‘Apartheid apologists’ whose CEO falsely claimed he was stopped by police for crossing road near Palestine protest, take credit for proscription move
An Israel lobby group that has repeatedly been funded by an Israeli government front group has claimed that the Starmer government’s move to ban – proscribe – anti-genocide activist group Palestine Action (PA) – is because of its influence and representations.
The so-called ‘Campaign against Antisemitism‘ (CAA), which has received hundreds of thousands in donations from the Israeli ‘quasi-governmental’ Jewish National Fund and has been described by Jewish anti-genocide activists as “to limit freedom of speech by attacking as ‘anti-Semitic’ opponents of the Israeli state”, boasted on its X account that it was behind Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s proscription decision:
The CAA’s attempts to have PA listed as a terror group appear to pre-date PA’s spray-painting of ‘RAF’ aircraft – actually a privately-owned, effectively mercenary fleet – in protest at the UK state and military’s assistance in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. On the same morning that the group announced its action, CAA demanded the proscription and said it had ‘already provided the Home Secretary with a detailed dossier’ of its supposed reasons for its demand to have PA listed alongside murderous terror groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda and indicated its frustration at how long it had taken Cooper to obey:
CAA, which has been described as the ‘Campaign against Palestinians’ and as pro-Israel “shock troops…pos[ing] as a charity” for its constant attacks on supporters of Palestinian human rights and freedom, demanded and obtained the deletion of a Channel 4 ‘Big Brother’ episode last year because a contestant wore a t-shirt supportive of Palestine and pressured the Unite union to ban film-showings and book-readings exposing the Israel lobby’s smear campaign against Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, was set up as Israel killed Palestinians in its 2014 assault on Gaza.
The group is also one of two included as the main pro-Israel agitators in a new report by human rights group CAGE titled “Britain’s Apartheid Apologists“. The report’s foreword, by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), reads:
The CAA and UKLFI’s work has contributed to an intensifying wave of repression: wearing a pin or keffiyeh for Palestine becomes a sackable offence; speaking out against the Gaza genocide risks referrals to regulators; and tearing down factories arming genocide results in lengthy custodial sentences.
CAA’s chief executive Gideon Falter was exposed last year when he accused the Metropolitan Police of preventing him trying merely to cross a road near an anti-genocide march, a false claim widely regurgitated by the so-called ‘mainstream’ media. Video footage proved he had gone to the march site with bodyguards and was stopped by police officers because they saw him and his Israeli security detail trying to force their way through the march:
Jewish anti-apartheid groups have repeatedly asked the Charity Commission to rescind CAA’s charitable status because its openly political and pro-Israel activities break charity rules, but so far the Commission has either ignored the requests or refused to act. So relentless have CAA’s attacks on behalf of Israel been that even its former patron Margaret Hodge, an ardent Israel supporter deeply involved in the ‘Labour antisemitism’ smear scam complained that it was still attacking Labour under Zionist Keir Starmer. The group has also been accused of inciting death threats against Starmer’s anti-racist predecessor Corbyn.
The Starmer regime is waging a ‘lawfare’ war on anti-genocide journalists and protesters, many of them Jewish, misusing anti-terror laws to raid, harass, persecute and prosecute those who expose or speak out against Israel’s endless crimes in Gaza and its slaughter of around 400,000 Palestinian civilians so far. The UK state, which has protected Israeli war criminals, has been shown consulting with Israel about whom it should target and prosecute, including in the case of the ‘Filton 18’ PA activists who are being held in prison for more than a year before trial so that they have been punished even if found not guilty.
Now a pro-Israel pressure group that has been repeatedly and heavily funded by Israel through the JNF and has boasted of its anti-Palestinian efforts before is boasting that the UK government is marching to its tune in seeking to ban Palestine Action as a ‘terrorist’ group – a move that, if successful, will make any expression of support for PA a criminal offence punishable by up to fourteen years in jail.
The influence and interference of Israel and its lobby groups and supporters in UK politics is hollowing out the rights and freedoms of UK citizens to engage in the protest and civil disobedience that are essential to a healthy and functional democracy.
