British aid organisations, Palestinian advocacy groups and campaigners now face the prospect of being denied entry to Israel after a ministry document recommended that border authorities bar their staff and activists. The recommendation, dated September 8, targets employees linked to Oxfam, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Save the Children, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Norwegian Refugee Council and groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Friends of Al‑Aqsa.
The letter from Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism was issued the same day the UK moved to ban imports from illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. It follows earlier Israeli measures taken after the UK sanctions, when Israel barred 11 British MPs and a lawyer from entering, ordered the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem, removed British staff from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat and ended British training of Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank.
The ministry’s document accuses a slate of British organisations of activities it describes as undermining Israel, including backing boycotts and sanctions, seeking engagement with Hamas for humanitarian access, pressing for an arms embargo, or having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood or to so‑called terrorist groups. It also singles out Friends of Al‑Aqsa founder Ismail Patel for attending London demonstrations and making what it calls “harsh statements against Israel.” Patel said the threat proves the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign is “working and impacting Israel,” and that the restrictions “will not intimidate us.”
Groups named in the letter disputed the allegations. Save the Children said it and other NGOs already face visa barriers for staff needing to cross Israeli‑controlled borders into Gaza and the West Bank, at a time it called one of greatest humanitarian need. Medical Aid for Palestinians said the recommendation is part of broader measures restricting international charities working in the occupied territories and noted two people named in the letter had been honoured with humanitarian medals by King Charles.
The document also describes Palestine Action, which has carried out raids against armaments manufacturer Elbit Systems, as a network promoting direct action against Israel’s defence industry. Huda Ammori, a Palestine Action cofounder, said the letter confirms the group was not targeted for ties to terrorism but for actions aimed at harming the defence sector.
In a related development, UK Lawyers for Israel has urged consideration of proscribing Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, alleging personnel ties to Palestinian armed groups. MSF said it has been the subject of a prolonged disinformation campaign and rejected claims that staff named by Israeli authorities had known military involvement prior to their deaths.
Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The recommendation formalises a new front in a dispute that has already seen travel bans, diplomatic steps and operational restrictions, and it is likely to prolong tensions between London and Jerusalem while complicating humanitarian operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
