"Ministers banned Palestine Action despite being told by their advisers it could “inadvertently enhance” the group’s profile, an official government document shows.
The briefing paper was written three months before the proscription of the group, which was set up to take direct action to halt UK arms supplies to Israel.
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Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, said the document’s warnings had come true: “Awareness of the issues and popularity of the group have grown exponentially. The ban has backfired.”
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Ministers were told a ban might be seen as an attack on civil liberties, with the advisers saying that some within government as well as the wider public may see the decision as “a creep of terrorism powers into the realm of free expression and protest.”.
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The document also revealed that the Cabinet Office had been paying for monthly surveys of community tensions related to Israel and Palestine."
the Guardian
Advisers told ministers banning Palestine Action could make it more popular
Briefing paper warned proscription could also heighten Muslim-Jewish tensions and be seen as favouring Israel
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