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This is how the Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) ‘reported’ this yesterday in their newsletter.
https://mailchi.mp/lfi/ceasefire-negotiations-resume-amid-israeli-ire-at-us-hamas-backchannel-1034861?e=c8fa72d151
Government to proscribe Palestine Action
Palestine Action will be proscribed following its attacks on a UK RAF base last week, the home secretary has announced. The government will proscribe the anti-Israel extremist group under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Yvette Cooper said: “The disgraceful attack on Brize Norton in the early hours of the morning on Friday 20 June is the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action.” There is continuing speculation about Iran’s support for the extremist group.
LFI strongly supports the government’s decision.
RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. On Friday, activists from Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and attacked two aircraft. It is feared that the damage caused to the engine of one plane may render the aircraft unsafe to be used again and could cost £25m to replace. The incident, which is being investigated by counter-terrorism police, prompted the government to launch a security review at military bases across the UK. Keir Starmer called the incident “disgraceful”.
In a five-year campaign, Palestine Action has conducted at least 356 attacks on sites across the UK including Jewish and Israeli targets. Palestine Action attacks have cost the defence industry at least £30m. The Metropolitan police banned the group from protesting outside parliament, with commissioner Sir Mark Rowley saying: “This is an organised extremist criminal group, whose proscription as terrorists is being actively considered.”
“……..There is continuing speculation about Iran’s support for the extremist group……”
The question arises that apart from those writing this propaganda narrative drivel, just who else exactly is carrying out this speculation and what evidence, if any, exists for such speculation outside the convenient fevered imaginations of those with a very obvious agenda?
The same broad consensus of bought and paid for actors who started off ‘speculating’ about non-existent Iraqi WMD’s and a plethora of other ‘speculative’ lies designed to sell forever wars, genocide and lawfare against anyone who challenges these parasitic narcissistic sociopaths are hardly a credible source.
Oh Dear listen to the Lumpen LFI.
“Iran supports PA.” Hmm they have probably never heard of them?
“Attacked two aircraft.” er sprayed them with red paint, and by the way probably did the RAF & UK Govt a favour exposing their very weak security, tighten up lads & lasses!
“Cost the UK defence industry £30m.”
When according to a Harvard researcher the Zionist illegal Israeli Occupation Force has killed 400,000 in Gaza perhaps many would argue it should have cost the UK Merchants of Death much, much more as PA are totally in tune with the ICJ ruling on “Plausible Genocide” by Israel & the ICJ has also issued international arrest warrants for Israeli leaders which the UK Govt as a signatory is obliged to carry out!
Also Palestine Action’s direct action has not harmed ONE human being and perhaps a researcher out their could tell us how many lives the Lab Govt (+previous Tory Govt) with their arms sales to Israel, spy planes for them & allowing Israeli arms companies to operate in the UK have cost?
Some suggest whilst the wrong people are in the dock shouldn’t PA be up for the Nobel Peace Prize?
Many suggest as very brave human beings they put their personal freedom as risk TO TRY TO STOP A GENOCIDE!
Many salute them.
PA 1 UK Labour Govt 0.
And as perhaps many suggest Labour Govt (+previous Tory Govt) Proscribe Thyselves?
Yours in Support of Peace & the ICJ.
Fully in line with the ICJ ruling on “Plausible Genocide” by Israel in Gaza, & issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Leaders Palestine Action’s direct action has not harmed ONE human being.
Can the Lab Govt (& previous Tory Govt) with their arms sales to Israel, spy planes for Israel & allowing Israeli arms companies to manufacture weapons for Israel in the UK, make a similar claim?
The wrong people are in the dock.
Labour (& Tories) Proscribe Thyself.
Correct, back genuine barbarians who slaughter innocent children by the score, and claim to be righteous. All those who back Israel, a little, or a lot are disgusting arseholes.
CAA – not Campaign Against APARTHEID, then?
Palestine Action is NO terrorist organisation: It campaigns against one that is accused of undertaking genocide called the (racist) State of Israel.
From Daniel Finn at Jacobin — part of a long read on the subject:
Keir Starmer’s Palestine Action Ban Is a Threat to Democracy
Palestine Action has a record of carrying out direct action at Israeli-owned arms factories in Britain. Most recently, its members sprayed red paint on British warplanes at a Royal Air Force base, in protest of Britain’s role as “an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.” The move to define it as a terrorist organization is a disgraceful authoritarian measure from a Labour government that fears having its own complicity with crimes against humanity exposed in the courts.
In her statement announcing the ban, Cooper claimed that the graffiti at the Brize Norton air base was part of “a long history of unacceptable criminal damage” carried out by members of Palestine Action. In reality, Cooper is worried that state prosecutors might not be able to secure convictions on charges of criminal damage. Criminalizing the group itself is a way to avoid having their arguments tested by the British legal system.
