The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Palestine Action, designating the British-founded anti-Israel group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, according to a notice posted on the U.S. Treasury Department website.
Palestine Action was founded in Britain in 2020 and has built its campaign around disrupting companies and institutions it accuses of supporting Israel, particularly Israeli defense manufacturer Elbit Systems. Its activists have broken into facilities, damaged property and targeted defense-related sites, banks and universities.
Pro-Palestinian Palestine Action activists protest outside a London court against Britain’s designation of the group as a terrorist organization
(Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The U.S. move significantly expands international pressure on the organization, which was already banned in Britain. The UK proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization in July 2025 after a series of incidents involving defense facilities and other targets.
Among the incidents cited in Britain was a June 2025 break-in at RAF Brize Norton, where activists entered the military base and sprayed red paint on aircraft. Palestine Action has also targeted facilities belonging to Elbit Systems UK and other companies it says are connected to Israel’s military.
The group rejects the characterization of its activities as terrorism and says its campaign is aimed at disrupting Britain’s arms trade with Israel. Supporters and civil liberties groups have argued that the terrorism designation threatens the right to protest.
The U.S. designation places Palestine Action on Washington’s global terrorism sanctions list, marking another major step against the group after the British ban.