Files reviewed by The Grayzone reveal a shocking foreign meddling scandal, as British state prosecutors are seen colluding with Israeli authorities to classify anti-genocide protesters as terrorists and imprison them on heavily politicized grounds.
by Kit Klarenberg
Part 3 - ‘Terror’ accusations continue despite lack of charges
The Grayzone has reviewed a declassified February 1, 2023 email sent by a redacted, presumably internal British government source to AGO Director Douglas Wilson, describing a meeting six days earlier between his office and several Israeli diplomats. “The meeting was at the Embassy’s request and covered a variety of topics,” first and foremost a “joint declaration” between London and Tel Aviv’s respective Ministries of Justice. It was presented by Israel’s then-Deputy Ambassador to Britain, Oren Marmorstein, now chief of the Zionist entity’s public affairs and media division.
The declaration “sought closer bilateral cooperation between the two ministries on mutual areas of responsibility” – “namely, legislation and legal reform, civil and criminal law and legal education.” As this fell outside the AGO’s jurisdiction, Wilson “undertook to engage the relevant leads in the Ministry of Justice on this topic for them to engage with the [Israeli] Embassy.” This followed an email to Tel Aviv’s London-based diplomats in which British Justice officials promised they’d be “in contact with you shortly.”
“The Attorney General would be delighted to meet with her Israeli counterpart if you have any suggestion of suitable dates for a meeting in London,” the email cheerily added.
“The Attorney General would be delighted to meet with her Israeli counterpart if you have any suggestion of suitable dates for a meeting in London,” the email cheerily added.
The interpretation that Tel Aviv influences British laws to the detriment of Palestine solidarity activists is reinforced by numerous sections of London’s National Security Act, which came into force December 2023. These passages give every appearance of being custom built to legally neutralize Palestine Action’s wrecking campaign against Elbit Systems.
Priti Patel introduced the legislation in her capacity as Home Secretary. She was reinstated to government in 2019 after being forced to resign from a previous position in November 2017 for holding 12 secret meetings with Israeli officials without official authorization or notification.
Priti Patel introduced the legislation in her capacity as Home Secretary. She was reinstated to government in 2019 after being forced to resign from a previous position in November 2017 for holding 12 secret meetings with Israeli officials without official authorization or notification.
On April 19, 2023 Britain’s then-Policing Minister Chris Philp met with representatives of the AGO, Home Office, several police forces and bodies, Elbit Systems, and the company’s French arms supplier Thales, to discuss “Palestine Action criminality.” According to an internal readout, “Minister Philp opened the meeting [by] emphasising that the UK government wants to make sure that UK based business can continue in their lawful activity.” A representative of Elbit “gave an overview of Palestine Action (PA) attacks on initially Elbit and now their supply chain.” Due to heavy redactions, it’s unclear what decisions, if any, were made regarding prosecutions of activists.
But if the prior meeting between Elbit and then-Home Secretary Patel was any indication, acquittal and conviction of Palestine Action members was likely a key subject of interest for attendees. During their March 2022 discussion, the British government openly acknowledged that Palestine Action “does not meet the threshold for proscription” as a terrorist group under British law, “as they do not commit, participate in, prepare for, promote, encourage, or otherwise be concerned with acts of terrorism.”
But if the prior meeting between Elbit and then-Home Secretary Patel was any indication, acquittal and conviction of Palestine Action members was likely a key subject of interest for attendees. During their March 2022 discussion, the British government openly acknowledged that Palestine Action “does not meet the threshold for proscription” as a terrorist group under British law, “as they do not commit, participate in, prepare for, promote, encourage, or otherwise be concerned with acts of terrorism.”
The recent invocation of counter-terror powers to imprison Palestine Action demonstrators may indicate the British government has identified a legal fudge that allows authorities to treat the group as a terrorist entity, despite its lack of formal proscription. The Filton 18’s pre-trial detention period runs to 182 days, well in excess of typical limits for non-terror-related crimes. Their contact with the outside world is also severely restricted, again contrary to standard British jurisprudence.
This May 1, British prosecutors inexplicably announced that “terrorism connections” would also be considered in the trial of 10 Palestine Action demonstrators who attacked Elbit supplier Instro Precision in June 2024. Again, the charges – aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder – did not fall under even the most expansive definition of terrorism. Such considerations, the CPS states, will only be explored at the point of sentencing.
This May 1, British prosecutors inexplicably announced that “terrorism connections” would also be considered in the trial of 10 Palestine Action demonstrators who attacked Elbit supplier Instro Precision in June 2024. Again, the charges – aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder – did not fall under even the most expansive definition of terrorism. Such considerations, the CPS states, will only be explored at the point of sentencing.
The documentation reviewed by The Grayzone strongly implies these unprecedented breaches of long-established legal standards directly result from an extensive campaign of Israeli influence and meddling.
The mother of one imprisoned but as yet unconvicted Filton 18 activist told The Grayzone that revelations of AGO officials readily involving Israeli officials in the prosecution of her 21-year-old daughter Zoe made her “feel physically sick.” Zoe has now been in prison for eight months without trial. It will have been 15 months by the time her trial begins in November.
“Zoe took direct action against Elbit Systems because she could not bear to see her country being complicit in a genocide,” said the jailed activist’s mother. “She saw the UK committing war crimes by arming Israel, so she took action to uphold international law. Now we know it’s that same unholy alliance between Israel and the UK that conspired to use UK counter terror powers against Zoe and the Filton 18.”
The mother of one imprisoned but as yet unconvicted Filton 18 activist told The Grayzone that revelations of AGO officials readily involving Israeli officials in the prosecution of her 21-year-old daughter Zoe made her “feel physically sick.” Zoe has now been in prison for eight months without trial. It will have been 15 months by the time her trial begins in November.
“Zoe took direct action against Elbit Systems because she could not bear to see her country being complicit in a genocide,” said the jailed activist’s mother. “She saw the UK committing war crimes by arming Israel, so she took action to uphold international law. Now we know it’s that same unholy alliance between Israel and the UK that conspired to use UK counter terror powers against Zoe and the Filton 18.”
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