British prosecutors accused of colluding with Israel to criminalize anti-genocide activists

By bellecarter // 2025-06-02

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U.K. prosecutors are accused of collaborating with Israeli officials to suppress protests against Israel's actions in Gaza, using counterterrorism laws to prosecute activists on politically motivated grounds.
U.K. authorities have been sharing sensitive information with Israeli officials to facilitate the prosecution of members of the activist group Palestine Action, who have been disrupting the operations of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.
In August 2024, 18 activists who raided an Elbit factory in Filton, England, were charged with criminal damage but are being detained under counterterror powers. The CPS plans to argue that their offenses had a "terrorist connection" to maximize their sentences.
The investigation suggests Israel's influence on U.K. legal proceedings is not new, with past instances like the 2009 arrest warrant for former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni leading to Israeli lobbying for "special mission" certificates to protect its officials.
The use of counterterror laws to prosecute activists has raised significant ethical and legal concerns, with accusations of political interference and violation of judicial independence. The case of the Filton 18 highlights the potential misuse of these laws to suppress dissent and protect powerful allies.

British prosecutors are accused of collaborating with Israeli officials to prosecute anti-genocide activists as terrorists. An investigation by journalist Kit Klarenberg, published in The Grayzone, has uncovered documents suggesting that London is coordinating with Tel Aviv to suppress protests against Israel's actions in Gaza, using counterterrorism laws to imprison activists on politically motivated grounds. The investigation reveals that British authorities have been sharing sensitive information with Israeli officials to facilitate the prosecution of members of the activist group Palestine Action. This group has been disrupting the operations of Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer whose weapons are used in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In August 2024, Nicola Smith – the Head of International Law at Britain's Attorney General's Office (AGO) – provided "contact details" for British prosecutors and counter-terror investigators to Israel's Deputy Ambassador to London Daniela Grudsky Ekstein. This exchange occurred just days before a meeting between Smith, Ekstein and other officials – indicating a high level of coordination between the two countries.

The Filton 18: A case study

The investigation highlights the case of the "Filton 18," a group of activists who raided an Elbit factory in Filton, South West England, in August 2024. The activists destroyed Israeli quadcopters produced at the facility, which have been used to harm Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Despite facing charges of criminal damage, the activists are being detained under "counterterror" powers. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has indicated it will argue that their offenses had a "terrorist connection" to maximize their sentences. This approach has been condemned by United Nations rapporteurs, who have called for their release. The documents reviewed by the media outlet suggest that Israel's influence on British legal proceedings is not a new phenomenon. In 2009, former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni canceled a trip to London after a U.K. court issued an arrest warrant for her role in the Gaza conflict. In response, Israel lobbied for "special mission" certificates to protect its officials from similar legal actions. The AGO's provision of contact details to the Israeli embassy is part of a broader pattern of collaboration. In July 2024, Smith and Ekstein met with Israeli Embassy Counselor of Political Affairs Yosef Zilberman and AGO Director Douglas Wilson. This meeting was followed by the arrest of ten more Palestine Action activists, who were charged and imprisoned under the same counterterror powers as the Filton 18. The use of counterterror laws to prosecute activists has raised significant ethical and legal concerns. Palestine Action cofounder Huda Amori told The Grayzone that the prosecutions are "politically motivated" and influenced by the Israeli embassy. "Any violation of the independence of the judiciary is an abuse of process under the rule of law," she said. The CPS' General Principle 2.1 states that prosecutors must be free from political interference. However, the evidence suggests that this principle is being compromised. The documents indicate that the Israeli government has pushed for the incarceration and prosecution of Palestine Action demonstrators, who are being treated as terrorists despite the lack of charges related to terrorism. The revelations of British prosecutors colluding with Israeli officials to criminalize anti-genocide activists have sparked outrage and concern. The case of the Filton 18 is a stark example of how counterterror laws can be misused to suppress dissent and protect the interests of powerful allies. (Related: British lawyers, judges accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza, call for immediate UK sanctions.) Watch the video below that talks about Microsoft banning the word "genocide" in internal emails. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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The Filton 18: A case study

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