“Last-ditch meeting” at Sheffield Council over Labour-Green Zionism row
Talks held between parties ahead of council meeting expected to be dominated by row
A “last-ditch meeting” between political parties at Sheffield City Council has been held to try to work out a deal over a Zionism row that has ended a joint Labour-Green administration.
Labour and council leader Coun Fran Belbin confirmed today that a “last-ditch meeting” was taking place this morning but could not give further details.
Labour and the Greens have been working in coalition at the council, which has been under no overall control for five years. Labour are the biggest group and the Greens are third largest.
Labour broke up the deal over a controversial Green Party conference motion last month that equated Zionism with racism. The party nationally has told its councillors to end all such arrangements.
Coun Belbin called for the Greens to distance themselves from the decision but the group refused to do so.
The conference motion said anti-Zionism should not be equated with antisemitism and called for the establishment of a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine.
Labour claimed the vote was “deeply concerning and antisemitic” and “rejects a two-state solution, which remains the only credible basis for a just and lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians”.
The Greens warned of the danger of destabilising the council. They responded: “Conflating Zionism with Judaism is itself antisemitic. We stand with all Jewish residents of Sheffield: we always have and always will.
“We will continue to oppose genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and illegal occupation wherever they occur, and we will continue to speak out against violations of international law and human rights.”
Second-largest group the LibDems left a joint administration in May. They back the Labour position on the issue.
The full council meets at 2pm and the row was expected to dominate proceedings.
Labour, with the backing of the LibDems, was expected to oust Greens from their chairing roles on several committees.
Green supporters, Palestine activists and local democracy campaigners were holding a protest outside the meeting today.
The campaign It’s Our City!, which campaigned successfully for a referendum to end centralised leadership at the council, criticised Labour for “attempting to resurrect top-down, executive thinking and gatekeeping through the back door”.