Christians United for Israel UK welcomes today’s announcement by the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, that the UK government is to ban the so-called political wing of Hamas under the Terrorism Act.
It means that anyone expressing support for the Islamist group or arranges meetings for them could face up to 10 years in prison.
In 2001, the UK Home Office proscribed only its military wing as a terror group, leaving its so-called political wing operating freely. Consequently, the UK has become a safe harbour for Hamas to operate in, spreading its hateful ideologies of anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and radical Islam.
CUFI’s Executive Director, Des Starritt, says, “We are encouraged by today’s news that the UK will ban Hamas in its entirety. This sends a clear message that Britain will not tolerate any form of support for a terror group that vows to wipe Israel off the map, murders Jews and continually rejects attempts to maintain peace and stability in the region.”
“Hamas does not differentiate between its military and political wings when it indiscriminately targets civilian populations with rockets, uses human shields, recruits children and conducts hostage-taking. Nor does it differentiate when it oppresses Christians and other minorities.”
“Last May, during the 11-day conflict between Israel and Gaza, we saw a very concerning trend among pro-Palestinian support in Britain in which sympathy for Hamas was commonly expressed. We hope that this new legislation will help suppress these expressions which are the cause of an unwelcome hostility towards Israel and an increase in anti-Semitic incidents directed towards Britain’s Jewish community.”
“We commend the Home Secretary for making this important decision. We also thank her for heeding the concerns of thousands of CUFI supporters who have written to their Members of Parliament over the course of the past year.”
Making a difference
One way we bless Israel is by standing up against the evil forces that are intent on its destruction. Today, close to home, Britain has made a small step in demonstrating its support for Israel in its fight against terror. But we know that there is still much more the UK can do. With your help and support, CUFI can make an impact in the UK through even more targeted and bigger campaigns, ensuring that this nation remains faithful to Israel and the Jewish people. Please consider how you might be able to support CUFI further, for Zion’s sake.
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