Britain Is Dancing to Israel’s Tune

Cenk Uygur, the well-known American founder of a left-wing YouTube channel, and his nephew Hasan Piker, also a prominent left-wing commentator, were refused entry to Britain. They had been due to appear at the SXSW festival in London and at the University of Oxford. According to the Home Office, the entry permits for ‘these individuals’ were revoked because ‘their presence in the UK may not be in the public interest’. The decision has sparked widespread outrage online.

As Cenk Uygur himself wrote, the entry ban is linked to his outspoken anti-Israel stance: ‘I was banned for criticising Israel. Are we still free? This is the oppression of Western citizens by our own governments on behalf of another country!'

Is Israel Calling the Shots?

Although Israel is not mentioned anywhere in the official documents, many users believe it is behind the decision. ‘What is their crime? To speak out against Israel’s genocide. What is their visa status? Recalled ‘at Israel’s behest. Is a foreign government dictating who can and cannot come to Britain on the basis of their political views?' the British are asking some uncomfortable questions. 

‘Both had their visas revoked following intervention by Jewish groups. American rapper Kanye West (Ye) has also been banned from entering the UK for making anti-Semitic remarks. The UK will take a tough stance for the sake of Israel,' users write.

The Authorities Are Putting Up Barriers

At the same time, many point out that this is not an isolated incident but rather part of a wider government policy. In May, the authorities banned 11 ‘foreign far-right agitators’ from entering the country; they had planned to attend Tommy Robinson’s march. At the time, tens of thousands of Britons publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister’s immigration policy, economic decisions and restrictions on freedom of speech.

‘This is such an outrageous attack on freedom of speech. Another key question for @AndyBurnhamGM: will you restore the civil liberties that that frail little wooden man, Keir Starmer, has been systematically dismantling over the past two years? Or are you a coward?' this isn’t just a question that one user asked Starmer’s potential successor, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. It reflects a broader desire to know whether anything will actually change in government policy if Sir Keir Starmer is eventually forced to resign while Labour remains in power.

Many Britons believe that real change is unlikely. Restrictions on access to information, pressure on independent media outlets and increasing control over state-funded broadcasters are just some of the measures critics attribute not only to the Prime Minister himself but to the Labour Party as a whole over the past two years. At the same time, whoever eventually replaces Labour — whether it is the Conservatives or Nigel Farage’s Reform UK — may be reluctant to abandon such convenient tools of social control. As a result, entry bans on unwanted individuals and restrictions on freedom of speech risk becoming the new normal in Britain.