NEW YORK, UNITED STATES | Americans For A Safe Israel has strongly endorsed the U.S. government’s decision to sanction Palestine Action, calling the move “necessary” and arguing that Americans should understand the violent record that led British authorities to proscribe the organization as a terrorist group.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions on August 26 under Executive Order 13224, which authorizes counterterrorism measures against individuals and organizations that support terrorism.
Treasury said Palestine Action had supported numerous acts of terrorism since 2020, including attacks that injured British police officers, break-ins at defense infrastructure and military installations, and incidents that caused millions of dollars in damage to military equipment.
“Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: We will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
“Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated.”
AFSI chairman Moshe Phillips said the action deserved broad political support.
“Far too many American news outlets covering Palestine Action have done very little to explain what Palestine Action is and what crimes its fanatics have committed in the U.K.,” Phillips said in a statement.
AFSI said the Treasury decision “should be praised by all Americans concerned about the growing threat of terrorism.”
Britain Proscribed Palestine Action in 2025
The British government proscribed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 in July 2025.
The ban made membership in the organization, support for it and certain forms of promotion of the group criminal offenses.
British Security Minister Dan Jarvis later defended the proscription in Parliament, saying Palestine Action had conducted “an escalating campaign” involving criminal damage to national-security infrastructure, intimidation and alleged violence.
During a September 2025 House of Commons debate, Jarvis said the government would not tolerate similar activity whether it came from Islamist extremists, the far right or Palestine Action.
In a later parliamentary statement, Jarvis said the organization had engaged in “sustained criminal damage to national security infrastructure, intimidation and alleged violence, including the use of weapons resulting in serious injuries to individuals.”
AFSI cited those remarks as important context for Americans evaluating the Treasury designation.
Sledgehammer Attack Left Police Sergeant With Fractured Spine
Phillips also highlighted one of the most serious incidents associated with Palestine Action, the August 6, 2024 break-in at an Elbit Systems facility near Bristol.
Activists used a vehicle to breach the facility and entered carrying sledgehammers and other tools.
During the confrontation, Police Sergeant Kate Evans was struck in the back with a sledgehammer and suffered a fractured spine. Police Constable Aaron Buxton was also attacked during the incident.
In May 2026, a jury convicted Palestine Action activist Samuel Corner of grievous bodily harm in connection with the attack on Evans. Three other activists were convicted of criminal damage arising from the raid, which prosecutors said caused approximately £1 million in damage.
Phillips said the incident demonstrates why descriptions of Palestine Action as simply a protest organization omit important facts.
“During a now notorious Palestine Action attack on police during a 2024 break-in, one Palestine Action militant hit a female police sergeant named Kate Evans with a sledgehammer in the back, causing a severe spinal injury,” Phillips said.
“A second policeman, named Aaron Buxton, was also hit with a sledgehammer.”
Court reporting established that Buxton testified that a sledgehammer was swung repeatedly toward him and made contact with his leg and police radio, causing pain and bruising.
Treasury Says Sanctions Target Conduct, Not Political Speech
The U.S. government emphasized that the designation is based on conduct, not political advocacy.
Treasury said U.S. sanctions do not apply merely because individuals or organizations engage in political speech or other constitutionally protected activity.
Executive Order 13224 defines terrorism to include violent acts or acts dangerous to human life, property or infrastructure that are intended to intimidate civilians or influence government policy through intimidation or coercion.
Palestine Action has portrayed itself as a direct-action campaign seeking to disrupt businesses and facilities connected to Israel’s defense industry.
Supporters of the organization have argued that its proscription in Britain threatens legitimate political protest and civil disobedience.
That argument has generated substantial controversy in the United Kingdom, including hundreds of arrests at demonstrations by people publicly expressing support for Palestine Action.
Jarvis has maintained that opposition to Israel or support for Palestinians remains lawful and distinct from supporting a proscribed organization.
U.S. Sanctions Carry Financial Consequences
The Treasury designation imposes significant restrictions.
Property and interests in property belonging to Palestine Action that are located in the United States or controlled by U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
U.S. persons are generally prohibited from providing funds, goods or services to designated organizations unless an exemption or authorization applies.
Foreign financial institutions can also face sanctions exposure if they knowingly facilitate significant transactions on behalf of designated entities.
The measures therefore extend beyond symbolic condemnation and are designed to restrict financial access and international support.
AFSI Calls for Bipartisan Support
AFSI said Bessent’s declaration that political terrorism has no place in American society should be supported across party lines.
The organization framed the designation as both a counterterrorism measure and a warning against minimizing violence when it is committed in the name of an anti-Israel political cause.
AFSI, founded in 1970, describes itself as a nonpartisan pro-Israel advocacy and educational organization.
Phillips said the central issue is not whether Americans are permitted to criticize Israel, advocate for Palestinians or oppose Israeli government policy.
The issue, he argued, is whether violence, intimidation and attacks on police or critical infrastructure should be excused because the perpetrators present themselves as political activists.
Treasury has now answered that question by placing Palestine Action under U.S. counterterrorism sanctions.
AFSI says the response from American political leaders should be equally clear: violent political activity should be condemned regardless of the ideology invoked to justify it.
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