US Designates Palestine Action as Terrorist Organization

The United States has officially designated the UK-based activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, locking any assets the group holds in the US or under the control of American citizens.

The decision freezes Palestine Action’s US-linked property and makes it illegal for American citizens to engage in financial transactions with or send money to the group. Washington accused the campaign of supporting "numerous acts of terrorism since July 2020", including actions that physically injured British police officers and attempt to intimidate private businesses and the UK government. 

American authorities also claimed that the group has pushed its tactics online and encouraged similar actions internationally, including inside the US and along the US-Mexico border.

The sanctions are part of a broader push by the Trump administration against what it describes as far-left terrorist networks. Alongside Palestine Action, the US Treasury Department targeted Masar Badil, an international pro-Palestine movement, and Autistici Inventati, an Italian collective that provides digital services to left-wing groups.

Announcing the sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a clear warning:

"Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: We will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear."

"Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated."

Palestine Action, which uses direct-action tactics such as property destruction and break-ins to disrupt Israeli-linked defense firms, strongly rejected the designation. Co-founder Huda Ammori directly challenged the US authority behind the ruling:

"As a Palestinian and Iraqi, the fact the country which destroyed both my homelands is calling me a terrorist, is beyond hypocritical."

Responding to the new label, Ammori added:

"Trump is the antithesis to everything Palestine Action stands for."

Ammori maintained that the group's efforts have "always been about saving lives" and argued that the move should be a "wake-up call to anyone who cares about free speech and democracy". She also warned that Britain’s previous actions against the group laid the groundwork for international crackdowns on political dissent.

The UK civil rights group Defend Our Juries echoed those concerns:

"We’ve warned since July 2025 that Keir Starmer’s unprecedented ban on Palestine Action would embolden autocrats and demagogues around the world. Today that warning has proved to be well-founded."

"Whilst bowing down to the arms industry and Israel lobby, the UK government has encouraged Trump to escalate his domestic crackdown on civil liberties."

Khaled Barakat, an executive committee member of the newly sanctioned group Masar Badil, affirmed that his movement would not back down:

 "We will not be intimidated or silenced by this action, which once again highlights the criminal role of the U.S. in the ongoing genocide and the Zionist colonial project in Palestine."

"Washington does not grant us the legitimacy of our struggle, nor can it take that legitimacy away from us. We are committed to continuing on the path of justice for Palestine, towards return and liberation. No liberation movement has ever been defeated through sanctions and bans."

The US decision builds on anti-terror legislation passed in the UK in 2025 that made supporting Palestine Action a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The British ban sparked widespread demonstrations and mass arrests. Over 2,000 people have faced potential trial or charges after publicly declaring their support for the banned group during street protests. In court, four members received prison sentences in June for a break-in at a defense firm that resulted in more than £1 million in damage, with one member convicted of causing grievous bodily harm after striking a police officer with a sledgehammer.

Although the UK Court of Appeal ruled in June that the British government's ban was a "justified and proportionate" restriction on freedom of expression rights, Palestine Action has been granted permission to appeal the case to the UK Supreme Court.