British PM condemns Green Party for ‘Zionism is racism’ motion, rules out partnership

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday condemned the Green Party’s “Zionism is racism” motion and ruled out a future partnership with the faction.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Labour prime minister said the motion “is wrong, it is antisemitic, and this side of the House will have nothing to do with it,” as he was asked if he would rule out cooperating with the Green Party following its “descent into the most abhorrent antisemitism.”

The Greens’ motion also called for the establishment of “a single democratic Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine” — thereby eliminating Israel.

“We will always take the right response when it comes to any partnerships we have with other parties,” added Burnham, who has been sharply critical of Israel and whose government introduced broad sanctions against Israeli settlements last month. “We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds the position that has recently been adopted.”

Burham’s remarks came as Labour has been regaining in popularity among left-wing voters at the expense of the Green Party, whose leader Zach Polanski last week lost an election to Labour for a vacated parliamentary seat just days after the Zionism is Racism motion passed.

The motion was met with widespread criticism from Jewish groups, other parties and even most Green party lawmakers, and got Polanski barred from visiting Israel by the government.

The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem had called on Labour and every other party in Britain to reject the resolution, which it said “legitimizes armed struggle, calls for a Palestinian state ‘from the river to the sea’ — meaning the destruction of the State of Israel — and labels as ‘racist’ the aspiration of the Jewish people for self-determination.”

Agencies contributed to this report.