by Carys Moseley, Christian Concern
Our Public Policy researcher, Carys Moseley, explores the Islamic influences behind Palestine Action, exposing the way that these influences shape their behaviour and actions.
This week, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced she would bring forward plans to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group. An order will be laid before Parliament on Monday under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2000. This came after Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton, the largest RAF base in the UK, and sprayed paint into two military planes, causing millions of pounds worth of damage. One of the campaigners entered the premises on an e-scooter, and both campaigners escaped undetected. The ensuing fallout has had widespread media coverage in the UK and internationally. However, what is not being discussed is the Islamic link in all of this.
Claims that Palestine Action is ‘non-violent’ and engaged in ‘peaceful protest’
Many people have suddenly sprung up, claiming that Palestine Action is non-violent and merely engaged in peaceful protest.
In fact, Palestine Action’s own website does not describe it in either of these terms. Instead, it uses the term ‘direct action’, citing examples of criminal vandalism that it has caused.
Relentless attack on factories deemed to manufacture weapons for Israel
Since its inception in 2020, the group has targeted factories that it says are manufacturing parts for weapons to be used in Israel against the Palestinians.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, serious criminal damage to property for the purpose of influencing government policy counts as terrorism. Section 1(1) and 1(2) of the act define this as ‘the use or threat of action’ where ‘the use or threat is designed to influence the government, or to intimidate the public or a section of the public, and the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause’ and it involves ‘serious damage to property’.
This means that an awful lot of politicians and journalists are wrong to state that Palestine Action is not engaged in terrorism.