Is Direct Action Training a successor organisation to Palestine Action?
Posters reportedly circulated by Palestine Action to advertise their training days display the words “Arms tired from waving flags? Workout with a hammer! Direct action training available!”
Palestine Action is a proscribed terrorist organisation, with the ban having come into effect in July last year.
Prior to the proscription, an activist affiliated with the group broke a police officer’s spine with a sledgehammer while others used tools to destroy a factory. That was just one of a slew of violent incidents.
This latest open encouragement of violence – a reminder of the extremist danger posed by this organisation – only confirms that the Court of Appeal was right to uphold its proscription. The Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear a further appeal against the ban, must now do the same.
You should no longer get away with criminal or terrorist violence in this country just because you’re doing it “for Palestine”.
With Palestine Action currently banned, its activists are still likely looking for ways to use violence to further their hateful agenda. The words in the poster – “direct action training available” – may be a clue.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Online Monitoring and Investigations Unit has assessed that a group called Direct Action Training is likely operating as a continuity or successor vehicle associated with Palestine Action.
The digital infrastructure and public behavioural evidence indicates a connection between the website http://directactiontraining.org (‘Direct Action Training’) and Palestine Action.
Direct Action Training presents itself as a provider of skills training for so-called ‘direct action’ against Elbit Systems and its supply chain – one of Palestine Action’s favourite targets.
According to our forensic analysis of Direct Action Training’s website and online infrastructure, and the group’s vetting processes, they are highly suggestive of an association with the banned terrorist organisation. Indeed, the Direct Action Training website domain was registered just one day before the ban on Palestine Action came into effect.
In addition, the co-founder of Palestine Action has referred supporters to Direct Action Training.
Following our revelations, footage last Thursday showed three pro-Palestine activists being arrested outside the Elbit Systems factory in Filton, Gloucestershire, in an apparent commemoration of the second anniversary of the August 2024 Elbit Systems factory break-in by four activists affiliated with Palestine Action.
We have reason to believe that those protestors are affiliated with Direct Action Training.
In parallel, fourteen people were reportedly arrested at a demonstration in support of Palestine Action outside HMP Bristol.
Any support for a proscribed terrorist organisation whose sole purpose is to engage criminal activity has no place on British soil. Neither does involvement in any potential successor organisation.
We are reporting our findings to Counter Terrorism Policing.
How far does rehabilitation take you?
Over the past week, there has been some controversy over the selection of satirist and former neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a Conservative candidate for next year’s local elections in Somerset.
Following an outcry, he has voluntarily withdrawn his candidacy, but he will instead become an advisor to the Party on counter-extremism.
Having gone to significant effort to see to it that Mr Bonehill-Paine went to prison years ago, we would be extremely keen to see that he is not elevated to a position of power if he still holds antisemitic views.
We do not know what is in his heart but we do gather that in recent years he has gone to considerable lengths to educate against antisemitism. If someone works hard to counter the anti-Jewish hatred that they once sought to spread, we should all consider that a success, so we are keeping an open mind.
In a justice and prisons system where we have so few bright spots at the moment, surely if this is a genuine change of heart it is a development that should be celebrated.
Our spokespeople appeared on numerous media to discuss the issue. You can watch our Chief Executive Gideon Falter on Sky News, Good Morning Britain, BBC Radio 5 Live or Talk TV, or our Director of Investigations and Enforcement on Times Radio and Talk TV.
What kind of Britain does Restore Britain think it’s ‘restoring’?
The co-founder of Restore Britain has been accused of publishing an inflammatory post about Jewish influence over rival party Reform UK.
In a reply to an X post by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, in which Mr Farage wrote, “I can’t be bullied. I can’t be bought,” Charlie Downes, a co-founder of Restore Britain and the Party’s spokesperson, posted an image of Mr Farage at a Reform Jewish Alliance meeting.
Like many political parties, Reform has a Jewish supporters’ group, just as it does other special interest groups. It was launched by Mr Farage and other senior Reform figures.
There is nothing unusual or sinister in that, just as there isn’t in Reform having a veterans’ group. If Charlie Downes is suggesting that Reform or Mr Farage have somehow been ‘bullied’ or ‘bought’ by Jews, would he say that veterans have done the same?
Or is it just Jews for whom this pernicious imputation is reserved?
Political extremists from the Soviets to the Nazis have tried to demonise Jews by suggesting that there is a Jewish conspiracy to subvert the will of the people by buying influence. Restore Britain must clarify the meaning of this tweet by its own spokesperson, or apologise for it and explain what further steps it intends to take.
