Green Party chairman of Sheffield planning committee "will not be resigning" over Zionism motion

A Green Party councillor in a leading position on the council’s Planning and Highways Committee has said he will “stand firm in my beliefs” as pressure from other parties mounts over the controversial ‘Zionism is Racism’ motion.

Councillor Maroof Raouf has been a vocal proponent of the Green Party motion, which describes Zionism as an ideology supporting an “ethnonationalist Jewish state” and calls for the establishment of a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine.

The controversial motion, which has been blasted as antisemitic by opponents, was passed at the national Green Party conference in Brighton on Sunday October 4, with Coun Raouf - who represents the Netheredge and Sharrow ward - sharing a video outside the conference the day before voicing his support.

Weeks later there are concerns this decision by the Greens will lead to the end of the Labour/Green leadership arrangement at Sheffield City Council, with local Labour leader Fran Belbin releasing a statement “urging them to publicly reject this motion in order for our joint administration to continue”.

Her ultimatum came after Labour Party chairwoman, Bridget Phillipson, said local collaborations with Greens will end unless the motion is rejected, while calling on national Green leaders to “reconsider the policy”.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats’ Sheffield contingent have called for both Coun Raouf and Gleadless Valley councillor Alexi Dimmond - who chairs the transport committee and has also shared his support of the motion online - to issue an apology and resign.

The Lib Dems said that it is “incompatible with the values of our city” for them to continue serving in their positions and that if they fail to resign they will table a motion at the next Full Council meeting on November 4 to have them removed from their committee positions.

“We support the cause of peace between Israel and Palestine and reject the belligerence of extremists on both sides,” a statement from the party added.

Coun Raouf, who is joint chair of the planning committee with Labour’s Mike Chaplin, said in response: “I will not be resigning.”

He went on to say: “I will not let the yellow or red army bully me. I will not kowtow to such hypocrites. I will not cower in the face of those who employ double standards. I will not conflate Zionism with Judaism. I will not conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism.

“I will continue to oppose genocide. I will continue to oppose ethnic cleansing. I will continue to oppose apartheid. I will continue to oppose illegal occupation. I will continue to work for the good people of Sheffield.

“The people of Sheffield will decide what the people of Sheffield need. The people of Sheffield will decide what the people of Sheffield want; not Lib Dems, not Labour, not Reform, and certainly not the clueless crew sat at Downing Street.

“Let me be very clear to those in the town hall, I will stand firm in my beliefs; if you believe that the safety of one group of peoples can only be achieved by the slaughter, the genocide, and the annihilation of innocent Palestinian babies, then it is you who are racist.

“I am not the conversation. Racism is. Zionism is. The bombing of innocent babies is. Zionism is racism, that is Green Party policy as of now.”

Coun Dimmond has also been approached for comment.

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