Greenwich Greens criticised for silence as ‘Zionism is racism’ motion condemned

Greenwich’s Green councillors were told “this is not the time to be silent” after being pressed on the national party’s controversial “Zionism is racism” motion at a council meeting.

When the meeting was held on Wednesday, the local party, which won 13 seats in the council election in May and is now the main opposition to Labour, had made no public comment since the Green conference on October 4 approved a motion calling for “a single Palestinian state” covering all of Israel.

On Thursday night, the party finally issued a statement saying it “does not tolerate antisemitism in our group, our party and our communities”, but adding that it respected the conference’s decision to pass the motion.

Green MPs and leaders in other local parties – including Ealing and East Hertfordshire – had criticised or distanced themselves from the motion, while one of the leaders of the Greens’ sister party in Scotland called it “unhelpful”.

Labour has threatened to pull out of council coalitions across the country if their Green colleagues did not disavow the motion; and while Labour is in sole control in Greenwich, on October 14 – a week before the council meeting – it began a social media campaign to put pressure on the local Greens to do the same.

The “Zionism is racism” motion followed the killing of over 69,000 people – including at least 17,000 children – in Gaza, by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, according to Red Cross figures. The war in Gaza came in response to the killing of nearly 1,200 people in Israel by Hamas in October 2023.

Lubna Speitan, a Palestine campaigner and Green member in Greenwich, had proposed the motion at the conference in Brighton. Zack Polanski, the national Green leader, did not vote on the motion as he was campaigning in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election.

While the Greens have about 220,000 members in England and Wales, only 1,022 voted for the motion, with 813 against. Members had to attend either in person or remotely to vote.

Eltham Park & Progress councillor Jeremy Fraser – who is an associate priest at a church in Eltham – condemned the national Green motion while wearing his clerical collar.

“In my day job, I’m a Christian leader in Greenwich, and I was saddened by the motion passed at the recent Green Party conference,” he said. 

“I believe in democracy and freedom to express very challenging views, but that motion, in my view, was antisemitic and racist. Can the leader please reiterate for the Jewish community in Greenwich our abhorrence of these views? 

“I hope that we will be united in this across the chamber. I hope this is not a matter in which we have to have a party divide. We are a place of safety for all, always.”

Fraser’s question was greeted with applause by Labour and Conservative councillors, but not from the Green group leader Tamasin Rhymes or her eight colleagues present at that moment: East Greenwich councillors George Edgar, Jo Land and Patrick Ives, West Greenwich councillors Stacy Smith and Karin Tearle, Austin McGrath (Greenwich Peninsula), Max Green (Shooters Hill) and Jessica Holland (Charlton Hornfair). The sole Reform UK councillor, Paul Banks (Eltham Page) also did not applaud.

Anthony Okereke, the Labour council leader, said the motion was “causing great worry to our Jewish communities and other communities in the borough”.

He added: “I thank every member who just clapped their hands as well, because we have to stand and show solidarity in this moment. I want to be absolutely clear: there is no place for antisemitism, racism, hatred, or any kind of division in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.”

Okereke said he had written to the Greens asking them to reject the motion. “I implore them – please make your position known,” he said. 

“This is not the time to be silent. This is not the time to be quiet. People are watching you. Our residents are watching you, and they want your leadership. They want your solidarity, and they want your support. And we need you to reject this motion, just like other Green groups across the country are doing.”

Tamasin Rhymes, the Green leader, responded: “I absolutely do want to say that the Green group is entirely against antisemitism, as we are against all discrimination, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and all of the other actions that are against human rights and personal safety, whether they occur in in war or in peacetime. We will make a full statement. 

“I appreciate the concern amongst the community, and we are addressing it. But I would like to do that in a considered way to address the democratic issues and the beliefs of the whole group. And so I won’t be doing that, having been put on the spot here, without a proper chance to share those views.”

The criticism of the Greens went on.  Labour cabinet member Adel Khaireh – who came to this country as a child refugee – made a pointed reference to the motion during an item about the council’s corporate plan, which refers to its policy of Greenwich being a “borough of sanctuary”.

“I am elected from growing up in this borough, this is a borough that welcomes every community, regardless if you’re Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and you are welcome,” he said.

“There is no place for hate, and this report shows how we are all united. So I know many colleagues on other benches, there and there, will not welcome many of our communities, but this document shows that our doors are open, our communities are open, our neighbourhoods are open, and we will welcome you with open arms.”

There were also signs of the strains within the Greens. Their deputy leader, Stewart Christie – who was outside the chamber when Fraser and Okereke spoke – said in a discussion about the council’s corporate plan, which referred to its status as a borough of sanctuary: “There’s been lots of comments this evening around our position on various things. I just want to say, actually, I’m proud to live in this borough.

