Cllr Mustafa Ahmed

Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people, like the French, the Irish or the Palestinians, have the right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Around nine in ten British Jews hold it, including many who are fierce critics of Israeli governments.

Racism is hostility, prejudice or discrimination against people because of their race or ethnicity. Zionism claims a right for one people; it does not deny that right to any other. Calling it racism calls most British Jews racists, for a belief about their own people. No other people is told that wanting a homeland is racism.

The working definition of antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, adopted by the UK Government, gives as an example "denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor".

In 1975 the United Nations General Assembly declared that "Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination". In 1991 it revoked that, by 111 votes to 25. The Green Party has brought back the line the world withdrew, and one of its own councillors has backed it in public.