Ex-British Army head urged Palestine Action crackdown at behest of US company: Report
He wrote privately to two Home Office ministers, requesting that they confront the 'threat' posed by the activist group, the newspaper reported.
It came after Palestine Action in 2022 targeted a factory operated by Teledyne, a US multinational that sells military technologies, and which has employed Dannatt as a paid adviser since the year of the demonstration.
Four of the group's activists broke into the Welsh factory to protest the sale of arms to Israel. Two years ago, they were convicted of conspiring to damage the factory.
Palestine Action was listed as a terrorist organization in the UK last month after it carried out a demonstration on a British airbase, damaging Royal Air Force aircraft.
A court case that involved one of the four activists involved in the 2022 protest heard allegations that Dannatt was 'seeking to influence' the criminal investigation into Palestine Action.
According to court information, the chief police officer leading the probe told Teledyne executives: 'It would not be wise to have a member of the House of Lords poking around in a live criminal case.'
Dannatt said the allegations were 'baseless' and he was unaware of the exchanges mentioned in court.
Separately, the life peer is under investigation over two sets of allegations relating to alleged lobbying, which Parliament expressly forbids.
Ten days after the 2022 factory protest, Sgt. Alex Stuart of Dyfed-Powys police, head of the resultant criminal investigation, sent an email to four of his superiors.
He had already spoken to the factory's general manager, who had told him that a senior US-based Teledyne executive had 'spoken to Lord Richard Dannatt about Palestine Action.'
Stuart wrote: 'Lord Dannatt was chief of the army general staff. He's now a life peer. He has an invested interest (sic) in this aspect of UK trade and investment, particularly military projects.
'Essentially, there have been an indication that he wants this case to be explained, and he wants to have some input on it.
'They haven't explained exactly what he wants, however I have told them that it would not be wise to have a member of the House of Lords poking around in a live criminal case.'
Later that year, Dannatt held an online call with the factory's general manager and a senior member of Teledyne.
He told The Guardian that the multinational had 'contacted me to seek my assistance in raising concerns by the company to the government with regard to attacks on their premises.
'They briefed me on the Palestine Action attacks, and I then agreed to write to the home secretary.'
The former army chief sent a letter to then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman, which declared his advisory role 'at the outset.'
In the letter, he said: 'The threat from Palestine Action has more widespread implications for security and the economy within the UK.
'The slow pace at which the British legal system has been working to take action against those involved in the trespass and criminal damage resulting from such 'direct action' has served to embolden Palestine Action and their continued recruitment drive for individuals who are prepared to commit arrestable offences.'
Last year, he again contacted the government to address new 'attacks' on Teledyne facilities in the UK.
Company officials had again requested that he raise their concerns to the British government, he told The Guardian.
In a letter to Security Minister Dan Jarvis, Dannatt said he would be 'very grateful to receive assurance from the current government that the threat posed by Palestine Action continues to be fully recognized by our security services and that appropriate action is being taken.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
UK shift on Palestine reinforces a historical fact
The UK recently departed from decades of foreign policy, announcing plans to recognize Palestinian statehood unless Israel takes immediate action to address the crisis in Gaza. This announcement, coming alongside France and Canada's similar moves, marks a growing shift in international support for Palestine as the UN General Assembly approaches in September. The UK's announcement, while following France and Canada's lead, is notably different in its conditional nature. The Starmer government made it clear that it would proceed with recognizing Palestine as a state only if Israel agrees to a series of significant actions. These include a ceasefire in Gaza, a commitment not to annex the West Bank, and a pledge to work toward a credible, long-term peace process aimed at achieving a two-state solution. This move has been welcomed by many in the international community, yet it has also faced significant criticism, particularly given the UK's historical role in shaping the very conditions that have led to the conflict. Before British rule, the region now known as Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire, specifically the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem, reorganized in 1872. This area was part of the larger Ottoman province of Syria, but was granted a special administrative status. It was only with the establishment of the British Mandate for Palestine in 1920 that the term 'Palestine' began to take on its modern political meaning. Under British administration, the land was known as Mandate Palestine, with Britain trying to balance its dual commitment to both the Zionist movement and the local Arab population. The 1917 Balfour Declaration, issued by the British foreign secretary at the time, expressed 'support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine,' leaving a historical record of British diplomatic recognition of a territory named Palestine. Despite its longstanding presence in the region, Britain has never officially recognized Palestine as a state — until now. This shift is significant, but it comes with a complex legacy. During the First World War, Britain entered into negotiations with Sharif Hussein, the leader of the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. In exchange for Arab support, Britain promised Arab independence, a commitment later known as the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence. Though the specific interpretation of Palestine's status in this agreement has been a point of contention, this is another colonial-era record of official British utilization of the term, Palestine. While Arabs saw it as a promise for the independence of Palestine, Britain later argued that Palestine was excluded from this promise due to its strategic importance and other conflicting commitments, such as the Balfour Declaration. These historical British footnotes regarding Palestine statehood have shaped the Palestinian cause just as they have defined the very recognition of the territory itself. During the British Mandate for Palestine, Britain assumed administrative control with the aim of helping the region transition toward self-governance. One of the notable steps taken by the British was the establishment of the Palestinian passport system, which formally recognized Palestinians as residents of the Mandate, though not as a sovereign nation. These passports, issued under the Passports and Immigration Regulations, granted Palestinians some travel and residency rights, but they did not