Burnham condemns 'Zionism is racism' motion and rules out coalition with Greens

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has condemned the Green Party's declaration that Zionism is a "form of racism" as antisemitic and said he will not support Labour forming a partnership with the Greens while they have that policy. 

In parliament on Wednesday, Conservative MP Harriett Baldwin urged Burnham to "rule out cooperating" with the Greens over the motion.

The prime minister responded: "Can I condemn the motion that was passed unequivocally?"

"It is wrong, it is antisemitic, and this side of the house will have nothing to do with it," he declared.

"We will always take the right response when it comes to any partnerships we have with other parties.

"We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds the position that has recently been adopted."

Labour is in coalition with the Greens on multiple local councils.

Downing Street would not confirm whether Burnham's position extended to local politics.

Green Party members voted earlier this month at the party's annual conference to approve a motion declaring that "Zionism is racism" as party policy.

The Green Party allows members to create official policy through a voting process at annual conferences, although senior Green figures have recently argued the process needs to be reformed.

However, the policy will not automatically make it into the Green Party's election manifesto.

First major party to recognise Zionism as racism

The party conference vote made the Greens the first major party in the UK to recognise Zionism as a form of racism - and to back a single democratic Palestinian state with equal rights for all ethnic and religious groups, rather than a two-state solution. 

The Israeli government responded immediately by banning Green Party leader Zack Polanski (who is himself Jewish), from entering Israel, accusing the Greens of antisemitism.

The United States said it would make “representations” to the British government over the issue, suggesting it could amount to antisemitism. 

Domestically, the Greens have been roundly condemned by opposing parties. More than a dozen Labour MPs even reported the party to the police over its "Zionism is racism" policy. 

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Polanski said last month, before it was passed, that the motion needed to be amended to say "very clearly and explicitly that this motion safeguards Jewish people".

"And what it means by that is if someone stands against the occupation, stands against apartheid, stands against the genocide, but happens to be a member of a synagogue that calls itself a Zionist synagogue, they should not be treated any differently within the Green Party," he said. 

The amendment, however, was defeated in a vote by members.

The motion concerned external matters and had no bearing on internal processes, but co-deputy leader Mothin Ali told Middle East Eye hours before the vote he did not oppose the proposed amendment, saying that "if Jewish members feel like they need an additional level of reassurance, then I think they're right to ask for that".

"All members should feel safe in this party. Not that the motion should make them feel unsafe, but if they want an additional level of reassurance, I welcome that," he added. 

Ali said on Wednesday that the result of the vote on the motion must be respected. 

"As defined in the motion," Ali told MEE before it was passed, "Zionism is an ethno-nationalist state. Zionism is resulting in ethnic cleansing, in the belief that one group of people is superior to another."

Green MPs including Adrian Ramsay, Sian Berry and Ellie Chowns have publicly criticised the motion. 

It was endorsed by prominent Holocaust survivor and activist Stephen Kapos, who said he believed that "Zionism both as an ideology and practice is harmful and has no legitimacy and must be rejected".