Across society it has become open season on Jews: political parties must demonstrate whether they oppose this trend or intend to join it.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Chief Executive Gideon Falter wrote in The Telegraph on what is happening in Restore Britain and why it should concern us all.
“When a once-proud European nation suffers a change in fortune, two things will happen like clockwork: someone will emerge claiming to have the answers, and his supporters will blame the Jews. The two operate symbiotically,” he writes.
“For centuries, Britain has bucked this European trend. The British have never been much attracted to the far-Right. Firebrands like Sir Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists never won mass appeal, but operated on the fringes.
“It is on those fringes that I now see Restore Britain building its following.”
You can read the full article here (may be paywalled).
Red Bull gives you hate: we make venues and sponsors think twice about Kneecap
British venues should not be platforming artists who spread hate.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to the organisers of Reading Festival and Boomtown, regarding the inclusion of Northern Irish rap group Kneecap in their lineups.
Kneecap has repeatedly been associated with rhetoric and conduct widely condemned as antisemitic and supportive of proscribed terrorist organisations.
High-profile cultural events have a responsibility to exercise judgment over whom they choose to promote. For a festival that prides itself on inclusivity and community, the decision to host Kneecap is profoundly at odds with the values that it claims to champion.
We will continue to write to all venues and festivals where Kneecap is scheduled to perform.
We are also putting the spotlight on sponsors of these festivals. We visited Red Bull, a major sponsor of Boomtown, to tell them what we thought. You can watch the video here.
High levels of antisemitism are here to stay
The period between January and June 2026 saw the second-highest number of antisemitic incidents ever documented in the first half of any year – only behind the first months of 2024, shortly after Hamas’ attack on 7th October 2023.
Disturbingly, the report by CST found an 82% increase in physical attacks year-on-year, while school-related antisemitism also rose by 59% compared to last year. More than four in ten – 41% – of antisemitic incidents referenced Israel, Palestine, Hamas or the conflict.
Antisemitism is no longer anchored to events in the Middle East. The abysmal failure of the authorities to clamp down on anti-Jewish racism in the weeks following 7th October 2023 opened a Pandora’s box. The evils cannot now easily be returned.
The authorities refused to heed our calls in those early days, even as we demonstrated outside Scotland Yard because we could see where things were heading. Britain – and above all the Jewish community – are paying the price for that failure.
As ever, the media turned to us for commentary to understand what these statistics mean – watch our Chief Executive on Sky News here and Talk TV here.
What is happening in Norwich?
A woman has been found guilty of having caused thousands of pounds of damage through attacks on several sites in Norwich, including a Starbucks, a McDonalds and a BBC building.
Martha Goddard, 51, appeared in Woolwich Crown Court in relation to the various incidents, which were carried out using homemade materials. She was found guilty of five counts of criminal damage and two counts of making explosives.
Her fingerprints were also found on posters which appeared to refer to the conflict in Gaza alongside an inverted red triangle – a symbol also used by Hamas over the past several years to delineate targets for violence and by activists worldwide to show solidarity with the terrorist group and support for its methods and objectives.
Ms Goddard will return to court to be sentenced in October.
Meanwhile, in the same city, Mireille Abate, 54, is alleged to have blared loud music containing incendiary lyrics whilst repeatedly driving past a synagogue in Norwich during Shabbat services.
CCTV allegedly shows her driving past Norwich Hebrew Congregation six times in the space of less than ten minutes just after 10:00 on Saturday 18th October, whilst worshippers were inside attending the Sabbath service.
The music played from the vehicle is said to have included the rap duo Bob Vylan’s notorious “Death, death to the IDF” chant from its Glastonbury set.
She has appeared at Norwich Magistrates’ Court accused of religious harassment, where she pleaded not guilty. She has been granted bail with conditions which prohibit her from attending or loitering outside the synagogue until her next court date, which is scheduled for 25th August.
Faulty CCTV on TfL enables antisemitic attacks to go unpunished
Over the past year, multiple antisemitic incidents have taken place on London’s public transport network. In a number of cases, police investigations failed because of problems with the CCTV.
Here are some recent examples:
- In October 2025, a visibly Jewish member of the public told us that he was locked on a bus in Hackney and abused by the driver. He reported the incident to police, and the driver was suspended. However, the bus’ CCTV audio was not working, so police took no further action.
- In April 2026, a member of the public told us that he was assaulted while travelling on the Northern Line. The perpetrator verbally and physically abused the victim. His wife called the police, who reviewed onboard CCTV but were unable to identify either the victim or perpetrator due to a fault with downloading the footage. Police initially dropped the case, but reopened it after the victim submitted his own footage of the incident.
