Open war between Sally Rooney and the British government: the author will fund a pro-Palestinian organization declared a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom.

Irish writer Sally Rooney , famous for her bestseller Normal People (2018), has entered into open war with the British Government after announcing last weekend that she will donate part of her rights, including those of the television adaptations of her novels, to the British organization Palestine Action , recently banned and declared a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom .

"I intend to use this income from my work and my notoriety more broadly to support Palestine Action ," the 34-year-old novelist, known for her commitment to Palestinian rights, said in an article published in The Irish Times . As she explains in the newspaper, the Irish author receives financial benefits from the BBC , which co-produced and broadcast the television adaptations of Normal People (2020), a global hit, and Conversations Between Friends (2022).

In early July, the Palestine Action group was banned and added to the UK's list of terrorist organizations following acts of vandalism at an air force base. Since then, more than 700 people have been arrested and around 60 will be prosecuted for expressing their support, particularly by carrying banners at rallies.

"In this context, I feel obliged to state once again (...) that I support Palestine Action . If that makes me an accused of supporting terrorism under British law, then so be it," writes Rooney, who lives in Ireland. "I would gladly publish this article in a British newspaper, but that would now be illegal," the novelist adds.

The Government warns: "It is a crime"

A spokesperson for the British Prime Minister stated on Monday, following Rooney's initiative, that "support for a banned organization is a crime under the Terrorism Act" and added that no one should support the group. Keir Starmer's office insists that there are differences "between showing support for a banned organization" and "legitimately protesting in support of a cause."

Rooney, who has sold millions of novels worldwide, refused in 2021 to have his third book, Where Art Thou, Beautiful World?, translated into Hebrew by an Israeli publisher he considered too close to power, sparking a strong reaction in the Jewish community.

Several organizations and NGOs, including the United Nations , Greenpeace and Amnesty International , have strongly condemned the ban on Palestine Action and warned that the arrest of its supporters threatens freedom of expression.

The founder of the organization, which seeks to denounce "British complicity" with Israel, particularly in arms sales, has filed a legal appeal that will be reviewed in November.