As Cooper and her boss, Keir Starmer, will understand perfectly well, the charge of criminal damage has more than one element. It’s not enough to show that someone has damaged an item of property — you also have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they did not have a lawful excuse for doing so.
There is a well-established tradition in Britain of juries acquitting defendants who were charged with causing damage to military equipment and installations on the grounds that they were acting to prevent a crime…
[There follows examples of cases and some legal info via Secret Barrister]
Cooper, Starmer, and their governmental colleagues would have every reason to fear a humiliating outcome if the British authorities put members of Palestine Action on trial for criminal damage. Even if they were able to secure a conviction, the cost in terms of negative publicity would be very high.
Lawyers for the defense would certainly highlight the fact that the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, and that the British government is legally obliged to enforce the warrant if it has the opportunity to do so. Yet the very same government insists on transferring more weapons to the control of Netanyahu, a fugitive from international justice who has been charged with crimes against humanity.
Some further paragraphs:
Some of the pressure to ban Palestine Action has come from a tiny organization called We Believe in Israel. Although it has just a handful of employees and no meaningful support in British society, this microgroup has an outsize influence inside the Labour Party. Luke Akehurst, its former director, was parachuted into a safe Labour constituency for the 2024 general election after years of service as a factional bruiser for the party’s dominant right-wing clique…
In any case, the campaigning record of We Believe in Israel shows it to be a virulent anti-Palestinian hate group that is fully conscious of its role as a minor cog in the machinery of genocide. It campaigns against Palestine’s right to exist while demanding that the British government cut off funding for legitimate humanitarian aid groups that operate in Gaza. We Believe in Israel even accused the British foreign secretary, David Lammy, of “appeasement” and “emboldening terrorist propaganda” after he suspended talks on a free-trade agreement with Israel in a mild, tokenistic gesture of disapproval.
A report from We Believe in Israel that pressed for the criminalization of Palestine Action contained the following passage:
In July 2022, the group was investigated under counter-terrorism protocols following intelligence suggesting contact between some of its members and individuals linked to Hamas-aligned networks abroad (see: Metropolitan Police briefing, classified). While the investigation yielded no direct terror charges, it underscored the degree of concern shared by law enforcement agencies over Palestine Action’s increasingly radicalised behaviour.
A careful reader will immediately notice how vague the allegation is. “Suggesting,” of course, is not the same as “demonstrating,” and the terms “contact,” “linked,” and “aligned” are equally nebulous. The word “direct” before “terror charges” is also a redundancy, intended to minimize the only solid piece of evidence that we can detect in this farrago — namely, the fact that this investigation could find nothing to use against Palestine Action.
However, the report does inadvertently supply proof of wrongdoing by those who produced it. As the Guardian’s legal affairs editor, Haroon Sidique, noted, “It is not clear how or why We Believe in Israel was granted access to classified documents.” There should have been a full investigation of how this private lobbying group, acting on behalf of a foreign power whose atrocities it describes as “lawful military operations” got hold of such material.
The statement from Yvette Cooper announcing the ban made no attention of alleged ties between Palestine Action and Hamas. Nor did it say anything about possible links with other external actors. Yet an article in the Times subsequently passed on anonymous briefings from officials at the Home Office who claimed to be suspicious of the group’s funding:
Officials are understood to be investigating its source of donations amid concerns that the Iranian regime, via proxies, is funding the group’s activities given that their objectives are aligned. The group states that it is committed to “dismantling the apartheid regime in Israel through targeted campaigns against companies that profit from the occupation and genocide of the Palestinian people.”
That is the sum total of the evidence presented in a piece that is almost 1,300 words in length. By the same feeble logic, we could say that Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Court of Justice are “aligned” with Iranian objectives, since they all level the charge of apartheid against Israel.
The clampdown on protest reflects the isolation of those at the helm of the British state.
https://jacobin.com/2025/06/starmer-uk-palestine-action-ban
Appreciated PW.
‘We Believe in Israel’🇮🇱 = “a virulent anti-Palestinian hate group”. Thanks.
From Declassified UK:
British diplomat exposes Iran hysteria and Israel lobby
Off topic breaking news.
