US designates Palestine Action activist group 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist'

The United States has designated the activist group Palestine Action as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) as part of its efforts to combat what it described as violent far-left terror networks. This decision follows the UK's proscription of the group one year ago for causing damage to weapons factories run by Elbit Systems, a key provider of weapons to the Israeli military.

Palestine Action is now sanctioned for allegedly materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for terrorism, including breaking into defense infrastructure and British military installations. The group has also promoted its violent acts on social media, encouraging similar tactics internationally.

The SDGT list was first established shortly after the 9/11 attacks, targeting the Holy Land Foundation, a Muslim charity, and five Palestinian-American men charged with funding Hamas-run groups. The Trump administration has also sanctioned Masar Badil, a movement advocating for an alternative revolutionary path for Palestinian rights and freedoms, after decades of failed negotiations.