Hundreds 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. Read more: Hundreds of academics and lawyers urge Burnham to lift Palestine Action ban Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks during the Coalition of the Willing meeting, in Kyiv on 24 August 2026 (AFP)