Two American political commentators, Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker, say they were denied entry to the United Kingdom, with UK authorities citing their public statements about Israel as the reason.
Uygur, co-founder of The Young Turks, a US-based online news and political commentary network, said he learned of the ban while trying to board a flight to London for the SXSW London festival and a scheduled speech at Oxford University.
In a series of posts on platform X, Uygur said UK authorities told him he was considered 'a serious risk.' He wrote: 'The UK government says they banned me because I am “a serious risk to public order” due to my criticism of Israel.'
Uygur quoted UK authorities as arguing that his claim that Israel controls the US government through donations to 94% of Congress, though true, was deemed antisemitic. He quipped: 'I'm not banned for criticizing the UK, but for criticizing Israel. They broke the irony record by saying it's because I said Israel might control other governments. I wonder if they will ban themselves.'
Uygur's nephew, Hasan Piker, a major political streamer and pro-Palestinian advocate, also said his UK visa was revoked as he prepared to attend the same event. In a livestream on Sunday, Piker said: 'It is sad that Israel's interests are prioritized. Israeli advocacy organizations wield incredible power over what even the United Kingdom says and does; if you are an open anti-Zionist, your travel is restricted.'
The Times reported that UK officials argued Uygur's presence was not 'conducive to the public good,' a term Piker also said the UK used in denying his entry.
The bans come weeks after UK authorities refused entry to rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, over his history of antisemitic statements. British officials defended that decision despite intervention from event organizers and the artist's public calls for a review.
