UK bans Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker from entering country allegedly over anti-Israel rhetoric

Britain's interior ministry cancelled travel authorization for Cenk Uygur, co-host of the YouTube channel The Young Turks, and his nephew Hasan Piker, a left-wing streamer and influencer, ahead of their planned appearances at SXSW London and the University of Oxford. The ministry said their presence "may not be conducive to the public good" without specifically mentioning Israel.

The Home Office justified the ban on Uygur by declaring him a "serious risk to the public order" following his claim that "Israel controls the American government through donations to 94% of Congress." In a post on X, Uygur called the decision "absolutely Kafkaesque," writing, "I didn't get banned for criticizing the UK, but for criticizing Israel."

Piker responded on social media as well, saying the UK had revoked his visa "at the behest of Israel," adding, "The West is betraying liberal values for a genocidal fascist foreign government." Last week, Labour MP David Taylor had called for Piker to be prevented from speaking, saying his presence was "not conducive to the public good." The Jewish organization Community Security Trust had also urged SXSW organizers not to allow the UK to serve as a platform for Piker, citing his "record of promoting rhetoric that includes antisemitic themes."

Piker has routinely received backlash for controversial statements he’s made in the past; for example, back in 2019 he said that “America deserved 9/11.” He had since apologized, but it didn’t stop him from sympathizing with terrorists yet again when he stood by Hamas, saying the terrorist group was "1,000 times better" than Israel. Piker has also claimed that he "would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time." Despite the comments, Piker says he is not antisemitic but anti-Israel.

The Oxford Union said it was "deeply concerned" by the ban and vowed to explore all options to ensure the discussion takes place, including hosting it online. "The Oxford Union was founded on a simple principle: that ideas should be challenged through debate, not ignored or silenced," president Arwa Elrayess said.

Separately, Piker was subpoenaed last week by the US Treasury Department as part of an investigation into whether he and a group of activists violated US sanctions during a visit to Cuba. The investigation includes some 40 US citizens and reportedly extends to Ilhan Omar's daughter Isra Hirsi, with reports that investigators are also looking into whether Omar herself funded her daughter's travel.