LONDON — Britain on Tuesday sought to uphold a ban on pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel group Palestine Action, which it has designated a terrorist organization, after a court ruling that the move unlawfully interfered with freedom of expression.

Palestine Action, which had increasingly targeted Israel‑linked defense companies in Britain with a particular focus on Israel’s largest defense firm, Elbit Systems, was proscribed under terrorism laws last year.

London’s High Court ruled in February that the ban was unlawful, although it remains in force pending the outcome of the government’s appeal, which began on Tuesday.

Lawyers for Britain’s Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the Court of Appeal that the finding that the ban had a significant impact on freedom of expression was “overstated and wrong.”

Huda Ammori, who co-founded Palestine Action in 2020 and brought the successful challenge, argues that the proscription has imposed “severe restrictions on the fundamental free speech and assembly rights of vast numbers of........

© The Times of Israel