Andrée Frieze, a former Green Party councillor in Richmond-upon-Thames and a recent convert to Judaism, has resigned from the party after nearly 15 years of membership, citing deep concerns over a newly adopted motion declaring "Zionism is racism." The motion was passed at the Green Party’s autumn conference with 1,022 votes in favor and 813 against, a decision Frieze says effectively marginalizes Jewish members and stifles open discussion about Israel within the party.
Frieze, who previously served as leader of the opposition on Richmond council and worked as a policy officer on transport issues for the Greater London Authority’s Green group, describes the motion as a divisive policy that enshrines a hierarchy of national self-determination that favors Palestinians while implicitly denying the legitimacy of Israel. “If Zionism is racism, then all forms of nationalism are racism, including, by that reasoning, the nationalism of the Palestinians,” she said. Frieze stressed that she distinguishes her support for Israel’s right to exist from the current government’s policies, which she strongly criticizes.
Following the vote, Frieze stepped away from multiple internal party groups, including the Jewish Greens, which she helped to lead. Her departure marks a significant fracture within the party, reaching beyond environmental issues to deeply polarize members on Middle East politics. She explained that the motion “makes me feel attacked, alone and unsafe” in a party she once described as her political home.
The lead-up to the vote was marked by escalating tensions within the party. For the past 18 months, Frieze and others from the Jewish Greens sought to mitigate what they viewed as the growing conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism. They raised repeated calls to party leadership about inflammatory rhetoric and the influx of members espousing anti-Zionist views without proper vetting. Frieze noted that some critics had defected to the Green Party from other groups with established records of antisemitic statements, complicating efforts to maintain cohesion.
The party’s leader, Zack Polanski, who did not attend the conference vote directly due to campaigning in a by-election, has previously welcomed defectors who align with Green values, further heightening internal divisions. Frieze expressed frustration at the dismissive attitude toward amendment requests and mediation efforts preceding the conference, describing the motion’s passage as orchestrated and fueled by groups such as Greens for Palestine.
Frieze recalled the anxiety surrounding the conference itself, where she had to request VIP access amid fears for her safety due to protests. The atmosphere was tense and adversarial, with supporters of the motion openly claiming near-universal approval within the room despite the sizable opposition vote. She underscored how this episode, coupled with the ongoing association of Zionism with racism in party policy, made it impossible for her to continue representing the Greens locally or to advocate for a peace agenda.
Despite her resignation, Frieze remains committed to environmental and social justice causes, continuing her role with the London Assembly Green group, emphasizing separate commitments from party membership. She voiced concerns about the party’s future, warning that this policy shift represents a radical departure from Green Party values and may alienate much of its membership.
Frieze also highlighted the personal impact of the political conflicts, recounting recent visits to Israel and her family’s experiences living under threat in the region’s ongoing violence. She expressed hope for peace in the Middle East but lamented the absence of a consensus on how to achieve it.
Looking ahead, Frieze said she would watch the Green Party leadership elections scheduled for next year with interest but made clear she does not foresee herself supporting the party in its current form. The internal dispute marks a profound crisis for the Green Party as it grapples with reconciling its environmental mission with increasingly charged debates over identity and international politics.