Moderate members of the Green Party are battling to overturn the “antisemitic” motion passed at the party’s conference last week declaring ‘Zionism is racism’.
Dozens of Greens are understood to be organising across WhatsApp groups to devise a strategy to undo the motion, which equates Zionism with racism and calls for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state.
The Prime Minister and Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis both branded the motion “antisemitic”, and Andy Burnham said the Labour Party would not “support a partnership” with the Greens whilst it maintains the motion.
That could derail any future general election result for the Labour Party if it does not secure a working majority, and the Greens could be the kingmakers.
But some members of Zack Polanski’s party are hoping that before the next general election, the motion – which 0.4 per cent of Green members voted for – will be overturned.
Alex Hearn, of Labour Against Antisemitism, said: “Reversing the motion is a start, but it would only paper over the cracks instead of addressing the underlying issues. Even if the motion is revoked, a firewall from other parties should be maintained until there is proper accountability for the motion, and until racists are thrown out of the party instead of being welcome.”
One way the motion could be challenged is through a referendum of party membership called by the Green Party Council.
One insider said there was “no guarantee of which way that would go” given how many new members joined the Green Party to vote for the motion.
Another tool would be to call an emergency conference.
A third option is a request for Green Party officials to rule the motion out of order with party guidelines and therefore void. That is a decision which would be made by the party’s Standing Orders Committee and would set a new precedent for the party, as it would involve the SOC ruling on a decision made by the previous committee.
A new SOC was elected at conference after a number of members stood down.
One party insider told the JC: “Theoretically, they could change their mind on a previous committee’s ruling but that would open a whole can of worms.”
He said he thought it was “very unlikely” that the motion could be undone in the near future.
“It would require working around the edges and corners of the constitution,” he said, adding that it would also require party leadership “to declare what it wants to do and carry majority of the people involved.”
Another insider said she was relieved that the party had “woken up finally” to the problems of the motion.
“People are working through the structures and looking at the failings, as well as what processes we would need to put in place to recall the motion,” she said.
“Then there are the people looking at if the motion overturned. I think we can invalidate it.”
A third insider said there was “no point in relitigating things that have been voted on” but that the “grassroots” structure of the Greens means that at the next conference it could be challenged within party norms.
Green leadership is divided on the motion; Polanski did not vote, co-deputy Mothin Ali voted in favour, and co-deputy Rachel Millward voted against. Most Green MPs came out in opposition to the motion, but that had no impact on the conference vote outcome.
A Green Party spokesperson said: “The motion at the Green Party conference has provoked strong debate and there are different views on aspects of the motion but for Andy Burnham to conflate criticism of Israel, with antisemitism is disappointing and wrong."
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