U.S. designates U.K.-based Palestine Action as foreign ‘terrorist group’
The U.S. government has officially designated the U.K.-based Palestine Action group as a terrorist organization, citing its far-left ideology and activities. This move is part of a broader Trump administration campaign to target specific activist groups.
Why it matters
This represents a significant escalation in U.S. foreign policy regarding the classification of international activist groups and their financial networks.
The United States on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) named the U.K.-based Palestine Action group, which has been banned by the British government, as a "terrorist" organisation, as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign against left-wing movements.
Set up in 2020, Palestine Action is appealing against the U.K. government ban, which has led to thousands of arrests. Rights groups have decried the ban, saying it was aimed at criminalising dissent.
Palestine Action's stated goal on its website is to end "global participation in Israel's genocidal and apartheid regime."
It gained visibility after Israel launched a devastating military campaign in Gaza following the unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Israel.
Since returning to power for his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has directed his government to designate what it terms "far-left" groups as terrorist organisations.
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