“I’m proud of everyone around us. I’m proud of our diversity. I’m proud that we have so many people with so many different nationalities, and I’m here to represent everybody here. And I think everyone else in this chamber is as well.

“Looking around, I can see people coming from so many different backgrounds. My family was interned in the Isle of Man in World War Two, and I can understand people fleeing conflict.”

Towards the end of the meeting Jessica Holland, a Charlton Hornfair Green councillor, criticised Fraser for wearing his collar during a motion on neighbourhood shopping parades, and said he should read a report by Palestinian Christians that had been presented to the Church of England’s general synod, its governing body, in June. 

She was heckled with cries of “how dare you” and “shameful”.

Holland told The Greenwich Wire on Thursday that Fraser had “appropriated his religious office in a highly partisan political context”.

“I felt that the church’s authority was being used selectively, as part of an orchestrated political attack by the Labour group, without Cllr Fraser acknowledging the church’s own debates and commitments regarding the wide-scale murder of Palestinians, the Israeli occupation and their efforts to review their investments to ensure they fall within ethical guidelines,” she said.

Holland added that she had complained to the Bishop of Woolwich and the Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich. 

Fraser, who is the chair of planning and a former leader of Southwark Council, said that he wore his collar and a black shirt to most council meetings, although had not done so the previous month.

“Her explanation is not right in my view,” she said. “I asked a question,  I thought not in a harsh way, and Anthony answered without acknowledging my faith position. As Anthony said in his answer, we have been getting queries on our position.

“When Tamasin responded saying she didn’t want to be bounced , and they were coming to a democratic view that was I thought respected by all. 

“I think the councillor shouting at me was uncalled for, not appropriate in the council chamber.”

Holland told The Greenwich Wire she was struggling to make herself heard while being heckled. When told about her complaint, Fraser said: “I am content she complains to who she wishes, but isn’t this her wishing to deflect from her behaviour in the chamber? You tell me what I did wrong.” 

Rhymes told The Greenwich Wire: “I am disappointed but not surprised that the Labour group in the council have chosen to publish a statement on social media without speaking to Green councillors or to the leader of the Green group. Here in Greenwich, we will continue to work on behalf of all communities, challenging the Labour-run council to work cooperatively and constructively with residents and opposition groups.”

The Greenwich Green Party issued a statement on Thursday night, saying it had “a long and proud history of anti-racist campaigning here in our borough. We are committed to upholding human rights, advocating for peace and do not tolerate antisemitism in our group, our party and our communities.”

The statement continued: “There are different views amongst Greenwich councillors on this motion, as there are within the party as a whole, which has more than 220,000 members. However, we all respect the democratic principles of the party conference and our commitment to lead through consensus and shared values, not discipline.

“The motion explicitly states that anti-Zionism should not be conflated with antisemitism. It does not target Jewish communities, and it will not have any bearing on how Green councillors in Greenwich serve Jewish residents, or residents of any faith or background. This is consistent with The Green Party’s commitment to equal rights for all, regardless of ethnicity, religious belief or gender.

“The Greenwich Green Party and its councillors are absolutely opposed to antisemitism, Islamophobia and any kind of discrimination on racial or religious grounds.  We stand alongside fellow councillors from all parties in our conviction that Greenwich should be a place where every single person feels safe and every single person feels valued. We are proud that Greenwich is a borough of sanctuary, ‘where everyone can build a life, be part of the community and get the support they need when times are tough’.”

The attacks on Wednesday came amid a difficult night for the Greens, with Okereke and other Labour figures repeatedly criticising the party over the collapse of plans to redevelop the Lewisham Shopping centre, just across the borough border.

Lewisham’s Green elected mayor, Liam Shrivastava, had refused to assist the developer, Landsec, in taking control of the former Citibank tower behind the shopping centre to enable the development to take place, unless it increased the number of homes for social rent. The company said it was “deprioritising” the scheme because of this and wider economic conditions.

Greenwich Council had actually opposed the development, with towers of up to 35 storeys, because of the effects on key views in the borough.

East Greenwich councillor Land also clashed with David Gardner, the ceremonial mayor, when he prevented her speaking on a petition that had been presented by residents of the Woolwich Dockyard Estate concerning its possible redevelopment. Land had originally presented the motion to the council, but was told she could not speak because it was not in her ward.

Updated at 11.15am to correct the list of Green councillors present when Jeremy Fraser spoke, and amended at 11.50am to include an additional line from Jessica Holland.

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