Stocksbridge and Upper Don Ward Council election result from yesterday:
https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/news/2025/stocksbridge-and-upper-don-election-result-2025-0
Stocksbridge and Upper Don By-election Result 2025
ALLCROFT, Adam James Yorkshire Party = 58 votes
BOOKER, John Reform UK = 1,789 votes
DAVIES, Andy Green Party = 294 votes
DIXON, Matt The Conservative Party Candidate = 332 votes
LENTON, Josiah Tomasz Labour Party = 1,324 votes
SHEPHERD, Stuart Andrew Liberal Democrats = 1,597 votes
WRAITH, Claire Suzanne Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition = 43
Turnout = 36.8%
Yes, Dave Hansell those figures say it all.
Again off topic, but although it didn’t receive publicity at the time, in the byelections earlier this year, Reform took a seat in Tameside Council in the North West – the first time ever in what has been solidly Labour since the 70’s. Ironically the post Jonathan Reynolds held back in the day in what is now his own constituency.
Reform were nipping at his heels at the GE – likewise Angela Rayner in her adjoining constituency. Reynolds has always been Reynolds, a not very bright career politician, but Rayner who was once held in such high esteem really needs to have a good long think (or it is possibly too late now…) as I can see them both being toast at the next GE if Starmer continues on his current trajectory.
I recently visited the area, where I used to live, for the first time in years and was shocked to hear support for Reform, not least from old friends who were life long Labour supporters. These are not stupid or deprived people, and I shan’t fall out with them as they are lifelong friends, but I am totally mystified what has happened to them. Also from others the refrain “they are all the same, why bother voting?”….
When with my co-grassroots trade union activists recently giving out leaflets & getting people to sign postcards to MPs against Disability Cuts, one bloke said he was voting Reform.
He signed our postcard but said with Reform he wanted to shake up the political system!
But Reform leaders are the Establishment (Ex Banker Farage & other ex public school boys).
And recently I heard a great quote:
“The Right are good on emotion and poor on facts. The Left is very good on facts but is poor on emotion.”
They reel some working class people in with emotive issues like immigration, some argue using distortion & exaggeration.
But once they have hooked them it is hard to dislodge them, though Reform are of the rich and for the rich they pose (aided by the billionaire media) as being anti-establishment, as they play working class people.
They are capital’s reserve choice: “In case of an emergency – the Tories, now Right Wing Labour, losing – BREAK THE ICE & get Reform!”
But I looked at their last manifesto and Reform’s real agenda is CLASS POLITICS FOR THE RICH which is their Achilles Heel which WE NEED TO EXPOSE!
They want tax cuts for the rich whilst most Reform supporters want a Wealth Tax!
They don’t support public ownership which their supporters do!
They want tax handouts for private health,
private education & private health insurance this latter of which they could use to replace the NHS, so for your future health treatments (like the USA) you may have to hope you have enough in your private health insurance account to cover the treatment?
But as I spoke to this bloke I felt there was a political vacuum eg a Left Party that I could offer as an alternative, one that would REALLY shake up the political system and the word is Jeremy Corbyn’s new Left Party is to be launched soon & should be in place for the local elections in May 2026.
And as for EMOTION we need to up ours by telling stories, personalising things; we are caring human beings so DRAW ON YOUR HUMANITY
Owen Jones in a vid posted yesterday on his youtube channel:
BANNING Of Palestine Action In UK Should TERRIFY You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgPy2QRS7r8 (20mins 5secs)
The problem is that most people have absolutely no idea what’s REALLY going on, and the reason they don’t is because the MSM is totally corrupt. The PTB are increasingly revealing who and what they really are, and have always have been – ie fascist scum – but most people don’t see it, much the same as with Hitler and the Nazis.
George Monbiot on DDN, posted three hours ago (at the time of typing), which already has over 55k views:
Sharing This Video Could Get You 14 Years in Prison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECkVO4F_38I (15mins 37secs)
Here’s Own Jones with a similar observation:
And just came across this, posted eleven hours ago:
Israel’s DEVASTATING Announcement For Desperate Gazans
Israel has stopped aid deliveries into Gaza, citing claims that Hamas is stealing the aid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DU4G7o-jQg (13mins 15secs)
I see that Donald has thrown his toys out of his pram again.
“Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, including the fact that they have charged our Farmers as much as 400% Tariffs, for years, on Dairy Products, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country. They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us, also. Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately. We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
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6/27/25, 6:44 PM