Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer says 'Zionism is racism'

The co-leader of the Scottish Greens has said the creation of the state of Israel was “an act of racism”.

Ross Greer described Zionism as racist in an interview with the BBC.

The MSP backed key elements of a controversial policy adopted by the Green Party of England and Wales at its weekend conference.

Greer, who represents the West of Scotland, said he did not agree with all parts of the motion, which stated support for a “single democratic state in all of historic Palestine” and defined Zionism as an outlook in support of an “ethnonationalist Jewish state”.

The adoption of the motion prompted outcry and comes as Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, seeks to win entry to Westminster in the seat vacated by Keir Starmer.

Polanski did not take part in the conference vote and the European Green Party has taken steps to “unequivocally distance” itself from the decision.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Greer answered “yes” when he was asked if he considered Zionism to be racism.

He said he would not adopt a position on whether there should be a two-state solution in the region, where a series of terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October led to the deaths of 1,200 Israelis. That was followed by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, which has killed 70,000 Palestinians, according to the British Red Cross. 

Greer described the post-WWII creation of the state of Israel as “an act of ethnic cleansing”.

He said: “It was an act of racism and I don’t understand how people can say it wasn’t.”

He told the broadcaster: “You cannot give superior rights in law to one ethnic or religious group. Everybody has to be treated equally before the law, and the reality right now is that that's not the case.

“One group’s superiority has got to the point where a genocide is being committed against another group.

“I want Jews, Christians, Muslims, Israelis, Palestinians, everybody to live equally in safety, in peace.”

First Minister John Swinney has said he does not agree with the Green Party motion, stating that: “There are very well-established definitions in law of what constitutes racism and I think we should stick by those definitions and not come up with definitions at party political conferences.”

Responding to Greer, Labour’s Blair McDougall, who is MP for East Renfrewshire, home to the largest Jewish community in Scotland, said: “One cannot argue that Palestinians have a right to security in a homeland of their own but Jews do not.

“Student politics won’t bring peace closer in the Middle East. A politician that cannot criticise the terrible policies of the current Israeli government without stigmatising British Jews should never be allowed anywhere near power.”