British police announced that a social media post supporting the banned group Palestine Action by the wife of the prime minister’s national security adviser does not constitute a crime, closing the evaluation without further investigative steps.
Metropolitan Police officers reviewed a public statement published on social media by Sarah Helm, a writer, journalist, and wife of national security adviser Jonathan Powell. The statement followed an online controversy surrounding Irish novelist Sally Rooney and the British publishing house Faber, which dropped Rooney’s works from the UK market over her pledge to direct royalties toward the pro-Palestinian activist organization, as detailed by Aljazeera.
Helm, who previously worked as a correspondent for The Independent in Jerusalem, has a documented history of vocal criticism regarding Israeli military actions in Gaza, having previously characterized the territory as a strange and surreal prison while publicly advocating in July 2024 for the deployment of a United States-led international peace force to remove the Israeli military from the area.
Metropolitan Police Conclude Post Does Not Meet Criminal Threshold
Specialist officers evaluated the online post to determine whether it crossed legal boundaries under UK counterterrorism statutes. The government banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organization in 2025, a designation that criminalizes public expressions of support for the group. The proscription followed a raid on a Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton which caused property damage estimated at about 7 million pounds. Separately, four members were imprisoned in June after a 2024 raid on a factory operated by the Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems that caused more than 1 million pounds in damage.
Following a review of the remarks, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed that the content did not rise to the level of a crime and that law enforcement would pursue no additional actions. Downing Street distanced the government from the controversy, with a spokesperson for the prime minister stating that these views express the perspective of an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity. Powell, who previously served former prime ministers Tony Blair and Keir Starmer, visited Israel to negotiate over keeping the British consulate open during heightened diplomatic friction sparked by London banning the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Controversy Erupts Over Social Media Remarks and Publishing Decisions
The scrutiny began after Helm responded on the platform X to online criticism directed at Rooney. In her post, Helm wrote:.
God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism called for the police to investigate Helm, considering that the post may constitute an expression of support for a banned organization. The advocacy group argued that Powell should declare a clear position on his wife’s statements given his official position and role in foreign policy and national security, according to Amad.
Conversely, Green Party leader Zack Polanski defended the remarks, praising Helm’s courage and describing the official ban on Palestine Action as absurd and authoritarian while calling for the immediate rescission of the proscription.
Broader Legal Context Surrounding Palestine Action Proscription
The legal framework governing Palestine Action has driven widespread arrests across the United Kingdom since the government enacted the ban. Amnesty International reports that police have detained more than 3,500 individuals in Britain on suspicion of supporting the proscribed group, frequently arresting demonstrators simply for carrying placards, as reported by Annahar.
While Palestine Action previously challenged the government ban in court, an appeals court upheld the proscription as lawful. The High Court in London is scheduled to review a separate legal challenge brought by co-founder Huda Amouri next month, keeping the group’s legal status at the center of public debate over freedom of expression and national security policies.
