Academics and lawyers urge Prime Minister Burnham to lift Palestine Action ban

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On 25 August 2026, a group of more than 250 academics and legal professionals, including barrister Michael Mansfield and historian Avi Shlaim, submitted a letter to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The signatories urged the government to terminate all military and security cooperation with Israel and to de-proscribe the direct action group Palestine Action, which had been designated a terrorist organization in July 2025. The letter cited the signers' view of the UK’s legal obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention and requested the government support international legal actions against Israel. This pressure followed Prime Minister Burnham's prior apology for the Labour leadership's earlier support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Consequences

The Burnham administration faces internal pressure from Labour backbenchers and civil society to adopt stronger policy stances regarding the Middle East. The government is reportedly preparing to announce new measures in September 2026, which are expected to include a potential ban on goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements.

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