UK High Court rules banning of anti-Israel group Palestine Action unlawful

Britain’s High Court ruled Friday that the government’s decision to outlaw the protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful, but kept the ban in place pending another hearing, while the government prepares an appeal.

The UK government banned Palestine Action after activists in June 2025 broke into a Royal Air Force base and vandalized two planes, causing an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) of damage, in protest of Britain’s military support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.

Judges Victoria Sharp, Jonathan Swift and Karen Steyn said that “the nature and scale of Palestine Action’s activities” did not meet the “level, scale and persistence” that would justify proscription.

The judges said they were “satisfied that the decision to proscribe Palestine Action was disproportionate.”

The government had declared the anti-Israel group a terrorist organization, alongside the likes of al-Qaeda and Hamas, making membership in or support for Palestine Action a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Since then, more than 2,700 people have been arrested at protests for holding signs saying “I support Palestine Action.” More than 250 have been charged under the Terrorism Act.

Supporters of Palestine Action and civil liberties groups said the arrests ran roughshod over free speech and the right to peacefully protest.

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said the court’s decision “is a monumental victory both for our fundamental freedoms here in Britain and in the struggle for freedom for the Palestinian people, striking down a decision that will forever be remembered as one of the most extreme attacks on free speech in recent British history.”

Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of Human Rights Watch, called the court ruling “a shot in the arm for British democracy.” She said the British government had used anti-terror legislation to stifle legitimate criticism of Israel.

British Jews ‘deeply concerned,’ minister vows fight

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “disappointed by the court’s decision,” and pledged on X: “I will fight this judgment in the Court of Appeal.”

In a statement after the verdict, Mahmood said: “The Court acknowledged that Palestine Action has carried out acts of terrorism, celebrated those who have taken part in those acts and promoted the use of violence.

“It has also concluded that Palestine Action is not an ordinary protest or civil disobedience group, and that its actions are not consistent with democratic values and the rule of law.”

The home secretary argued that the blacklisting “does not prevent peaceful protest in support of the Palestinian cause, another point on which the court agrees,” and insisted that some of the supporters of the group “don’t know the full nature of this organization.

“The proscription of Palestine Action followed a rigorous and evidence-based decision-making process, endorsed by parliament,” she said, pledging on X: “I will fight this judgment in the Court of Appeal.”

In a joint statement, the UK’s Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed Mahmood’s response to the ruling, which they said “deeply concerned” them.

“The practical impact of Palestine Action’s activities on Jewish communal life has been significant and deeply unsettling,” the Jewish groups said. “Palestine Action has repeatedly targeted buildings hosting Jewish communal institutions, Jewish-owned businesses, or sites associated with Israel, in ways that cause fear and disruption far beyond the immediate protest sites.”

The Jewish groups said they would “seek urgent clarity” from the UK government, police and prosecutors “regarding the implications of this ruling and the steps they intend to take to ensure that communities are protected from intimidation and criminality. This includes ensuring appropriate legal tools are available.

“The safety of the British public including Jews must remain a priority,” the groups said.

Palestine Action has carried out acts of “direct action” at military and industrial sites in the UK since the group’s formation in 2020, including breaking into facilities owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK.

Last week, a UK jury found six Palestine Action members not guilty of aggravated burglary at an Elbit UK site in Bristol in August 2024. One of them was also acquitted of causing grievous bodily harm despite being filmed striking a policewoman with a sledgehammer, resulting in a fractured spine. UK prosecutors said Saturday that they would seek a retrial in the case following sharp criticism from lawmakers, police leaders and Jewish organizations.

Officials say Palestine Action’s activities have caused millions of pounds in damage that affects national security.

In their ruling Friday, the judges said that while “a very small number of its actions have amounted to terrorist action … regardless of proscription, the criminal law is available to prosecute those concerned.”

The justices said they would not quash the ban until a further hearing on whether it should stay in place “pending the possibility of an appeal.” They gave lawyers for the two sides until Feb. 20 to prepare for that hearing.

London’s Metropolitan Police force said that in light of the judgment, officers would not arrest people expressing support for Palestine Action, but would continue to gather evidence of offenses “to provide opportunities for enforcement at a later date.”

Zev Stub and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.