Britain’s home secretary Yvette Cooper wrote to Parliament on Monday saying she planned to ban direct action protesters Palestine Action as a “terrorist” group next week.
Israel and its influential representatives in the UK have for years lobbied the British government to outlaw the group. Palestine Action campaigns mainly against Elbit Systems, a major Israeli arms manufacturer.
The plan to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Action of 2000 has been met by a storm of protest from civil liberties groups, lawmakers and campaigners.
Yet Cooper seems determined to press ahead with the draconian move, which would put Palestine Action on the same list as violent extremist groups such ISIS, al-Qaida and National Action (a neo-Nazi group).
Cooper, as well as Prime Minister Keir Starmer, foreign minister David Lammy and finance minister Rachel Reeves were all included on Labour Friends of Israel’s last publicly accessible list of “supporters.”
The increasingly secretive group removed the list from its website ahead of last year’s general election.
In total, 13 out of 25 UK cabinet ministers have accepted money from Israel lobby bankroller Trevor Chinn or from pro-Israel groups, according to investigative journalist John McEvoy.
The ban could lead to the imprisonment of up to 14 years of anyone “inviting support” to Palestine Action. (more...)
Will “terrorist” ban stop Palestine Action?
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