NewzHundreds of academics and lawyers urge Burnham to lift Palestine Action ban More than 250 academics and lawyers have written to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to end military cooperation with Israel and de-proscribe direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The letter, dated 25 August and seen by Middle East Eye, was signed by prominent figures including barrister Michael Mansfield, Oxford historian Avi Shlaim, Defend Our Juries co-founder Tim Crosland and Exeter University academic Laleh Khalili. "Despite Israel’s ongoing perpetration of flagrant war crimes, the UK government continues to provide it with military, economic and diplomatic support," the letter reads.
"Rather than change course and stop aiding and abetting Israel, the UK Home Office and its judicial system have chosen to punish activists who oppose war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. "Rather than put a stop to the most grievous state crime of the twenty-first century, our government has chosen to impose increasingly authoritarian restrictions upon political protest in general and upon Palestinian solidarity in particular." The letter goes on to say: "As legal scholars, practitioners and public intellectuals concerned with questions of ethics, justice and law, we understand the world-historical importance of the 1948 Genocide Convention that obliges states 'to prevent and punish genocide. "We respect and commend citizens who refuse to stand by as mere spectators while their government fails to honour its legal obligations." The letter asks Burnham to "back up" his apology for the Labour leadership's early support for Israel's war on Gaza "with actions that will underscore the UK’s respect for international law, freedom of speech and assembly".
It asks the government to end all military and security cooperation with Israel, including all arms exports, surveillance flights, intelligence exchange, training and joint operations. It further demands that the government "de-proscribe Palestine Action and assert the right of all defendants, …
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