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Green Party Proposal on Reparations for Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza Fails to Meet National Committee Quorum

The Green National Committee will not consider a foreign policy proposal that would have had the Green Party of the United States call for reparations related to destruction and civilian harm in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza. The proposal, which tied that harm to U.S. military involvement, failed to meet quorum.

The proposal, sponsored by the Green Party of Hawaii, was introduced in early May and discussed for several weeks before going to a formal ballot. While the proposal drew more support than opposition among participating delegates, it ultimately failed to meet the participation threshold needed for the Green National Committee to act.

Under party rules, the vote required participation from two-thirds of the Green Party’s 45 active and accredited state affiliates and caucuses. That meant at least 30 affiliates and caucuses needed to participate, but only 28 did, leaving the proposal two short of quorum.

Among national delegates who did participate, the proposal received 46 votes in favor, seven opposed, and seven abstentions. Opposition was limited to a handful of delegates, with most no votes coming from Pennsylvania. Had quorum been met, the proposal would have needed only a simple majority for approval.

According to the text of the proposal, it would have had the Green Party adopt reparations as a formal foreign policy demand. That would have included the party publicly stating that U.S. support helped contribute to large-scale destruction and loss of life in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, while calling for reconstruction funding, victim compensation, environmental cleanup, and long-term economic recovery assistance.

The measure would also have directed the party to support international investigations, U.S. compliance with international law, congressional hearings, an end to arms transfers tied to further destruction, and a general shift in military spending toward humanitarian relief and reparative programs.

The Hawaii affiliate argued the proposal was consistent with the Green Party’s stated commitments to peace, social justice, grassroots democracy, and ecological wisdom, and that its opposition to U.S. militarism and intervention in the Middle East should extend to a formal demand for reparations.

Had it been approved, the proposal would have directed the party’s International, Media, Peace Action, and Outreach committees to develop a coordinated campaign making reparations a core Green foreign policy demand. That campaign would have included outreach to global Green parties and human rights organizations, as well as public education efforts on U.S. responsibility and possible paths toward reparative justice.

The proposal presented a three-month implementation timeline. It also stated it would have had no financial impact on the Green Party, arguing that the work already aligned with existing committee mandates and calls for federal military spending to be redirected toward reparative programs.

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