UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK civil servants call Palestine Action ban “absurd”, warning it misuses terror laws to silence protest against UK arms sales to Israel.
As reported by The Guardian, a senior civil servant says the Home Office is facing internal unease over the decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist group.
What did a senior Home Office official say about the Palestine Action ban?
An anonymous Home Office insider has disclosed growing internal unease over Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist group.
They said,
“My colleagues and I were shocked by the announcement. All week, the office has been a very tense atmosphere, charged with concern about treating a non-violent protest group the same as actual terrorist organisations like Isis, and the dangerous precedent this sets.”
The source stated,
“From desk to desk, colleagues are exchanging concerned and bemused conversations about how absurd this is and how impossible it will be to enforce. Are they really going to prosecute as terrorists everyone who expresses support for Palestine Action’s work to disrupt the flow of arms to Israel as it commits war crimes?”
They added,
“It’s ridiculous and it’s being widely condemned in anxious conversations internally as a blatant misuse of anti-terror laws for political purposes to clamp down on protests which are affecting the profits of arms companies.”
What did Yvette Cooper’s Palestine Action ban mean for UK protest rights?
Earlier this week, Yvette Cooper revealed plans to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act. If approved, the move would make membership or expressing support for the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
This marks the first instance of a direct protest group being designated a terrorist entity in the UK, alongside groups like ISIS, al-Qaida, and National Action.
What Foreign Office staff were told after criticising the UK’s Gaza stance?
The Home Office is not the only department facing internal dissent – staff discontent has emerged across several other government departments. More than 300 Foreign Office employees were urged to consider resigning this month after signing a letter warning the UK may be complicit in Israel’s alleged war crimes in Gaza.
In response to the letter, Oliver Robbins, the permanent under-secretary, and Nick Dyer, the Foreign Office’s second most senior official, issued a joint statement, saying,
“If your disagreement with any aspect of government policy or action is profound, your ultimate recourse is to resign from the civil service. This is an honourable course.”
How did Palestine Action target a UK base with arms to Israel?
Last September, the UK paused some arms export licences to Israel, citing the risk of violating international humanitarian law. However, critics argue the move is insufficient, as a court case is now pending over allegations that Britain supplied F-35 components used in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Palestine Action claimed responsibility for breaking into RAF Brize Norton last week and defacing two military planes with paint. The group cited Britain’s role in
“sending military cargo, flying surveillance missions over Gaza, and refuelling US and Israeli fighter jets.”
What did Palestine Action say about the arrests and terrorism charges?
In reaction to the arrests made under suspicion of terrorism offences, Palestine Action said the charges expose the true motive behind the government’s actions.
The group said,
“proscription is not about enabling prosecutions under terrorism laws – it’s about cracking down on non-violent protests which disrupt the flow of arms to Israel during its genocide in Palestine.”
Key facts about Palestine Action
- Formed in 2020 to oppose UK arms links to Israel.
- Uses protests and property damage at arms factories.
- Actions include the Elbit factory protest and the RAF base break-in.
- Govt plans to ban group under terror laws; critics object.