Green Party Figure Behind 'Zionism Is Racism' Motion Linked to Jailed Al-Qaeda Supporter in US Court Files

The Green Party activist who authored a contentious motion describing Zionism as racism was identified in American court records as a "close friend" of a man convicted of supporting al-Qaeda, according to documents reviewed by the BBC. The disclosure intensifies a dispute that has engulfed the party since its conference approved the measure on Sunday.

Lubna Speitan, a British-Palestinian artist, put forward the motion that defines Zionism as an ideology backing "an ethnonationalist Jewish state." The proposal, which became official party policy after a vote at the Green conference, also calls for "a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine" — a territory that encompasses present-day Israel.

Court filings dating from 2015 indicate Speitan offered to appear as a defence witness in the case of Minh Quang Pham, a Vietnamese-born British national who was handed a 40-year prison term in the United States after pleading guilty to supporting al-Qaeda. Prosecutors alleged Pham had been directed by al-Qaeda figure Anwar al-Awlaki to carry out a suicide bombing in the arrivals hall at Heathrow Airport. He denied plotting such an attack.

The BBC has approached Speitan for a response. A Green Party spokesperson said she does not hold any official positions within the party and that the party "takes all allegations of this nature seriously." The spokesperson added that internal processes exist to investigate members whose expressed views conflict with the party's values.

According to the court documents, Speitan was described as a "close friend" of Pham who would give "critical testimony regarding Pham's mental state." The papers stated that such evidence would be "crucial in establishing a mental health defense" and that it "bears on the issue of guilt." The filings also noted that a medical condition prevented Speitan from testifying in person.

In a subsequent letter to the US District Judge in 2016, Speitan portrayed Pham as one of the "few people I regard with such high respect and esteem." She wrote that if the judge "truly knew the Minh [Pham] that and others grew to love and respect," the case might have been "dismissed" entirely. While acknowledging that Pham "may have had and developed some behavioural issues," she described him as "one of the kindest, honest, most sincere, trustworthy and respectful people I have ever known."

The documents contain no indication that Speitan was aware of Pham's criminal activities during the period they knew each other. When the Telegraph asked whether she remained friends with him, she was reported to have replied: "Yes, it's still the case." She also reportedly said she believed Pham had been "targeted" by "the system."

The background to the case is significant. Pham was arrested at Heathrow Airport in July 2011 after spending seven months in Yemen. He was found carrying a live round of ammunition. He was extradited to the US in 2015 and sentenced the following year after admitting three counts related to his support for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), an al-Qaeda offshoot. Prosecutors said he had received training from al-Awlaki over several months in Yemen.

The controversy surrounding Speitan's motion has already produced wide-ranging consequences. Israel responded by barring Green leader Zack Polanski from entering the country. Jewish organisations characterised the motion as an "attack" on their community, and some Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs reported the party to Britain's equality watchdog. Speitan has defended the motion by arguing that its supporters wanted to express opposition to "racist systems of oppression."

The fallout has also exposed deep internal divisions. Several Green councillors have resigned since the vote. Phil Davies, the party's deputy leader in Wales, stepped down and cancelled his membership on Tuesday, calling the motion "the final nail in the coffin." Polanski, who is Jewish, issued a lengthy statement on Monday night insisting he would not accept anyone being excluded from the party "because of the religious or communal body they are part of." He stressed that "antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are, and must always be, completely distinct."

The timing of the revelations adds further pressure on Polanski, who is already managing competing factions among members, MPs and deputy leaders. The disclosures about Speitan's past association with Pham are likely to sharpen scrutiny of the motion's authorship and the broader debate over where legitimate criticism of Israel ends and antisemitism begins.

The party now faces questions about how it vets and responds to the views of members who sponsor high-profile policy motions, particularly when those motions carry international diplomatic and communal consequences. The internal processes cited by the spokesperson will be tested as calls grow for greater transparency about the origins of the conference motion.

For Jewish communities in Britain, the episode compounds concerns raised since the vote. Community leaders have argued that defining Zionism as racism risks delegitimising Jewish self-determination and could embolden antisemitic sentiment. The Green leadership, meanwhile, must balance its commitment to open debate with the need to protect members from exclusion and to maintain the party's credibility on equality issues.

The US court documents at the centre of the latest disclosure were first reported by the Jewish Chronicle and have been independently seen by BBC News. They offer a detailed picture of Speitan's efforts on Pham's behalf, including her offer to testify about his mental condition and her personal appeal to the sentencing judge. The contrast between those efforts and her current role as the architect of a policy motion that has sparked a national controversy ensures the story will continue to develop.

As the Green Party prepares to manage the aftermath of its conference decision, the spotlight will remain on how it handles both the internal dissent and the external criticism. The outcome may shape not only the party's internal cohesion but also its standing with Jewish voters and the wider public as it seeks to present itself as a credible force in British politics.