THE Home Secretary has announced she is seeking to proscribe Hamas as a terrorist organisation in a move to crack down on hatred against Jewish people.
Priti Patel is expected to speak about the news in Washington, where it is reported she will describe the the Palestinian Islamist group as “fundamentally and rabidly antisemitic”.
If the change goes ahead, anyone who expresses support for the organisation, which controls the Gaza Strip, will be in breach of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Illegal actions will include arranging meetings for the group, flying their flag or wearing clothing that it is seen to support them.
Patel confirmed that she is seeking to ban Hamas “in its entirety”.
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“This Government is committed to tackling extremism and terrorism wherever it occurs,” she tweeted.
In an accompanying statement, she added: “Hamas has significant terrorist capabilities, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities. That is why today I have acted to proscribe Hamas in its entirety.”
The Times reported that the move would be pushed through Parliament next week.
According to the newspaper, Patel will say today: “Hamas is fundamentally and rabidly antisemitic. Antisemitism is an enduring evil which I will never tolerate. Jewish people routinely feel unsafe – at school, in the streets, when they worship, in their homes, and online.
“This step will strengthen the case against anyone who waves a Hamas flag in the United Kingdom, an act that is bound to make Jewish people feel unsafe.”
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Foreign Secretary Liz Truss expressed her support for the move, tweeting: “Hamas will be proscribed as a terrorist organisation. Important announcement by [Priti Patel] that will help tackle the scourge of antisemitism.”
Until this point, only Hamas’ military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has been banned in the UK. It was proscribed as a terrorist group in March 2001.
The Times reported that the Home Secretary said on Thursday night: “We’ve taken the view that we can no longer disaggregate the sort of military and political side. It’s based upon a wide range of intelligence, information and also links to terrorism. The severity of that speaks for itself.”
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