The US Treasury designated Palestine Action, a UK-based direct action group, as a specially designated global terrorist on Wednesday. The designation allows the United States to freeze the assets of foreign individuals and entities connected to the group.
The move comes as Palestine Action pursues a legal challenge against its proscription in the UK, with a Supreme Court hearing on that case approaching, The Guardian reported. The Guardian described the US action as coming "as Palestine Action challenge against proscription in UK nears supreme court hearing."1
A Treasury official framed the designation as part of a broader financial crackdown, stating, "Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: We will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear,"2 according to BBC News.
The designation drew criticism from within the group. BBC News quoted a member disputing the label: "As a Palestinian and Iraqi, the fact the country which destroyed both my homelands is calling me a terrorist, is beyond hypocritical."2
This is a developing story. Framing of the designation differs sharply among outlets, from straightforward reporting on the legal proceedings to characterizations of a wider network and named individuals; see the framing comparison below.
