"Under the headline How would the proscription of the organisation be viewed by British people, one section of the document warned a ban could be a divisive issue. It described Palestine Action as a small single issue group with lower mainstream media exposure than other direct action groups such as Just Stop Oil. But it noted that the organisation's direct actions, and arrests of its activists, won media attention."
"The advisers said polling suggested growing frustration with Israeli military methods and actions in Gaza. In the lead-up to its key argument, the document noted a survey finding that 60% of Britions believed Israel had gone too far in the war in Gaza and that a similar number supported a ban on arms shipments. These are positions around which PAG (Palestine Action group) forms its identity, organising explicitly to resist Israel's weapons trade in Britain, it said."
Ministers banned Palestine Action despite advisers warning that a proscription could inadvertently enhance the group's profile and be divisive. Advisers from the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, supported by counter-terrorism policing specialists, assessed the group's media presence and public sentiment. Palestine Action is described as a small, single-issue organisation targeting UK arms supplies to Israel; its direct actions and arrests attract media attention. Polling cited showed about 60% of Britions thought Israel had gone too far in Gaza and a similar proportion supported banning arms shipments, creating potential public sympathy for the group's aims. Advisers also noted low public awareness of Palestine Action and opposition to rightwing calls for tougher measures.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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