The Green Party of England and Wales has adopted a motion declaring Zionism as a form of racism.

The Scottish Greens have defended their sister party in England and Wales for branding Zionism “racism”.

A spokesman for the party in Scotland said a belief that one ethnic group has a superior right to land than another is “clearly and unavoidably racist”.

This comes after the Green Party of England and Wales adopted a motion at its party conference declaring Zionism a form of racism, and backed a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine” including modern-day Israel.

Scottish Green co-leaders Gillian Mackay and Ross Greer with leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Zack Polanski (centre). | Andrew Milligan/Press Association

The move has been heavily criticised by Israel’s foreign ministry and has divided the party in England and Wales, with the chair of Jewish Greens Vivien Lichtenstein telling the BBC it is “quite possible” she will leave the party over the matter.

Israel has also banned party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country.

However the Scottish Greens have defended the move, saying modern-day Zionism has resulted in the Genocide of the Palestinian people.

A spokesman told The Scotsman: “All people should have equal rights regardless of their race or religion.

“Any belief that one ethnic group has a superior right to land which another group already lives on is clearly and unavoidably racist. Modern-day Zionism, which advocates that Jewish people have a superior right to the land of Palestine, has resulted directly in a genocide against the Palestinian people.

“Jews and Palestinians must be able to co-exist peacefully and equally. That is the future the Scottish Greens support and one that is for Palestinians and Israelis to decide and build together.

“Israel is an apartheid state that has committed ethnic cleansing against the people of Palestine. It is governed by racists and extremists who are now wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.”

However, they said the Scottish party does not support the motion as it takes no view on the two-state solution, saying that is a matter for Israelis and Palestinians, not Scots.

First Minister John Swinney also said political parties should not be trying to re-define the legal definition of racism.

First Minister John Swinney

He told LBC: “There are well established legal definitions of racism and it’s not for party political conferences to come up with definitions.

“In this respect, I support the two-state solution in Israel and Palestine. They have to live side-by-side, so I don’t agree with the position arrived at by the Green Party in England and Wales.”

The party in England and Wales endorsed the motion by 1,022 votes to 813.

Mr Polanski, who is Jewish, called for the motion to be amended to add in protections for Jewish members and remove language referring to a “single democratic Palestinian state”, but both these amendments were defeated.

Four of the party’s five MPs (Ellie Chowns, Adrian Ramsay, Carla Denyer and Sian Berry) publicly opposed the motion, and co-deputy leader Rachel Millward branded the motion “problematic”.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have criticised the motion, and said: “Zionism is anti-racism, creating a refuge for Jews in their ancient homeland after millennia of persecution outside it.”

The UK, along with 11 allies, supports a two-state solution which recognises a Palestinian state alongside an Israeli one. Israel rejects a two-state solution.