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Green Party member who proposed Zionism motion linked to jailed al-Qaeda supporter

Lubna Speitan named as 'close friend' of man jailed for plotting Heathrow suicide attack

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Lubna Speitan, the Green Party member behind the motion declaring Zionism to be racism that was passed at the party's conference, has been identified in court documents as a close friend of Minh Quang Pham, an al-Qaeda supporter jailed in the United States. The revelation has deepened the controversy surrounding a motion that has already seen Israel ban the party's leader and provoked condemnation from Jewish groups.

The Green Party conference passed a motion on Sunday declaring that Zionism is an ideology supporting "an ethnonationalist Jewish state" and calling for a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine, including modern-day Israel.

Lubna Speitan, a British-Palestinian artist who proposed the motion, said the aim was to voice opposition to "racist systems of oppression". However, Jewish groups described it as an attack on their community, and some Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs referred the party to Great Britain's equality watchdog.

In response, Israel banned Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country.

On Tuesday, it emerged that court documents from 2015 named Speitan as a "close friend" of Minh Quang Pham, who was jailed for 40 years after pleading guilty to supporting al-Qaeda. Pham was accused of plotting a suicide bomb attack at Heathrow Airport, which he denied. Speitan offered to testify as a defence witness in his trial and wrote a letter to the judge in 2016 describing Pham as "one of the kindest, honest, most sincere" people she had known.

The Green Party said Speitan holds no official positions and said it "takes all allegations of this nature seriously". The BBC has contacted Speitan for comment.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The association between a party policy author and a convicted extremist raises questions about the Green Party's vetting processes and political judgment.
  • The motion itself has already triggered a diplomatic row with Israel and could affect the party's standing among voters concerned about antisemitism.
  • The controversy may deepen internal divisions within the Green Party over its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Background

The Green Party of England and Wales has in recent years sought to position itself as a progressive alternative to Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Its conference motions are binding party policy. The Zionism motion, passed on Sunday, was one of the most contentious in the party's recent history, drawing immediate rebukes from Jewish community leaders and politicians across the spectrum. The revelation about Lubna Speitan's past association with an al-Qaeda supporter adds a new dimension to the controversy, though the party has quickly pointed out that she holds no official position.

Key Perspectives

Lubna Speitan and motion supporters: They maintain the motion is a legitimate critique of a political ideology, not an attack on Jewish people. Speitan has framed it as opposition to "racist systems of oppression". Regarding her association with Pham, no public comment has yet been made but court documents show she supported him in a legal capacity. Jewish groups and critics of the motion: Jewish groups have condemned the motion as an attack on their community. The new links to an al-Qaeda supporter will likely reinforce their view that the motion is extreme and that the party does not take such matters seriously. The Green Party leadership: The party has sought to distance itself from Speitan's personal connections, noting she holds no official role and stating it takes allegations seriously. Leader Zack Polanski faces the immediate consequence of being banned from Israel. Other political parties: Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have referred the matter to the equality watchdog, indicating cross-party concern about the motion's implications.

What to Watch

  • Whether the Green Party revokes or revises the motion following the backlash.
  • Any disciplinary action the Green Party may take against Speitan.
  • The outcome of the equality watchdog's assessment of the complaint.

Sources

Zotpaper

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