Afrasianet - Habib Abu Mahfouz - Britain has recently been witnessing a wide debate over the way the Labour government led by Keir Starmer handled the issue of popular demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine.
The controversy coincides with media reports about the widening channels of communication between British government institutions, lobbyists and organizations active in relations with Israel, opening the door to growing questions about the influence behind the decision-making circles at 10 Downing Street.
On the other hand, calls are growing in political and human rights circles opposing these trends, considering that any additional restrictions on demonstrations may represent a violation of basic civil rights, especially in light of the continuation of solidarity marches with Palestine in several British cities since the outbreak of the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza in 2023.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC on Saturday that his government is considering using new powers that could go as far as banning some solidarity marches with the Palestinian people, justifying this by what he described as the "cumulative impact" of these protests on the country's Jewish communities.
While he stressed his commitment to freedom of expression and peaceful protest, he stressed that some of the chants during these marches are "completely prohibited" and require legal prosecution.
Divided over demonstrations
The remarks come at a time when demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine have become an almost weekly event in London since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, amid a divide between those who see them as a legitimate democratic exercise, those who see them as a source of heightened tensions, and "anti-Semitism."
In parallel with these developments, there is a lot of political and media data in meetings between British government officials and pro-Israel organizations, including the Jewish Educational Council and the European Leadership Network (ELNET), which are known for their activity in influencing European policies related to Israel, especially in security files and legislation related to solidarity movements with Palestine.
The Guardian reported that official documents obtained through Freedom of Information (FoI) requests reveal attempts by officials at the Israeli embassy in London to contact the British Attorney General's Office on issues related to the trial of demonstrators linked to Palestine Action, a British movement in solidarity with Palestine that works to stop Britain's dealings with Israel, opposing and seeking to stop the arms trade in support of Israeli military operations).
According to the documents published by the British newspaper, embassy representatives sought to push the prosecutor's office to intervene in legal proceedings related to protests carried out inside Britain, raising questions about the limits of the relationship between diplomatic missions and independent judicial authorities in the United Kingdom.
According to observers, a striking paradox emerges here: the government moves relatively quickly to respond to the demands of these groups, including calls to restrict or ban movements such as Palestine Action, while slowing down or ignoring broader popular demands.
The number of signatories to a popular petition calling for an investigation into so-called "Israeli influence" within British politics has exceeded the 114,000 mark of British citizens, a number that is enough under the British parliamentary system to force a formal debate within parliament.
"We feel that the horrific devastation in Gaza, the ongoing repression of Palestinians in the West Bank, and the political backlash of the United Kingdom, underscore the urgent need to scrutinize how pro-Israel organizations, networks, and lobbying efforts influence government decisions, party policy and public debate," the petition said.
Controversial government decisions
In a parallel development, press reports revealed the government's decision to close a specialized unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that was concerned with monitoring possible violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza andLebanon, and this decision comes within the budget cuts, but carries sensitive political dimensions.
The unit, which was based on a project run by a specialized research body, provided a database of about 26,000 documented incidents since October 7, 2023, the largest of its kind in this field, and was used to assess Israel's compliance with international law, particularly with regard to British arms exports.
Critics warn that the closure of the unit deprives decision-makers of vital analytical tools and undermines the government's ability to make evidence-based decisions, at a time when London officially asserts that respect for international law is a key pillar of its foreign policy.
Commenting on the decision, Yasmin Ahmed, director of Human Rights Watch UK, said: "It is shameful that the government has chosen to close the unit at a time when serious violations of international law and horrific crimes continue to be committed in different parts of the world."
Simultaneously with these measures, Britain has raised the level of the terrorist threat to "severe", in light of fears of an escalation of violence and the targeting of Jewish institutions and individuals, and security authorities confirm that there are increasing threats, some of which are linked to external parties.
But this security climate is also being used, critics say, to justify tighter restrictions on protests, opening the door to a broader debate about the balance between security and civil liberties.
Freedom of Protest
For his part, Dr. Azzam Tamimi, director of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought in London, criticized the policies of the British Labour Party government led by Keir Starmer, saying that its bias in favor of Israel and its supporters in Britain is not surprising, as he believes that it is indebted to the pro-Israel lobby that helped Starmer reach the leadership of the party after the ouster of its former leader, Jeremy Corbyn , who is known for his support for the Palestinian cause.
Al-Tamimi pointed out that the British government has spared no effort in implementing the demands of this lobby, including the decision to ban the "Palestine Action" organization, despite the fact that its case is still before the courts, as British courts recently acquitted a number of its activists of terrorism-related charges.
He explained that governmental and non-governmental entities in Britain are currently making efforts to impose restrictions on marches and activities that support Palestine, but these efforts are facing resistance from activists, politicians and human rights defenders, which may be difficult to pass, he said.
He added that the recent attacks on Jews in the Golders Green area, and the previous attacks on Jewish facilities, were being used as a pretext to harass Muslims and supporters of Palestine.
Tamimi quoted a source in the MI5 intelligence service as saying that "the escalation of hatred against Jews is not isolated from what happened in Gaza and what is happening today against Iran."
Supporters of Palestine and Muslims in Britain are counting on two key factors to thwart these efforts, al-Tamimi said: first, the widespread public sympathy for Palestine and the people of Gaza after the two-year war on the Gaza Strip, and the independence of the British judiciary and its long-standing tradition of protecting human rights and civil liberties.
Any government attempt to go ahead with the restriction measures would put it in the face of a protracted legal battle, which politicians usually do not want to reach.
