US designates UK-based Palestine Action as terrorist group

The US has designated the UK-based Palestine Action group as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" organization, imposing sanctions on the group. According to the US Treasury Department, Palestine Action has supported several acts of terrorism since July 2020, including breaking into British military institutions. The group describes itself as a direct-action protest group, seeking to establish a Palestinian state, end the war in Gaza, and impose a full arms embargo and sanctions on Israel.

The designation, which was also reported by Punch, means that Palestine Action's assets in the US will be frozen, and Americans will be blocked from doing business with the group. The sanctions also prohibit people from giving funds, goods, or services to Palestine Action, effectively cutting it off from the global financial system.

The UK had previously designated Palestine Action as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000, after a series of demonstrations at Israel-linked arms factories and a Royal Air Force base.

The UK's ban on the group was initially ruled unlawful by the High Court, but was overturned by the Court of Appeal in June, and the Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal. According to The National UAE, the US Treasury said that Palestine Action has promoted its violent acts on social media, encouraging the use of similar tactics internationally, including within the US and along the US-Mexican border.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, The National UAE, The National Business, Middle East Eye, Politico EU — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.