Freedom of speech in the UK is limited in unacceptable ways. The result, leads to bias in the media and the misleading of the population. Selective information deprives us of the ability to make fair and informed judgments.
In the case of Hamas anti-terrorism laws effectively deprive a whole people of their human rights (See my poem, I Feel Sorry for Terrorists.)
We have laws which allow the press and the government to support armed and dangerous organisations like Israel which they say “has a right to self defence” – even when it is carrying out blatant aggression, mass murder on a terrifying scale.
But Hamas, which has also carried out acts of mass murder but on a far smaller scale, is officially proscribed as a terrorist organisation and therefore nothing may said or written in defence or support of it. Palestinians in effect are not allowed to claim a right to self defence. The only defence force available to Palestinian cannot be described as a defence force or be described as having any merit whatsoever.
The government has gone beyond naming the armed wing of Hamas as terrorists and has included, as Israel does, the governmental sections of Hamas. These have included medical, and educational facilities so that Palestinian nurses, doctors, teachers and lecturers are also classified as terrorists. It is part of Israel’s war aim to destroy Palestinian political leadership and public services in Gaza. This cannot be right but I have yet to hear anyone in the media criticising this war aim publicly stated by Israel.
What our law says: Summary of UK anti-terrorist law by Chat GPT Sources are shown within square brackets.
“In the UK, it is illegal to write or speak in favour of Hamas, as it is a proscribed terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Legal Details
• Hamas (Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya) has been proscribed in full (both its military and political wings) since November 2021. [Wikipedia The Guardian]
• Under the Terrorism Act 2000:
◦ Section 11: It is an offence to belong to or profess membership in a proscribed organisation.
◦ Section 12: It is illegal to invite support for, including any form of moral or expressive support, for a proscribed group. This includes statements that are supportive and made recklessly knowing they may encourage others to support the group. [Reddit Expert Witness University of Exeter]
• The Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 strengthened these provisions, explicitly criminalising expressions of opinion or belief supportive of a proscribed organisation, particularly when there’s reckless potential to inspire support. [Wikipedia Radio Free]
• Additional relevant offence:
◦ Under the Terrorism Act 2006, Section 1 makes it unlawful to encourage terrorism—including direct or indirect encouragement or glorification of terrorist acts. This carries serious penalties. [Wikipedia]
Implications
Expressing support for Hamas—whether written or spoken—can lead to criminal prosecution, carrying potentially severe penalties, including:
• Up to 10 years for membership or support (Terrorism Act 2000 Sections 11 & 12) [Wikipedia].
• Up to 7 years for encouraging terrorism (Terrorism Act 2006 Section 1) [Wikipedia].
Enforcement in Practice
• UK authorities have taken action against individuals displaying Hamas flags or symbols, giving speeches supportive of Hamas, and using language deemed to glorify terrorism. This includes arrests and charges under terrorism offences. [The Guardian BBC Expert Witness UK Defence Journal, Hansard]
• Public officials and the independent terrorism reviewer have emphasized that “glorifying terrorism” or supporting a proscribed organisation is clearly illegal. [BBC]
• For example, foreign nationals (students, workers) praising Hamas may face visa revocation or deportation on grounds of national security. [Source: Reddit]”
Distorted story about hostages – we hear only one side of the story
We hear daily about the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, but never about thousands of Palestinian hostages held by Israel. See my article about hostages. https://davidrobertsblog.com/index.php/2025/07/22/hostages-who-holds-the-most/
