Jewish communal organisations have reiterated their serious concerns regarding continued failure to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, after the anti-Israel group posted footage of members infiltrating an RAF base and damaging military aircraft.
A video was published on the group’s social media this morning, along with a message: “Palestine Action members break into RAF Brize Norton and damage two military aircrafts [sic]. Flights depart daily from the base to Akrotiri in Cyprus.
“From Cyprus, British planes collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza.”
Having broken into an RAF base, the activists proceeded by electric scooter towards an aircraft, spraying red paint into its jet engine. Palestine Action claimed that they had put two aircraft “out of service”, and that the activists had then been able to “escape undetected”.
In the last few years, the group has regularly targeted defence companies around the UK, accusing them of creating weapons used by Israel. It has also targeted a number of Jewish charities with links to Israel, and last month attacked a premises in the heart of the Jewish community in Stamford Hill, claiming that it housed the landlords of a property leased to an Israeli defence company.
A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust said:
“Palestine Action is an extremist organisation that has become increasingly aggressive in its tactics, with a worrying rise in violent and threatening behaviour and serious destruction of property.
“This latest attack on British military aircraft confirms that Palestine Action poses a threat to UK national security and this escalation in their behaviour is likely to continue unless they are stopped. If Palestine Action meets the legal threshold for proscription, then there is an urgent need for the government to take this step.”
The initial tweet from Palestine Action
A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies said: “Today’s action represents an escalation in Palestine Action’s activities and an alarming attack on the infrastructure of our national defence. Their criminal activity – disguising their identity, spewing hate, and damaging property – is shameful.
“Ongoing police and Home Office actions against Palestine Action have already produced some results but it is clear they need more resources and powers to adequately address this issue, particularly in light of the attacks and abuse directed at the UK Jewish community. Palestine Action’s open attempts to radicalise young people need to be countered. We call on the Home Office to proscribe them now.”
A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council said: “From targeting the offices of Jewish organisations to damaging RAF aircrafts that keep our nation safe, it is clear that Palestine Action are willing to use all levels of disruption, criminality and violence to advance their warped ideological worldview.
They are not just a threat to the Jewish community but to this country’s capacity to defend itself. The Home Secretary should seriously consider proscribing this group as a terrorist organisation.”
Last week, the Campaign Against Antisemitism called publicly for Palestine Action’s proscription, sending a dossier on their activities to the Home Office. Today, a spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said:
“The Home Secretary needs to ban Palestine Action urgently. They have graduated from vandalising Israel-linked companies to Jewish businesses and charities to now putting Royal Air Force planes out of action. Breaking into an RAF base to vandalise aircraft demonstrates Palestine Action’s real hatred for this country. This is an attack on Britain and the heroes who protect us daily, and jeopardises our nation’s security.
“Why are those who clearly have nothing but contempt for this country allowed to run amok? We have already provided the Home Secretary with a detailed dossier of evidence showing that the group’s activities fall, in our view, squarely within the definition of a terrorist organisation, and that Palestine Action should be proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. There must be no further delay in banning this group. They must be outlawed now.”
The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, condemned Palestine Action’s latest deed this morning as “disgraceful” and “an act of vandalism”.
Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch described it as “politically motivated criminality”, and said “we must stop tolerating terrorist or extremist groups that seek to undermine our society. The full force of the law must come down on those responsible.”
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said: “Palestine Action must be proscribed as a terrorist organisation after the attack on RAF planes at Brize Norton.”
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
