UK bans 2 US political commentators critical of Israel

LONDON: Britain’s interior ministry on Monday said it had blocked two US-based political commentators from entering the country.

Left-wing Israel critics Cenk Uygur, 56, and his nephew Hasan Piker, 34, had been due to speak at the SXSW London festival this week.

“These individuals’ Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has been canceled on the grounds that their presence in the UK may not be conducive to the public good,” the ministry said in a statement.

The United Kingdom has seen tensions in recent months after a string of attacks targeting the Jewish community.

Piker, 34, described by the festival’s website as a streamer and creator, had been expected to to speak at an event entitled “How The American Left Learned To Speak The Internet.”