Key facts
- Over 250 academics and lawyers urged UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to end military cooperation with Israel.
- The letter also calls for the de-proscription of the direct action group Palestine Action.
- The U.S. designated Palestine Action as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and imposed sanctions.
- The UK previously banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organization.
- Prominent signatories include barrister Michael Mansfield and historian Avi Shlaim.
- The letter criticizes the UK government for continuing to provide military, economic, and diplomatic support to Israel.
More than 250 academics and lawyers have urged British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to end military cooperation with Israel and lift the ban on the direct action group Palestine Action. The letter criticizes the UK government for continuing to provide military, economic, and diplomatic support to Israel, while restricting political protest. Prominent signatories include barrister Michael Mansfield and historian Avi Shlaim. The UK Home Office proscribed Palestine Action in July 2025. In a separate development, the United States imposed sanctions on the Palestine Action group, designating it a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The UK's Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal against a lower court ruling that the ban on Palestine Action was lawful. The letter also requests that the government support South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.