UK designates Palestine Action as a terror organization

The final straw was when the anti-Israel group broke into an air force base in May to protest British support of Israel.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The British parliament designated Palestine Action as a terror organization Wednesday in an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 385 to 26.

Being a member of or supporting the group, or even wearing an item of clothing “to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter” will now be sufficient to be prosecuted for a terrorist offense, with a maximum possible sentence of 14 years in prison.

This puts Palestine Action on par with Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Islamic State and dozens of other Islamist terror organizations proscribed by the British government.

The proximate trigger for the move was the group’s May break-in at an RAF base, when two Palestine Action activists damaged military aircraft and spray-painted a large amount of red paint into the engines of two refueling planes.

They did this to raise awareness about alleged British complicity in the suffering of Gazans, they said, claiming that “despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets.”

After the incident, the government said the group’s actions meet the definition of terrorism—the use or threat of serious violence or serious damage to property in a manner designed to influence any government or intimidate the public in order to advance a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

It also began investigating whether Palestine Action was being funded by Iran, a claim its spokesperson called “baseless and utterly ridiculous.”

Billing itself as a “domestic civil disobedience protest group,” the organization was established in 2020 — well before the Hamas-Israel war sparked by Hamas’ invasion of Israel and massacre of 1,200 people on October 7, 2023 — to promote “direction action” in support of the Palestinian cause.

This has often meant violent intimidation of Jews and Israelis, as well as damaging property affiliated with Israeli companies in the UK.

Its members have especially targeted facilities of Israeli defense systems manufacturer Elbit, repeatedly breaking in, illegally occupying and vandalizing its properties, and destroying equipment.

In November 2023, just a few weeks after the Swords of Iron War began, its activists spray-painted “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine” across weapons company Leonardo S.p.A.’s UK head office, with the protestors claiming Leonardo had supplied Israel with fighter jets.

Other arms companies have suffered Palestine Action sabotage as well due to their alleged business connections with the IDF.

While the House of Lords is expected to approve the bill Thursday, turning it into the law of the land, Palestine Action has already begun legal proceedings against the move, calling it a governmental “abuse of power” and “an unlawful order.”

A court hearing to decide whether a case can be brought is expected on Friday.