An activist sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for alleged links to Hamas was invited to speak within the grounds of the UK Parliament, prompting criticism from some lawmakers and counter-terrorism experts. Saif Hashim Kamel Abukishek, a Palestinian-Spanish dual national, was a central figure in the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which the U.S. Treasury stated was established with funding from Hamas and directed by Hamas officials. Abukishek was also cited as being on the steering committee of the Global Sumud Flotilla, an organization accused by Israeli authorities of attempting to access Gaza in support of Hamas.
The sanctions against Abukishek were imposed in May. Weeks later, on June 8, he was invited to speak at an event in Portcullis House, an office building within the parliamentary estate. The event, titled 'Global Sumud Flotilla', was hosted by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan and attended by fellow Labour MPs Richard Burgon, Lorraine Beavers, and Steve Witherden. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, now an independent MP, also attended, along with MPs Ayoub Khan and Shockat Adam, Green Party's Hannah Spencer, and Green peer Baroness Jenny Jones.
MPs attending the event were seen holding placards calling for an end to the detention of Palestinians, an end to impunity for torture, and sanctions against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Labour MP David Taylor described the decision to invite Abukishek as 'grossly irresponsible' and expressed concern that such events legitimize extremist ideology.
Neil Duncan-Jordan, the host MP, stated that his office had received assurances that attendees had no criminal convictions and no evidence linked them to terrorist organizations. He explained that he wanted to provide an opportunity for aid volunteers to speak about their experiences, referencing the Global Sumud Flotilla as a group of volunteers who allege torture and sexual violence by the Israeli Defence Force. Duncan-Jordan noted that the U.S. Treasury's characterization of the flotilla as a 'terror flotilla' is contested and cited a UN Human Rights spokesperson stating that solidarity and aid efforts for Gaza are not a crime.
Global Sumud Flotilla UK asserted that Abukishek was targeted as part of an effort to discredit those speaking against the situation in Gaza, calling the U.S. Treasury's allegations false and part of a campaign to silence human rights defenders. They stated Abukishek was detained and tortured in Israel before being released without charge, and that neither he nor the PCPA have links to terrorism.
Abukishek himself described the U.S. sanctions as political and stated he was never charged with any offense or given an opportunity to respond. He argued that the MPs who invited him were aware of who he was and why they invited him, and that they made their own judgment without letting a foreign government's designation dictate their engagements. He questioned whether elected representatives in a democracy should allow politically motivated sanctions from a foreign government, lacking judicial findings or due process, to determine who they can meet with.