UK counterterror police target mother over support for Israel

A report in The Telegraph tells a disturbing story of counterterrorism policing targeting a British mother for her support of Israel. According to the report, police visited the home of Holly Passmore, 44, of County Durham in northeast England, on July 4, 2025, after an anonymous referral to the government’s Prevent program flagged her support for Israel following an educational trip organized by Israel’s embassy in London. Prevent is Britain’s government counter-extremism program.

Referrals are assessed for potential security threats or concerns that someone vulnerable could be drawn into radicalization. Police say support offered through the program is voluntary. The report cited records Passmore subsequently obtained showing that the referral characterized her involvement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as excessive, citing her decision to travel to Israel. It also alleged mental health issues and susceptibility to harmful influence.

However, a police intelligence report reviewed by The Telegraph explicitly acknowledged that supporting Israel or traveling there did not constitute a counterterrorism concern. Passmore, who is not Jewish, told the newspaper that officers questioned her connections to Israel, future travel plans, interest in Jewish matters, and whether she had visited Auschwitz. “When they came to the door, they didn’t discuss my health. They only asked about Israel."

Passmore cares for her nine-year-old son, who has severe autism, and is pursuing a master’s degree in Holocaust studies at the University of Haifa. She disputed the referral’s characterization of her health and vulnerability. According to the report, after she complained, two other officers, including a superintendent, visited and assured her she was not regarded as a terrorist or extremist. She alleges the superintendent also encouraged her to stop discussing the incident online.

The newspaper also reported that Passmore discovered her medical records had designated her a vulnerable adult shortly after her Israel trip. The designation was subsequently removed. She said neither change was explained to her and questioned whether it was connected to the referral. Counter Terrorism Policing North East declined to discuss her case. The Telegraph said Durham Constabulary and the regional health board had been approached for comment.