Green Party Launches Investigation Into Member Linked to Zionism Motion and Jailed Terrorist Supporter

Key points

• The Green Party confirmed an investigation into Lubna Speitan after she was identified in court records as a 'close friend' of Minh Quang Pham, who was jailed in the US for 40 years for supporting al-Qaeda.
• Speitan proposed the motion that passed by 1,022 votes to 813, defining Zionism as an ethnonationalist ideology and calling for a single democratic Palestinian state.
• Speitan rejected claims against her on Instagram, stating she was not the conversation and that racism and genocide in Gaza were the real issues.
• Four of five Green Party MPs opposed the motion, and former leader Adrian Ramsay called it 'wrong in principle,' though he has not yet decided whether to leave the party.
• The motion triggered an Israeli ban on party leader Zack Polanski and condemnation from Jewish groups, while Scottish Green leader Ross Greer endorsed the policy, deepening the rift.

Background

The Green Party of England and Wales adopted the Zionism motion at its annual conference in October 2026, causing immediate internal strife. Prior to this week, the party faced international ostracism, including a ban on leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel and legal challenges from Labour MPs. Archive reports from early October noted that Scottish Green leader Ross Greer supported the core premise of the motion, while Jewish Greens chair Vivien Lichtenstein threatened to exit the party. The current investigation into Speitan adds a new dimension to the crisis, linking the policy's proposer to a figure associated with terrorism, though no evidence suggests she knew of his criminal activities.

How outlets are covering it

BBC reports the factual developments of the investigation and the court documents linking Speitan to Pham, noting that she holds no party positions. Al Jazeera offers a critical opinion piece arguing that the Green Party's stance reflects ignorance of Zionism's history as a response to antisemitism and that the call for a single state is a 'shocking' demand for the elimination of a UN member state. The Telegraph source was inaccessible due to a security block, so no perspective could be extracted. The BBC notes that while the motion is official party policy, it may not appear in the next manifesto, and highlights the dissent from MPs and former leaders, contrasting with the support from Scottish Greens.

Why it matters

This investigation tests the cohesion of the Green Party as it navigates a polarizing stance on Israel-Palestine. The link between the motion's proposer and a convicted terrorist supporter risks further alienating moderate members and Jewish voters, potentially impacting the party's electoral prospects. The internal conflict between MPs, leaders, and members highlights the difficulty of balancing progressive foreign policy stances with party unity and inclusivity.

What to watch

The Green Party will continue its internal investigation into Speitan, though she holds no formal positions. The party must decide whether to include the Zionism motion in its next general election manifesto. Former leader Adrian Ramsay may announce his decision to remain or leave the party after further consultations. The party will also need to manage the fallout from the Israeli ban on its leader and the ongoing legal challenges from opposition MPs.