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Police assess Palestine Action post by national security adviser's wife
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Police are reviewing a social media post by Sarah Helm, wife of national security adviser Jonathan Powell, which mentioned Palestine Action, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the UK Home Office.
- The post came amid controversy over author Sally Rooney's decision to donate her royalties to Palestine Action, leading to her novels being withheld from UK booksellers.
- No 10 stated that Helm does not represent the government, while some groups demand Powell publicly denounce her comments due to his role in national security and Middle East diplomacy.
- Green Party leader Zack Polanski defended Helm's stance and called for the removal of Palestine Action's terrorist designation, describing it as authoritarian.
- Palestine Action was proscribed in 2025 for posing a national security risk, making support for the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison; a Supreme Court challenge to this proscription is scheduled for next month.
