500 Conservative councillors call on Green counterparts to disavow ‘Zionism is Racism’ motion
'Silence is a choice. Everyone deserves councillors willing to speak up for them, whatever the cost inside their own party.
More than 500 Conservative councillors have signed an open letter urging their Green counterparts to stand up for British Jewish residents following the Green party’s adoption of a “Zionism is Racism” motion at their party conference earlier this month.
The letter, organised by the Conservative Councillor’s Association, calls on Green councillors to “publicly disavow their party’s motion, challenge antisemitism wherever it occurs, and reassure Jewish residents that they will be represented and protected without prejudice.”
At its conference in Brighton, Green party members also explicitly voted against a motion which would have protected Jewish party members who attended Synagogues deemed to be “Zionist”. In an interview on Sunday, Green Party leader Zack Polanski confirmed that he would not seek to overturn the motion. Polanski, who is Jewish, skipped the vote at his party’s own conference, opting to campaign in London ahead of the Holborn & St Pancras Parliamentary by-election, which he subsequently lost. However, the Green party offered remote voting options for members signing up to conference – something which Polanski did not avail himself of.
The letter, written by Councillor John Cope, chairman of the Conservative Councillor’s Association, called on Green councillors “to stand up for British Jewish residents following the Green Party’s decision to declare ‘Zionism to be racist’ at its conference on 4 October 2026, three days before the third anniversary of the worst slaughter of Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
The letter went on to state that “for many British Jews, Zionism is bound up with their identity and the belief that, after two thousand years of expulsion and persecution, the Jewish people have the right to a homeland where they can live in safety. Legitimate criticism of any government, including Israel’s, is part of a free society, but it must never become a reason to stigmatise the Jewish residents we all represent.
“We therefore call on Green councillors to publicly disavow their party’s motion, challenge antisemitism wherever it occurs, and reassure Jewish residents that they will be represented and protected without prejudice.
“As elected representatives, we have a duty to stand up for everyone in our communities. Silence is a choice. Everyone deserves councillors willing to speak up for them, whatever the cost inside their own party.”
Jewish News understands that at least 25 Jewish councillors were among the signatories.
The Green party has been contacted for comment.