"We must congratulate them on the attack": The Jewish-British activist on trial for supporting Hamas

Tony Greenstein, one of the founders of the "Palestine Solidarity Campaign" in the UK, is currently on trial for publishing a "call to support" and endorsing the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. According to a report by the "Daily Telegraph", 72-year-old Greenstein from Brighton is charged at Kingston Crown Court with inviting support for a proscribed organization.

The indictment refers to three tweets published by Greenstein on his account on the social network X on October 7, 2023, the day Hamas launched the murderous surprise attack that led to the outbreak of the war. It should be noted that Hamas is defined in the UK as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000.

During the hearing, the court heard that in the three posts, Greenstein wrote:

"Please share. Full support for the Gaza ghetto uprising."

The jury was informed that the posts also included links to a blog which stated:

"It is time to fight. Whatever criticisms one may have of Hamas, we must congratulate them on this planned and daring attack on the Zionist enemy."

Kate Temple-Mave, the prosecutor in the trial, described Greenstein as a "prolific social activist." She noted: "He is a Jewish man, but he opposes the existence of the State of Israel and supports the liberation of Palestine." The prosecutor emphasized the legal distinction between legitimate criticism and support for terrorism: "The law states explicitly that calling for support for Hamas is a crime. In this sense, the law treats support for Hamas in a completely different way than support for the Palestinian people more broadly."

According to the prosecution, although Greenstein did not mention Hamas by name in the posts on X, "his reference to the 'Gaza ghetto uprising', in this specific context and on this specific date, can only mean support for Hamas." Temple-Mave added that Greenstein provided a clear "call to support" when he declared that "it is time to fight," which constitutes an unequivocal invitation to moral and intellectual support for a terrorist organization.

Greenstein was arrested at his home in December 2023, and in his interrogation claimed that he does not support everything that Hamas represents. His defense is expected to be based on the claim that the words he used did not constitute an actual invitation to support the organization. At the end of her remarks, the prosecutor reminded the jury that although the trial raises political and emotional issues, their role is not to form an opinion on Middle Eastern events, but to decide based on British law. The trial is still ongoing.