Blair’s sister-in-law could face terror law scrutiny after 7 October ‘legendary’ remarks

Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, could face scrutiny under UK terrorism legislation after describing the Hamas-led 7 October attacks as a “legendary day”, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has warned.

Booth, a British-born journalist who converted to Islam and now lives in Turkey, made the remarks during an interview last year with Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak. Footage of the interview resurfaced this week, prompting widespread outrage over comments appearing to praise the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

The footage was first reported by the Daily Mail, which revealed Booth describing 7 October as “a legendary day in the Ummah’s [Muslim community’s] history” and claiming that “only Allah knows” how many “millions” would pick up the Quran in the wake of the attacks.

In the same interview, Booth was quoted by the Mail as saying she had been “annoyed” with Palestinians during an earlier visit to Gaza because, she claimed, they were not determined enough to “hate all Jews or just take Jewish life”. She added: “I got a little bit annoyed with the Palestinians when I met them at first because I thought they had Stockholm syndrome.”

Former prime minister Tony Blair (Photo credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

Responding to the footage, Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, said Booth’s remarks could fall within the scope of British counter-terrorism law.

More in UK News

Marc Isaacson, whose family are appealing for support to fund an independent forensic examination following his death in Johannesburg.

3 hours ago

Sister launches appeal to fund brother’s exhumation after unexplained death

By Annabel Sinclair

Mock-up picture from a social media post by Save The Children UK Photo: X/SaveTheChildrenUK

4 hours ago

Save the Children condemned over Starmer Gaza social media post

By JN Reporter

Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts a coffee morning with members of the Jewish Community in the garden of 10 Downing Street. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street

5 hours ago

‘Never forget what we did to turn this party around’

By Lee Harpin

“Various terrorist offences under UK law can be committed abroad,” Turned said. “These include the offence under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act 2000 of expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation (such as Hamas), being reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation.”

However, Turner stressed that legal action would be difficult while Booth remains outside the UK.

“It would not be possible to prosecute Ms Booth in the UK if she remains in Turkey, unless she is extradited,” he said. “Extradition would be refused if she did not commit an offence under Turkish law, and could be refused on various other grounds. As matters stand, Hamas is not proscribed in Turkey.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism said that claiming to speak “as a voice of human justice” while describing 7 October as “legendary” was “sick and perverse”, warning that such rhetoric risks radicalising others. 7 October saw Hamas terrorists murder around 1,200 people in Israel, most of them civilians, and abduct more than 250 others into Gaza.

Booth is the half-sister of Cherie Blair and the daughter of actor Tony Booth. Although related by marriage to Sir Tony Blair, she has long been publicly estranged from his politics, previously branding him a “moral coward” over the Iraq War and repeatedly criticising his premiership.

In response to questions from the Mail, Booth said she did not advocate violence against any religious or racial group and said she supported what she described as the right of Palestinians to resist occupation.

The controversy comes amid heightened concern within the Jewish community over public figures appearing to legitimise or glorify Hamas atrocities at a time of sharply rising antisemitism in the UK.