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Green Party launches ‘unprecedented’ conference security to protect Jewish members from hate mob
EXCLUSIVE: Jewish News has learned of specific steps some Jewish members have given in order to protect themselves at the conference in Brighton starting on Friday
Green Party chiefs have launched an unprecedented security operation ahead of their autumn conference in Brighton, amid fears that Jewish members could be targeted by anti-Israel extremists outside and inside the venue.
Jewish News has learned that Jewish members considered high-risk targets have received strict instructions on personal safety measures for the conference.
Similar advice has also been issued to several non-Jewish party members whose security is also a concern.
For the first time, the Green Party has hired a private security firm to provide extra protection for attendees at the three-day conference at the Brighton Centre, in Sussex.
Party insiders confirmed that both Jewish and non-Jewish members have been given safety instructions for the conference. Jewish News has agreed not to disclose the specifics.
But one Jewish member confirmed: “I’ve been a member of this party for years, and I have never known anything like it with the security operation at autumn conference.”
“I won’t go into details for obvious reasons, only to confirm that the steps being taken are unprecedented.”
In a statement, Sussex Police said:”Police are committed to balancing the rights of all parties to protest within the law, working to ensure the safety of everyone involved and minimising disruption to the wider community.
“We have appropriate plans in place which includes engaging and responding to protest activity outside the Brighton Centre on Saturday, 3 October.”
But they added:”Party conference security remains the responsibility of the organisers and their contractors.”
One Jewish member confirmed: ‘I’ve been a member of this party for years, and I have never known anything like it with the security operation at autumn conference. Steps being taken are unprecedented.’
Members of the Jewish Greens group have privately compared the concerning security situation to that of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn, when Jewish MPs such as Luciana Berger and Ruth Smeeth required protection from far-left antisemites.
The Green Party of England and Wales has faced persistent scrutiny and allegations regarding antisemitism linked to social media posts by various candidates and members, particularly following the escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict after the October 7 Hamas attacks.
They have also faced serious concerns over failure to properly vet their membership over past examples of openly anti-Jewish conduct.
Green Party insiders also confirmed that the registration cut-off for conference attendance was September 25, allowing organisers to conduct proper security checks on those wishing to attend.
At previous Green conferences, attendees could register on the day and enter as “Observers” to watch the proceedings.
This year’s conference build-up has been dominated by concerns over a hardline “Zionism is racism” motion, proposed by the Greens 4 Palestine group and supported by several anti-Zionist activists, including disgraced academic David Miller.
The group has published a 48-page booklet for distribution to party members in Brighton, arguing that supporting their motion is not antisemitic and describing Zionism as a “racist and settler-colonial ideology and practice.”
They have also been forced to urge members not to get “physical” with “Zionist/pro-Israel” activists at the conference.
Even Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is currently campaigning to become an MP in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on October 8, has voiced concerns about the scope of the “Zionism is racism” motion, which is scheduled for debate at the conference on Sunday.
“There are two problems I have with the motion, and if they’re amended, then I think it will make a better motion,” Polanski said, having declared himself an anti-Zionist for the first time at a hustings in the constituency last week.
Polanski noted that some Jewish Green Party members “stand against the occupation, stand against the apartheid, and stand against the genocide” but “happen to be a member of a synagogue that calls itself a Zionist synagogue.”
He continued: “They should not be treated any differently within the Green Party. This should definitely not be about finding Jewish people and creating a barrier or a bar they have to jump through to be a member of the Green Party.”
It is unclear whether his call for an amendment to the motion will gain sufficient support from the increasingly radical party membership. Insiders also suggest that Polanski’s call for a second amendment, proposing “a single Palestinian state,” is likely to be blocked.
“I think there’s something impractical about a political party deciding to label what Zionism is or what exactly needs to happen as a result,” Polanski said last week, urging both amendments be added to the controversial motion.
On Saturday, a debate titled “Palestine: The Golden Thread that Unravelled Britain” will take place in the main hall, chaired by Zak Khan—a party member detained by the Israeli navy after joining the Gaza flotilla—and featuring outspoken anti-Zionist Andrew Feinstein among its speakers.
Saturday’s fringe programme is dominated by sessions on Israel and Palestine, including one on “sports washing.”
Friends of Al Aqsa, who have denied claims of supporting Hamas, will host a session titled “Palestine Is Still The Issue” at Brighton’s Grand Pavilion. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign will also host a “Justice For Palestine” session that day.
Meanwhile, a Muslim Greens event—one of several scheduled for the conference—will address accusations of “sectarian voting,” the portrayal of Muslims as a single voting bloc, Islamophobic smears, and anti-Muslim hate.
The event will be chaired by anti-Israel campaigner Salma Yakoob and Faiza Shaheen, who left the Labour Party amid claims she was attempting to run a divisive campaign around Gaza during a by-election in Chingford and Woodford Green.
Polanski, and deputy leader Mothin Ali, also both speak at the conference.
On Sunday, while attention is focused on the “Zionism is racism” motion, a Simchat Torah celebration is listed on the agenda, put on by Jewish Greens.
“Simchat Torah is a joyous Jewish holiday which marks the end of the annual cycle of reading the Torah and the start of a brand-new one,” reads the conference listing. “All members are welcome to join the Jewish Greens to celebrate and learn more. Expect singing and dancing!”
Jewish News approached the Green Party about the unprecedented security at this weekend’s conference, but a spokesperson said they “did not recognise” the claims.
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