Westminster’s unanimous cross-party motion declaring that Zionism is not racism has been highlighted by the Telegraph, in a story on Labour councils coming under pressure to end their deals with the Green Party over its “Zionism is racism” policy.
The Telegraph reports that Conservative and Labour councillors in Westminster joined forces on Wednesday evening to pass the motion, the first time the two parties have voted together on a motion since 2018.
The motion states: “Support for the Jewish people’s right to self-determination is not racist.” It adds that criticism of the Israeli government’s policies and actions is legitimate and not antisemitic, but that declaring Zionism to be racism “brands most British Jews as racists because of a part of their identity, and risks leaving Jewish residents feeling unwelcome in public life”.
Cllr Hannah Galley, who proposed the motion, said she has the “utter privilege” of representing Abbey Road, a ward with a large Jewish community, but over the past two years has witnessed “deeply distressing” intimidation and hatred towards them.
The same day, Sheffield’s Labour group ended its power-sharing arrangement with the Greens after local Green councillors failed to disavow their party’s motion.
Read the full article in the Telegraph: Labour council bows to PM’s pressure to ditch ‘anti-Zionist’ Green allies
