US Media Figures Claim UK Entry Ban Linked to Views on Israel

(MENAFN) American political commentator Cenk Uygur and online broadcaster Hasan Piker said they were prevented from entering the UK, alleging that British authorities cited their public statements about Israel as the basis for the decision.

Uygur stated that he discovered the restriction while preparing to board a flight to London, where he was scheduled to participate in the SXSW London and speak at University of Oxford.

In a series of social media posts, Uygur said officials informed him that he had been classified as “a serious risk to the public order.”

“The British government is saying they're banning me because I am ‘a serious risk to the public order’ due to my criticism of Israel,” he wrote.

He also said authorities viewed his comments regarding Israeli influence on American politics as antisemitic, a characterization he rejected, arguing that his statements were based on facts.

According to Uygur, the restriction was not connected to comments about Britain but rather to views he had expressed in the United States concerning Israel.

“This is absolutely Kafkaesque,” he wrote, criticizing what he saw as conflicting reasoning behind the decision.

Piker later said that British authorities had also revoked his visa shortly before he was due to travel to the same event.

“The UK has revoked my visa as well,” he wrote, claiming the action stemmed from his criticism of Israel.

The reported measures follow a separate case in which British authorities denied entry to Ye, citing previous antisemitic remarks. Officials maintained that decision despite requests from event organizers and public appeals by the artist for reconsideration.

MENAFN01062026000045017281ID1111191502