One of the values that attracted me and so many of us to the Liberal Democrats is our fundamental belief in personal freedom: that everyone should be free to live their life how they choose, as long as they don’t hurt anybody else. That principle is why I’m writing this today.
On the very same week as the one-year anniversary of the horrific attack on worshippers at Heaton Park Synagogue, the Green Party conference chose to pass a motion telling people they are wrong for how they choose to live their lives. Worse still, they voted against an amendment that sought to protect Jewish members.
Regardless of people’s views on Zionism, nobody and no political party should be telling anybody else how to live their life, nor should they condemn them for doing so.
We are all sickened to see what is happening in Gaza- there is no doubt about that. These horrendous actions are being carried out by the Israeli government and the Israeli government alone- they are not the actions of our Jewish community, who just want to live their lives free from fear or hate. The Greens must recognise this distinction.
We have seen how this dangerous behaviour ends before. We have seen the Labour Party go down this toxic path not so long ago. We called it out for what it was then, and we must not hesitate to do so now. While naturally we don’t want our political opponents to succeed at the ballot box, we very much want to see them succeed in ridding their ranks of the poison that we saw under Labour in the Corbyn era.
For the values that we hold dear and the society we want to build, it is imperative for all of us that we eradicate this division and fear from our politics, whether left, centre, or right.
This is why I believe the Greens should be investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). This isn’t about wishing to see the demise of political opponents or point-scoring; it is about ensuring that our democracy succeeds as a safe and inclusive space for everybody, no matter their story or background.
The Greens, once a home of principled environmentalism, an organisation of care for people and planet, now feel like a bitter betrayal of the very core founding principles with which it once endeared itself to many. Can the real green party, the one built to safeguard and stand up for people and planet please stand up?
To those Greens who still believe in that vision- the Liberal Democrats welcome you with open arms.
Our Jewish community and their allies have spent a while wondering whether they are safe and free to be who they are while represented by Green representatives. For many, they now have a damning and painful clarity. It is devastating and damages a healthy and inclusive democracy.
Whether confronting it in Labour previously or the Greens now, Liberal Democrats have always stood against division and fear. Now more than ever, we must remain the open-minded and inclusive voice for everyone in our country.
* Kobe Bibbon is a trans Lib Dem activist in Manchester
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Latest voting intention and leadership ratings opinion polls
Retro.1
The Joy of Six 1599
Farage in hiding from the 'orange ninjas'
Printing again
Hywel
Katharine Pindar
Simon McGrath
Peter Hirst
Miranda Pinch
8 Comments
“ Regardless of people’s views on Zionism, nobody and no political party should be telling anybody else how to live their life, nor should they condemn them for doing so”
If we condemn those who believe that same-sex sexual relationship are wrong, are we telling people who attend churches with those beliefs how to live their lives? Are we condemning Christians who attend those churches? No! We can condemn a belief without condemning individuals who happen to attend those churches.
Does that same not apply here? If the Green Party chooses to believe that Zionism, that favours one race over other races, is racist, are we condemning that who attend those synagogues that believe in Zionism? Equally, no!
Good article Kobe
“nobody and no political party should be telling anybody else how to live their life, nor should they condemn them for doing so”
This is such a vague statement as to be meaningless. We shouldn’t tell murderers how to live their lives? We shouldn’t tell pickpockets how to live their lives? We shouldn’t tell arsonists how to live their lives? We shouldn’t tell bigots how to live their lives?
The Green Party see the idea of a homeland built around one particular racial group as a racist idea. You might disagree with that, but if so you could actually argue about that idea, rather than saying that doing so means they should be investigated for it, and that nobody should be confronted for supporting terrible things.
Seconded
By Kobe Bibbon | Thu 8th October 2026 – 3:03 pm…………..We are all sickened to see what is happening in Gaza- there is no doubt about that. These horrendous actions are being carried out by the Israeli government and the Israeli government alone- they are not the actions of our Jewish community, who just want to live their lives free from fear or hate. The Greens must recognise this distinction…………..
The Greens DID .recognise this distinction.. Their motion set out their opposition to Zionism, defined as an ethnonationalist political project, and stated that ANTI-ZIONISM SHOULD NOT BE EQUATED WITH ANTISEMITISM. The motion also stated their commitment to Palestinian liberation, the right of return, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions and a full arms embargo against Israel….
Re: “We shouldn’t tell murderers how to live their lives?”–The very first paragraph of Kobe’s message said “As long as they don’t hurt anybody else.” I feel that this should be part of the interpretative context.
Labour MPs have already reportrd the Greens to the police, but as i am confused about definitions here I cant dee how that works. As opposed to actual racist statements that seems to come from other parties and which are not taken to the authorities? If we substituted communist and the USSR for zionist and Israel is there a problem? I’m asking ainxe i’m not sure.
Great article. I was always frustrated by the Green talking about climate change but then blocking renewable infra at a local level – but at least they were rightly acting as an important voice on the criticality of addressing climate change. Middle England (Middle UK?) – will now stop listening to the Greens because they have drifted from a condemnation of this Govt of Israel’s actions, to arguing that Israel should not exist. Frightening.