- Also in April, a member of the public told us that she was racially abused while commuting on the Weaver Overground line. When both passengers exited the train, the perpetrator continued to intimidate the victim. The victim wrote to her MP, who provided an update from British Transport Police which stated that there was no CCTV showing evidence of the verbal exchange, so they closed the case.
It is astounding that in London, one of the most heavily surveilled cities in the world, authorities are unable to rely on CCTV to identify and prosecute offenders.
What is the point of TfL investing in all these cameras if, when the moment comes, they cannot deliver for victims?
CCTV is supposed to provide the evidence needed to prosecute criminals and establish deterrence. Without that, no British Jew nor any ordinary British person can rest assured that if they are attacked on public transport, they will get justice.
Boy George stood with the Jews – so now he is a target
Last week, we told you of how Boy George was standing with the Jews, having released a song in solidarity with Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Immediately, a mural of singer Boy George, painted by Benzi Brofman, was defaced with what appeared to be an inverted red triangle, a symbol used by Hamas over the past several years to delineate targets for violence and by activists worldwide to show solidarity with the terrorist group and support for its methods and objectives.
This is not just petty vandalism – it is far more sinister.
It is what happens to you if you show solidarity with Jews in modern Britain. If you stand with the Jews, you become a target – even if you’re a celebrity.
The indoctrination of young people in school, online and at camp
Do you think schools should “reject neutrality and impartiality” in the classroom?
The Times reports that a group called Educators for Peace wants to “pursue political advocacy” in Scottish schools. The newspaper added that EfP-produced resources for schools “suggested young pupils were shown content including depictions of the Middle East with Israel absent from the map.”
EfP is backed by a body, Scottish Development Education Centre, which receives the vast majority of its funding from the Scottish Government.
There is no place for political bias in the classroom. Scottish children should learn in a politically balanced environment with a fair presentation of opposing viewpoints. No ifs, no buts. This is a point that we made in our recent submission to Sir David Bell’s independent review into antisemitism in schools.
Schools are one place where children learn. Another is social media.
A number of recent reports have documented what they will be seeing online:
- An analysis of nearly 1,000 X posts which included the word “Jew” across a twelve-hour period found that over 70% of them were antisemitic.
- A separate report found that, as devastating wildfires sweep across Norway, France and Spain, many social media users have claimed that Jews are responsible.
- Last week we reported to you a study that found that antisemitic content is almost seven times more likely to feature in Instagram’s top-performing videos.
Camp provides no relief either.
Children attending a Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) summer camp shouted chants including “We will crush Zionism” and “Young people, rise up, our revolution is an Arab revolution” in footage posted to the organisation’s Instagram account.
In another Instagram post from the same account promoting a community football tournament in North Kensington, a photo of five children appears to show two wearing shirts numbered 7 and 10, a possible reference to the brutal 7th October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. This was in addition to other concerns.
British summer camps should be places where children build friendships, not where they are exposed to political indoctrination and extremist ideology. Encouraging children to chant slogans calling for the destruction of Zionism is fundamentally at odds with the values of tolerance and mutual respect.
The camp was hosted at YHA Edale, operated by YHA (England and Wales) which reportedly received almost a million pounds from Sport England in the past and is a registered charity.
After an outcry and our threat to write to the Charity Commission, YHA has reportedly opened an investigation, claiming that the event was a private group booking. The venue has distanced itself from the activities of PYM during the camp. We welcome YHA’s investigation and await the outcome.
Fight indoctrination of young people: join our team!
We are recruiting an Education and Outreach Officer, whose duties will include fighting antisemitism in schools and camps and on campus.
You can find out more information and apply at antisemitism.org/get-involved/jobs/education-and-outreach-officer.
The lasting and dreadful impact of 7th October
The events of 7th October 2023 continue to have a devastating impact.
It has been reported that a survivor of Hamas’ attack at the Nova Music Festival has died by suicide at the grave of his “childhood soulmate”, who was murdered on 7th October.
Liron Barda was working as a bar manager at the music festival when Hamas terrorists launched their attack, killing more than a thousand people and taking hundreds hostage. Liron reportedly continued to help the wounded with first aid until she was killed.
Her close friend Bar Asraf survived the attacks, but he has now reportedly taken his own life. He was reportedly discovered at Liron’s burial place.
Three years later, the worst atrocity committed against the Jews since the Holocaust is still claiming lives.
May their memories be a blessing.
