Over 500 Cultural Figures Urge Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper to Halt Palestine Action Ban, Call for Arms Embargo on Israel

More than 500 cultural figures from across the political spectrum have called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to halt the proscription of the activist group Palestine Action, citing concerns over free speech. Among the signatories are prominent artists such as Tilda Swinton, Steve Coogan, Reggie Watts, novelist Alan Hollinghurst, and musician Brian Eno. They emphasize that the issue transcends individual support for Palestine Action and centers on the principle of freedom of expression. Simultaneously, over 1,200 cultural figures in Spain, including Alba Flores and Luis Tosar, have urged Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to impose an arms embargo on Israel. In the UK, more than 200 historians and artists, including William Dalrymple, Paloma Faith, and Juliet Stevenson, have condemned the British Museum's decision to host an event for the Israeli embassy in May and have demanded an official apology from the museum's management. Additionally, over 30 artists have signed an open letter opposing the UK government's plan to label Palestine Action a terrorist group and to continue supplying weapons to Israel. These coordinated cultural actions reflect growing opposition to government policies related to Israel and Palestine, highlighting concerns over freedom of expression and arms exports.