Legal Threats and Intimidation - the Price of free speech in support of Palestine

There’s a group out there called UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) – a private company made up of lawyers working on behalf of a foreign power – Israel.  They send threatening legal letters to intimidate people and organisations that express support for Palestine. They’ve bullied several councils into forcing the removal of flags and into event cancellations including on one occasion a kite making workshop.  They’ve threatened hospitals and airports because frontline staff have worn pro-Palestinian badges. 

I’ve had my own run-in with them – they came after Forest Green Rovers in 2022. You can read their letter and my response below.  I’m now being asked to take down the Palestinian flag on the Ecotricity building. Maybe these guys are behind that - who knows and who cares.  I’m going to establish the legal right to fly this flag now.

Nobody ever got asked to take down a Ukrainian flag by the way.  With Palestine it’s different. And much of this is due to UKLFI   - and their pernicious stifling of free speech on behalf of a foreign power.  

I’m not the only one who has an issue with this group the Charity Commission are now investigating the UKLFI Charitable Trust after a complaint was raised by the campaign group Led By Donkeys. You can see why in their exposé here:

 UKLFI  use legal threats which conflate any support for Palestine or criticism of Israel with antisemitism. That’s a deeply dangerous line to blur. Supporting the people of Palestine is not antisemitism – it’s offensive and dishonest to pretend it is.  It may indeed be racist itself.

I’ll continue to speak out for the Palestinian people, for peace, international law and an end to the occupation and the violence.  The more of us that do this the better. 

If you’ve received a legal threat from UKLFI and you need some advice - contact me, I’ll help you.