The Green Party is facing internal tensions following the passage of a controversial motion at its recent conference declaring “Zionism is racism,” a development that has intensified criticism of party leader Zack Polanski’s handling of the situation. The motion was approved by a narrow margin, with approximately 1,000 members voting in favor and around 800 against.

Polanski was absent from the vote as he was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, where he failed to secure a seat but highlighted the party’s increased vote share in a traditionally safe Labour constituency. His absence has drawn sharp rebuke from senior party figures. Ellie Chowns, one of the party’s five MPs, characterized the situation as indicative of weaknesses in the party’s policy-making process, pointing to the small proportion of membership that supported the motion—0.4 percent of the total party membership. Chowns emphasized that the motion does not represent the views of the majority of Green members or the broader public and called for efforts to unify the party.

Former Green leader Caroline Lucas also criticized Polanski for missing the vote, urging him to apologize for the hurt the motion caused, although she stopped short of calling for his resignation. Lucas raised concerns that the party may have been subject to entryism by activists who joined primarily to back the motion, rather than out of genuine support for Green policies. She suggested reforms to the party’s internal structure to prevent a relatively small group of members from determining policies on behalf of the entire membership, which numbers over 220,000.

Polanski has distanced himself from the original motion's wording, stating he would have supported an amended version. He acknowledged agreement with the general substance but opposed the party’s role in deciding the future of the region in question. Despite calls from within the party, including from the chair of the Jewish Greens, Vivien Lichtenstein, for his resignation, Polanski has indicated his desire to remain in office pending the scheduled leadership election next year. Lichtenstein criticized his failure to engage in the debate as a “dereliction of duty” and said she was contemplating leaving the party.

Public opinion appears divided. A YouGov survey found that nearly half of those who voted Green in the last election supported Polanski remaining leader, while a larger portion of the general public expressed skepticism about his leadership. According to the poll, 47 percent of Green voters wanted Polanski to stay, compared to 22 percent wanting him to step down. However, among the wider population, only 20 percent supported his continued leadership, with 34 percent favoring resignation and 47 percent undecided.

The controversy over the motion and Polanski’s leadership comes amid broader debates about the party’s direction and its approach to sensitive geopolitical issues, with prominent representatives cautioning against infiltration by extremist elements and urging stronger internal safeguards. The dispute highlights ongoing challenges within the Green Party as it navigates internal dissent and public perception ahead of upcoming leadership decisions.