Westminster City Council has unanimously passed a joint Conservative and Labour motion affirming that Zionism is not racism, the Standard reports.
The motion, moved by Cllr Hannah Galley, councillor for Abbey Road, rejects the position adopted by the Green Party at its October conference and states that support for the Jewish people’s right to self-determination is not racist. It also asks the council’s chief executive to review its equality, diversity and community cohesion training and policies, so that Jewish residents’ support for Jewish self-determination is not treated as a form of racism.
Speaking in the chamber on Wednesday evening, as protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside the town hall, Hannah said: “To have the support of both parties in this chamber is very important for what is only our second joint motion since 2018.”
“For the last two years I have had the privilege of representing Abbey Road, a ward with a large and vibrant Jewish community. But over these two years I have witnessed something deeply disturbing here in Westminster and further afield: a growing climate of intolerance, intimidation, and hatred directed towards Jewish people.”
She added: “At its heart, Zionism is the belief in the right of Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. For many Jewish people, Zionism is deeply intertwined with their religious, cultural and historical identity.”
“I can think of no other nation whose right to self-determination is singled out as an illegitimate or racist endeavour.”
Read the full article in the Standard: Protesters descend on town hall as flagship London council passes ‘Zionism is not racism’ motion
