Peer reviewing UK protest laws signed letter backing Israel arms sales Submitted by Imran Mulla on Mon, 01/12/2026 - 15:16 Ken Macdonald, who is set to review new police powers targeting pro-Palestine demonstrations, has previously said he believes in the 'indispensability of Israel' A woman shows a message through the window of a police van at a protest calling for the ban to be lifted on Palestine Action, in Parliament Square in central London on 6 September 2025 (AFP) Off The British government-appointed reviewer of protest laws signed a letter by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) backing continuing arms sales to Israel during its genocide in Gaza, and said, "I strongly strongly believe in the indispensibility of the state of Israel". Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood last November announced an independent review of the UK's public order and hate crime legislation, after saying a pro-Gaza demonstration should not have been held days after a deadly antisemitic attack in Manchester. Mahmood also announced new police powers to ban protests and consider the "cumulative impact" of repeated protests in the same area. On Monday, a joint statement by 40 civil society groups, including Amnesty International UK, Liberty and the National Education Union, denounced the government's plans as a "draconian crackdown on our rights to freedom of expression and assembly". Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, a crossbench peer and former director of prosecutions, has been tasked with reviewing whether the recent legislation amendments are being implemented effectively. According to the Home Office, the review will also consider whether existing laws effectively balance the need to protect communities from hate and intimidation with the right to protest. In parliament on 17 December, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "I've ordered a review of protest and hate crime laws, to stop protests breeding hatred." 'No justification' for suspending weapons sales Macdonald has previously taken public stances on Israel's conduct in Gaza. In October 2023, Macdonald co-wrote a letter to The Times with Lord David Pannick arguing that Israel's siege and bombardment of Gaza constituted self-defence. "Just as war attracts armchair generals," the letter said, "so it attracts lawyers who find violations of international law from the safety of their chambers without regard to basic legal principles of self-defence." The letter continued: "When a state faces a threat, it may lawfully take all reasonable steps to protect itself. What is reasonable must be judged against the severity of the threatened outcome which, in Israel's case, would be violent extinction." 'Relentless': How UK Lawyers for Israel targets pro-Palestinian voices Read More » It said: "All self-defence is violent; that is its point. The real question is whether the party carrying out this violence has any plausible alternative in the face of an enemy bent upon its genocidal destruction." In April 2024, Macdonald signed a letter by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) to then-Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, arguing: "There is no justification for suspending the sale of weapons to Israel without evidence of systematic violation by Israel of international law." Since it was founded in 2011, UKLFI has been at the forefront of efforts to discredit and pressure individuals and organisations that criticise Israeli policies or express solidarity with Palestinians. The UKLFI letter urged the government not to resume funding for Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which it had suspended on the basis of allegations by Israel. The Labour government would later resume funding. The letter further said: "Demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire at this time would undermine current negotiations between Israel, the US, Qatar, Egypt and Hamas to secure the release of hostages and a temporary ceasefire." At an event in November 2023 hosted by the right-wing Free Speech Union, Macdonald accused pro-Palestine protesters of "genocidal chants". He said: "I personally would never go on, would never have gone on, these Palestinian marches. I strongly, strongly believe in the indispensability of the state of Israel, and I didn't like the tone of a lot of the placards and a lot of the chanting." He added: "But we live in a democracy in which political speech has the highest protection under Article 10, and I believe in that as a principle." Impact of new legislation could be 'wide-ranging' Discussing the government's recent amendments to protest legislation, Monday's statement by civil society groups said: "Although government statements make clear these powers have been brought forward in response to the mass national marches for Palestinian rights, the impact of this change of law would be wide-ranging. "An anti-racist march could be blocked from Whitehall because of a previous farmers’ protest, or a pride march restricted because a far-right demonstration was recently held in the same town." A Human Rights Watch report released last week accused the government of having “severely restricted” the right to protest and undermining the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. UK anti-protest laws may be 'in breach' of international human rights obligations Read More » It said new restrictions should be repealed or amended, and further anti-protest legislation abandoned. The government's recent ban on direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation has also been criticised by the UN Human Rights Chief as “hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms across the UK”. Since the group was banned in July 2025, over 2,000 people - mostly pensioners - have been arrested at demonstrations in opposition to the proscription for holding signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, marking a 660 percent spike in terrorism arrests. Macdonald was a strong critic of the ban, saying in September: "It’s the first time we’ve ever targeted an organisation which is ‘campaigning’ on an issue which is supported by literally tens of millions of people in the country. "I think that’s a real problem - to be applying terrorism legislation in that context." His review is expected to conclude in February. UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0