One British lecturer — Lewis Turner, the co-vice president of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies — cautioned that the government’s decision sets a “dangerous precedent” for free expression in the country. “The UK government appears to be banning individuals from entering the UK because of their criticism of Israeli state policies,” Turner told CNN on Monday. “This comes in the context of a much wider crackdown on freedom of expression relating to Palestine, especially since October 2023,” he added, referring to Hamas’ attack on Israel and the ensuing Israeli campaign in Gaza. Piker has repeatedly insisted he is anti-Zionist, not antisemitic, and he has called for greater accountability over Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip. Both Piker and Uygur have described the Israeli offensive in Gaza as a genocide. In September, an independent UN inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a finding the Israeli government rejected.