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Green councillor in Sefton resigns from party over conference motion on Zionism
Overview
Kieran Dams, a Green Party councillor in Sefton, has resigned from the party and will sit as an independent following a conference vote that described Zionism as a form of racism. The motion, passed by a small number of members in Brighton, has caused divisions within the party and been condemned by Jewish groups and Israel's foreign ministry. Green Party leader Zack Polanski stated that no one will be excluded from the party based on their faith or background, though amendments he proposed to protect Jewish members were defeated.
Key points
- Sefton councillor Kieran Dams has resigned from the Green Party to sit as an independent following a motion passed at the party's conference in Brighton.
- The controversial motion described Zionism as a form of racism and backed a single democratic Palestinian state.
- Dams stated that his local inbox was flooded with concerns from residents who viewed the motion as extremist.
- He also criticized the low voter turnout for the motion, noting that only about a thousand members participated out of a total membership of 230,000.
- Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, stated he will not accept anyone being excluded from the party because of their religious or communal body, despite his proposed amendments to the motion being defeated.