British woman referred to counter-terror org, questioned by police over support for Israel - report

A 44-year-old British mother of two was questioned by police after being referred to the UK's Prevent counter-extremism program due to her advocacy for Israel, the Telegraph reported. Police records labeled her as having mental health issues and vulnerable to negative influence, though the report acknowledged no counter-terror concern with supporting Israel. Holly Passmore, who is pursuing a Master's degree in Holocaust studies, said she was told she may be 'at risk of manipulation.' The police intelligence report concluded no further inquiries were necessary.

A 44-year-old British mother of two, Holly Passmore, was questioned by two police officers after being referred to Prevent, the UK's counter-extremism program, due to her advocacy for Israel, the Telegraph reported on Sunday. Passmore told the Telegraph that the officers asked about her recent trip to Israel, telling her she may be "at risk of manipulation." She later obtained police records through a subject access request and found she had been labeled as having mental health issues and being "vulnerable to negative influence." The referral said Passmore "over-identified with the conflict between Israel and Palestine" and was "supportive of Israel to the point that she has traveled to Israel." Passmore, who has health conditions including endometriosis and ADHD, said nobody would describe her as vulnerable. The police intelligence report acknowledged there was no counter-terror concern with supporting Israel, as it is a democracy, and concluded no further inquiries were necessary. Passmore, who is pursuing a Master's degree in Holocaust studies at the University of Haifa, was visited weeks after a trip to Israel in June of last year. She was urged by police to stop discussing the case online after she complained about the visit. A Counter Terrorism Policing North East spokesman declined to comment on the individual case.