Hundreds of academics and lawyers urge Burnham to lift Palestine Action ban

More than 250 academics and lawyers have written to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. They are urging him to lift the ban on direct action group Palestine Action and end military cooperation with Israel. The letter, dated 25 August, was signed by notable individuals such as barrister Michael Mansfield, Oxford historian Avi Shlaim, Tim Crosland, and Laleh Khalili.

The letter highlights Israel's continuous perpetration of war crimes. Despite this, the UK government continues to provide Israel with military, economic, and diplomatic support. Instead of changing its course, the UK Home Office and its judicial system have decided to target activists who oppose war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

The letter emphasizes that these actions by the UK government constitute some of the most egregious state crimes of the twenty-first century. Legal scholars, practitioners, and public intellectuals argue that the 1948 Genocide Convention obliges states to prevent and punish genocide.