Green Party Figure Behind 'Zionism Is Racism' Motion Was 'Close Friend' of Jailed Al-Qaeda Supporter, Court Papers Show

The Green Party activist who authored a contentious motion declaring Zionism to be racism was described in court documents as a "close friend" of a man imprisoned in the United States for supporting al-Qaeda, the BBC has learned.

Lubna Speitan, a British-Palestinian artist, put forward the conference motion that defined Zionism as an ideology backing "an ethnonationalist Jewish state." The proposal was adopted on Sunday, formally becoming Green Party policy, and has since triggered a fierce internal backlash and diplomatic consequences.

Documents dating from 2015 identify Speitan as a defence witness willing to testify in the case of Minh Quang Pham, who received a 40-year sentence in the US after admitting to supporting al-Qaeda. Pham consistently denied plotting a suicide attack.

The papers show Speitan was prepared to provide what they described as "critical testimony regarding Pham's mental state," which the defence argued would be "crucial in establishing a mental health defense" and would "bear on the issue of guilt." The documents also noted that a medical condition prevented her from appearing in person.

In a subsequent letter to the US District Judge in 2016, Speitan portrayed Pham as "one of the kindest, honest, most sincere" individuals she had ever encountered. The existence of that letter was first reported by the Jewish Chronicle and has since been reviewed by BBC News. In it, she suggested that had the judge "truly knew the Minh [Pham] that and others grew to love and respect," the case might have been "dismissed" altogether. While conceding he "may have had and developed some behavioural issues," she maintained he remained among the most "trustworthy and respectful" people she had known.

Pham, a Vietnamese-born British national who had been living in London, was detained at Heathrow Airport in July 2011 following a seven-month stay in Yemen. Authorities found a live round of ammunition in his possession. He was extradited to the US in 2015 and sentenced the following year after pleading guilty to three counts related to his backing of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), an al-Qaeda affiliate. American prosecutors alleged that AQAP leader Anwar al-Awlaki had directed Pham to detonate explosives in Heathrow's arrivals area after months of training in Yemen.

The court records list Speitan as a "close friend" of Pham. Importantly, there is no indication in the documents that she was aware of his criminal activities during the period of their acquaintance. When approached by the BBC for comment, Speitan did not respond. However, The Telegraph reported that when asked whether she remained friends with Pham, she answered: "Yes, it's still the case." She was also reported to have said she believed Pham had been "targeted" by "the system."

A Green Party spokesperson said: "Where members have expressed views that do not fit in with the party's values, we have internal processes to investigate." The party further stated that Speitan holds no official positions within its structures and that it "takes all allegations of this nature seriously."

The controversy surrounding Speitan's motion has intensified broader tensions within the Greens. The proposal called for "a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine," a territory that encompasses modern-day Israel. In reaction, Israel barred Green leader Zack Polanski from entering the country. Jewish organisations characterised the motion as an "attack" on their community, and several Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs reported the party to Britain's equality watchdog.

Speitan has defended the motion's intent, arguing that its supporters sought to express opposition to "racist systems of oppression." Polanski, who is Jewish, issued a lengthy statement on Monday night insisting he would not permit anyone to be excluded from the party "because of the religious or communal body they are part of." He added that "antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are, and must always be, completely distinct."

The fallout has already prompted resignations. Phil Davies, the Green Party's deputy leader in Wales, stepped down and cancelled his membership on Tuesday, calling the motion "the final nail in the coffin." Other Green councillors have also resigned since the vote, exposing deepening fractures among members, MPs, and deputy leaders over the party's direction.

The episode raises difficult questions for the Greens about the boundaries of permissible debate within a party that has traditionally positioned itself as a champion of minority rights and social justice. Critics argue that equating Zionism with racism risks alienating Jewish members and voters, while supporters of the motion contend it is a legitimate expression of solidarity with Palestinians. The involvement of a figure linked to a convicted al-Qaeda supporter is likely to amplify scrutiny of the party's internal vetting and disciplinary procedures, and could complicate Polanski's efforts to present the Greens as a mainstream political force. The BBC has contacted Speitan for comment but has not received a response.