A Merseyside Green Party councillor has quit the party after a motion describing Zionism as a form of racism was passed at the party's national conference in Brighton. Kieran Dams was elected as a Green councillor in Sefton in May's local elections.
The 23-year-old represents the Waterloo ward on the Merseyside council. First reported by the BBC, Cllr Dams released a statement on his social media page, confirming that he has resigned from the Greens and will now sit as an independent councillor.
Motion divides senior figures
The motion passed at the Green conference this week defines Zionism as an ideology supporting "an ethnonationalist Jewish state" and backs a "single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine". The motion has divided senior Green figures and led to condemnation by Jewish groups and others.
Green leader Zack Polanski did not take part in the vote on Sunday and has since insisted that he will not accept anyone being excluded from the Green Party "because of the religious or communal body they are part of."
Councillor's concerns
Criticising the motion, Cllr Dams said: "I had serious concerns about what this could mean for Jewish members. Being Jewish does not make someone a Zionist. Jewish people hold many different views on Israel and Zionism."
Explaining his decision to quit the party, the young councillor said he came back to Waterloo from the Brighton conference, "knowing I couldn't look residents in the face and defend something I believe is wrong."
Leader's response
He added: "I fear the Green Party is heading to a very dark place. I cannot follow it there. If that means my political career ends at 23, so be it."
In his first comments since the motion was passed, Mr Polanski released a long statement saying he "takes seriously my responsibility to make sure everyone feels safe and welcome in our party". He added: "As leader I will not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of."
He said his party and its leadership stood for "deeply held values of compassion, fairness and equality for all". Mr Polanski, who is Jewish, added that "antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are, and must always be, completely distinct."
