Turkish-American activist Cenk Uygur has been banned from the UK for anti-Israel speech, Uygur announced.
"I’ve been banned from the UK," he wrote on X. "I tried to get on a flight to London to attend SXSW London and give a speech at Oxford. I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel. Are we free anymore? This is oppression of Western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country!"
He later claimed, "The British government is saying they're banning me because I am "a serious risk to the public order" due to my criticism of Israel."
"They say that my charge that Israel controls the American government through donations to 94% of Congress, while factual, is antisemitic nonetheless. Don't know if facts will soon be banned in Britain.
"I didn't get banned for criticizing the UK, but for criticizing Israel. They broke the irony record by saying it was because I said Israel might control other governments. I wonder if they're going to ban themselves.
"Think about it - if I had said that the Israeli government controls the British government so thoroughly that they'll ban someone from coming to the UK just for criticizing Israel, they would have said that was an antisemitic statement. This is absolutely Kafkaesque."
Anti-Israel activist Hasan Piker responded, "The uk has revoked my visa as well. all at the behest of israel. the west is betraying 'liberal values' for a genocidal fascist foreign government. soon we will all become israel."
The House of Commons Library states, "The Government has wide discretion to ban foreign nationals from the UK if their presence is not considered 'conducive to the public good.' This is on top of rules barring entry for specific kinds of misconduct, such as criminal convictions."
The site adds, "The circumstances in which this power can be used are not limited by legislation but guidance states it will normally involve serious issues such as national security, war crimes, corruption or extremism."
"In 2005, the Home Office published an indicative list of unacceptable behaviors' which can also lead to exclusion by the Home Secretary. These include expressing views which provoke, justify or glorify terrorist violence or foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK."