politics takes a new turn.
- ▶Political risk is something markets price in almost instantly these days.
🏙️Local Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Corner shops and cafes rarely feel this straight away, but they do feel it.
- ▶The high street usually mirrors big-picture shifts, just a touch later.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Currency swings triggered by politics can filter into borrowing costs down the road.
- ▶Rate-setters tend to wait for calm before acting.
❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Taking a break from the headlines can do more good than scrolling on.
- ▶A short walk or a chat with a friend can do wonders when headlines feel heavy.
💷Wealthlow impact
What this means for you
- ▶A modest, well-diversified nest egg tends to absorb shocks like this subtly.
- ▶Savings and portfolios can see short-lived ups and downs after this kind of news.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Rental yields in the area might shift only slightly, if at all, from this.
- ▶First-time buyers watching the market closely may see little change in the short term.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.