London Bans Israel Critics Hassan Piker, Cenk Uyghur From Entering UK
Pro-Palestine streamer and commentator Hassan Piker was banned from visiting the UK by the British Home Office, ahead of his planned meeting with former Labour Party chief Jeremy Corbyn. Piker was also due to meet with Green Party leader Zack Polanski. "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," Piker said on X on 1 June.
Cenk Uyghur, Piker’s uncle and host of the “Young Turks” political commentary program, said earlier that he was also denied entry into the UK. The Young Turks show has been highly critical of Israel.
The British Home Office justified the move by declaring Uyger a "serious risk to the public order" following his claim that “Israel controls the American government through donations to 94% of Congress,” according to an X post made by the Young Turks founder.
“I’ve been banned from the UK. 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!” Cenk said on social media.
“It's an honor to have made Israel's enemies list. I'm very proud to have fought against their genocide. The mighty United Kingdom is afraid of speech that shows you who's responsible for those war crimes. But no amount of censorship will get us to stop telling the truth,” Uyghur added.
Polanski condemned London’s decision to ban both commentators from visiting the UK.
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.
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) May 31, 2026
They say that my charge that Israel controls the American government through donations to 94% of Congress, while factual, is antisemitic…
“People often talk about dangerous road we'd go down under a Reform government – this is another clear warning we're down there already.” He also demanded an immediate explanation from UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
Corbyn, who was expelled from the Labour Party years ago over criticism of Israel and allegations of "antisemitism," also strongly criticized the UK decision, saying on Monday that banning Uyghur and Piker was an “attack on the freedom to criticize Israel, as well as the UK government’s own complicity in genocide.”
British authorities have cracked down heavily on pro-Palestine activism in recent years.
Last year, the UK proscribed activist group Palestine Action as a terror organization. Since then, thousands of people have been detained across the UK in connection with Palestine Action protests.
Corbyn calls the move "authoritarian"...
Banning Cenk Uyghur and Hasan Piker from entering the UK is an absurd and cowardly decision from an increasingly authoritarian government.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 1, 2026
Let us call this what it is: an attack on the freedom to criticise Israel, as well as the UK government’s own complicity in genocide. https://t.co/c6jUrF3prA
The group has, for years, stood against Israeli occupation and UK military support for it. Earlier in 2026, several Palestine Action activists went on hunger strike over a $2.7 billion British military training contract to Israeli arms maker Elbit Systems’ British subsidiary.
The hunger strikers reached a critical phase before ending the strike in January, following the government’s decision to cancel the contract. The UK High Court ruled the July 2025 terrorist proscription on Palestine Action unlawful in February 2026.