A British jury unanimously acquitted Jewish anti-Zionist activist Tony Greenstein of inviting support for Hamas through social media posts on Palestine.
Key Takeaways
- A jury at Kingston Crown Court unanimously found Tony Greenstein not guilty of inviting support for a proscribed organization under Britain’s Terrorism Act 2000.
- Prosecutors argued that Greenstein’s October 7, 2023 posts supporting the “Gaza ghetto uprising” amounted to an invitation to support Hamas.
- Greenstein maintained that supporting Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation was distinct from supporting Hamas as an organization, telling the court: “When a colonial power holds another people down, they have the right to resist.”
Unanimous Acquittal
A British jury has unanimously acquitted Jewish anti-Zionist writer and Palestine campaigner Tony Greenstein of inviting support for Hamas, concluding a closely watched prosecution under Britain’s terrorism legislation.
The 72-year-old Brighton activist was found not guilty at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, August 21, after the jury deliberated for two hours and 11 minutes.
Greenstein had faced one count of inviting support for a proscribed organization under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, relating to three social media posts published on October 7, 2023.
The jury consisted of five women and seven men, according to reporting by the Press Association. Greenstein appeared visibly emotional when the verdict was delivered, while supporters in the public gallery reacted excitedly.
The case centered on whether Greenstein’s expressions of support for Palestinian resistance and for actions carried out during the October 7 attack constituted an invitation to support Hamas itself, which is proscribed in Britain.
VICTORY: TONY GREENSTEIN FOUND NOT GUILTY
A writer and Palestine campaigner, Tony Greenstein was prosecuted under terrorism laws over his public statements on Palestine.
Today, the jury unanimously found him not guilty.
Greenstein’s defence was simple: supporting an act… pic.twitter.com/ssfGcCFlbv
— CAGE International (@CAGEintl) August 21, 2026
‘Full Support for the Gaza Ghetto Uprising’
During the trial, prosecutors pointed to language Greenstein used in posts published on October 7, including: “Please share. Full support for the Gaza ghetto uprising.”
The posts linked to Greenstein’s blog, where he wrote that despite his criticisms of Hamas, the organization should be congratulated for what he described as a “well-planned and audacious attack.”
Prosecutor Kate Temple-Mabe argued that, although Greenstein had not explicitly named Hamas in the posts themselves, his reference to the “Gaza ghetto uprising” on October 7 could only have referred to Hamas in that context.
According to the prosecution, Greenstein had issued what amounted to a “rallying cry” and an invitation for “moral or intellectual support” for the proscribed organization.
Greenstein rejected that interpretation. His defense rested heavily on the distinction between supporting particular acts of resistance against Israel and inviting support for Hamas as a political organization.
‘They Have the Right to Resist’
Greenstein also used his testimony to explain the political context in which he had written the posts. He described Gaza as a “human prison” and argued that Palestinians had been confined there for decades.
“It was a cage in which people lived,” Greenstein told the court.
He asked jurors to imagine being unable to leave an area roughly 25 miles long and five miles wide.
Greenstein then told the court: “When a colonial power holds another people down, they have the right to resist.”
Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC repeatedly intervened when Greenstein discussed the history of Palestine and Israel, telling him that the trial was “not a political forum” and that jurors had been sworn to determine whether he had committed the specific offense before them.
Greenstein responded by accusing Britain’s political establishment of “turn(ing) a blind eye to genocide.”
🎤 "A VICTORY FOR FREE SPEECH": Tony Greenstein speaks following his acquittal at Kingston Crown Court.
Following a not-guilty jury verdict delivered in just two hours, activist and writer Tony Greenstein broke down his trial under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act in a… pic.twitter.com/NUzQZbzZmR— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) August 21, 2026
Defense Draws Distinction between Hamas and Resistance
CAGE International, which supported Greenstein, said the central legal issue was whether expressing support for an act carried out by members of a proscribed organization was necessarily equivalent to inviting support for that organization itself.
According to CAGE, Greenstein made that distinction central to his closing argument before the jury.
The organization said his position was that “supporting an act of resistance against a colonial power is not the same as inviting support for a proscribed organization.”
The jury ultimately returned a unanimous not-guilty verdict.
CAGE described the result as an affirmation that support for Palestinian liberation should not be criminalized, while calling for the abolition of Britain’s terrorism legislation.
‘Opposing Genocide is Not a Crime’
Speaking to supporters outside Kingston Crown Court following his acquittal, Greenstein framed the verdict as extending beyond his individual case.
According to 5Pillars, he criticized the use of terrorism legislation against Palestine campaigners and contrasted those prosecutions with Britain’s support for Israel.
Greenstein said: “Opposing genocide is not a crime, supplying arms to Israel to perpetrate a genocide is a crime.”
He also defended the role of juries in politically sensitive cases, arguing that his own acquittal demonstrated the importance of allowing ordinary citizens rather than judges alone to determine guilt.
The Canary reported that Greenstein described the prosecution case after his acquittal as “the thinnest of thin gruel” and spoke about the personal consequences of the proceedings, including years spent facing the possibility of imprisonment.
FloodGate: Greenstein on Israel’s Far Right and Weaponization of Antisemitism
Greenstein had faced a potential maximum sentence of 14 years if convicted, according to reporting on the case.
The 72-year-old activist presented the acquittal as a broader victory for Palestine solidarity activism and political expression.
“This is not my victory,” he told supporters following the verdict, according to Jewish Voice for Liberation. “This is all of our victories.”
(PC, The Canary, Jewish Voice for Liberation, CAGE International)
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