recognize Palestine as a distinct nation-state. In the first decade of the Mandate alone, about 70,000 of these documents were issued. In the context of Palestine's century-long struggle, the issuance of these documents supports one more time British utilization of the term Palestine. While the UK's announcement to recognize Palestine is a significant diplomatic step, it must be understood within the context of Britain's historical involvement in shaping the region's political landscape. Besides, this recognition carries significant geopolitical and diplomatic implications. Both the UK and Canada have tied their recognition of Palestine to specific actions from Israel or the Palestinian Authority, such as halting the expansion of Israeli settlements and agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza. In doing so, they are responding to the urgent need for change in the region, while at the same time pushing for conditions that reflect their vision of a lasting, sustainable two-state solution. The UK's recognition, in particular, carries considerable diplomatic weight as one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council. If the UK follows through, it will join France, Canada, and several other nations in formally recognizing Palestinian statehood as the world gathers in New York this September. For the Palestinian Authority, this recognition is particularly pertinent as it legitimizes the organization's aspirations for a sovereign state and enhances its standing on the international stage. UK recognition carries considerable diplomatic weight. Zaid M. Belbagi In addition to this diplomatic shift, the UK has committed significant resources to alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The UK government pledged £60 million ($80 million) in humanitarian aid in July 2025 alone, focusing on healthcare, food, water, shelter, and emergency services. This includes funding for UK-Med field hospitals, which have treated over 500,000 people during the conflict. The UK has coupled its recent diplomatic overture with a continued program of humanitarian assistance. However, this diplomatic announcement raises questions about the future of UK-Israel relations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted strongly to the announcement, accusing the UK of rewarding 'Hamas' monstrous terrorism,' which signals potential strain in the longstanding bilateral relationship between the two nations, historically tied by economic, political, and diplomatic agreements. By the end of Q1 2025, total trade between the UK and Israel reached £5.8 billion, with Israeli investment in the UK contributing an additional £1 billion in gross value and creating about 16,000 British jobs. With an updated free trade agreement expected following the launch of talks in 2022, the UK's shift in policy could challenge the foundation of this economic partnership. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made the UK's recognition of Palestine conditional, requiring Israel to take substantive steps to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, allow UN aid, halt annexations in the West Bank, and commit to a sustainable peace process aimed at reviving the two-state solution. The British government has made it clear that recognition will be upheld if these conditions are not met. However, given the current stance of Netanyahu's government, it seems unlikely that these conditions will be accepted, making the recognition of Palestine increasingly probable in the coming months. As such, the UK's recognition of Palestine before September seems all but certain, confirming what has been a historical fact.
Al Arabiya
11 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Hezbollah says Lebanon cabinet decision to limit arms to state is ‘grave sin'
Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Wednesday condemned the cabinet's decision to move towards a state monopoly on arms, saying it was a 'grave sin' that only served Israel. In a written statement, the group said the move was a result of US diktats and that its members would treat it as if it did not exist.
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Arab News
UK MPs demand visa waiver for Gaza students
LONDON: At least 70 British MPs have signed a letter demanding that the government delay biometric requirements for 80 Palestinian students in Gaza, Sky News reported on Wednesday. The war in the enclave has prevented the students from fulfilling the mandatory biometric checks, and a government waiver would let them take their university spots in Britain. The students have all been granted university positions for the beginning of their studies in September. Labour's Abtisam Mohamed and Barry Gardiner are leading the appeal by MPs. Applicants for UK visas, which the students need, require a portrait photo and fingerprint scans. Home Office guidance says this 'plays a significant role in delivering security and facilitation in the border and immigration system.' Biometric data allows border officials to perform identity checks and verify that visa applicants are not on a watchlist, ensuring their eligibility to come to the UK. However, Gaza's only biometrics center handling UK applications closed in October 2023 after the start of the war. The MPs' letter said: 'Even before the war, leaving Gaza to pursue higher education was a complex process. The ongoing siege and restrictions made travel extremely difficult, but in the current state of constant bombardment, shootings at aid sites, and an IPC-declared famine, this process has become all but impossible.' It added: 'Unless the government makes rapid progress with offering visas and coordinating evacuations over the next week, students who should be starting university next month in the UK will be among those who are being shot dead at aid sites, bombed in displacement camps or starving as famine spreads deeper in Gaza.' Signatories are asking Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to 'defer biometric data screening for student visa applicants based in Gaza and open a safe passage to enable these young people to fulfil their academic dreams.' Other countries in Europe have already 'taken proactive steps to ensure safe evacuation routes for students bound for their countries,' the letter said. Gardiner, speaking to Sky News, highlighted the government's ability to evacuate injured children from Gaza to receive treatment in the UK. He questioned why the same mercy is not being shown to the 80 students, who have already been admitted to British institutions. He also cited previous government exemptions to the biometric rules, such as for Ukrainian refugees and a small number of Afghan families with relatives already in Britain. A government waiving of the requirement would also 'give the state of Palestine the possibility of a future,' Gardiner said. 'These young people are the future of Palestine. They are the young talent … The state of Palestine will need everything from classical musicians right the way through to town planners,' he added. 'And these youngsters are coming over here with that full range of study potential, with the express intention of going back and building their nation.' They have shown 'extraordinary resilience, extraordinary courage, extraordinary ability, and we should facilitate that,' he said.
