Displaying items by tag: antiSemitism

Police have arrested two people for racially aggravated public order offences after chants calling for 'intifada' were allegedly shouted at a pro-Palestinian protest in central London. The arrests followed a joint announcement by the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police that they would take decisive action against placards and chants using the phrase 'globalise the intifada', warning that words can incite violence and cause serious harm. The move comes amid heightened concern following recent attacks on Jewish communities, including a mass shooting in Sydney and a knife attack at a synagogue in Manchester. Police say communities are increasingly anxious and that enhanced measures are needed, including increased patrols and protection around synagogues, schools, and community venues. Jewish leaders have welcomed the decision as a necessary step to challenge hateful rhetoric, while some pro-Palestinian groups have criticised it as an infringement on protest rights. Keir Starmer has announced increased funding for Jewish security and ordered a review of protest and hate crime laws, underscoring the seriousness of rising tensions and antisemitism in the UK.

Australia is mourning and in shock after a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on 14 December left 15 people dead and dozens wounded. Police have charged 24-year-old Naveed Akram with 59 offences, including fifteen counts of murder and a terrorism charge; he is said to have carried out the attack alongside his father, Sajid Akram, who was killed at the scene by police. The shooting targeted a Jewish community event on the beach marking the start of Hanukkah. As funerals and vigils were held, grief-stricken families remembered victims, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who organised the event, and ten-year-old Matilda, whose name has become a symbol of innocent loss. Authorities say the attackers had recently travelled to Davao City in the Philippines, an area associated with extremist Islamic ideology. The government is under pressure because the men were legally able to acquire the high-powered weapons used in the attack; prime minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to toughen the country’s gun laws, and to work with the Jewish community to ‘stamp out and eradicate antisemitism’.

BBC director-general Tim Davie has told Jewish staff he is 'appalled' by anti-IDF chants during punk band Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set, acknowledging 'deep upset' among employees. The band led some of the crowd in chanting 'Death to the IDF’, remarks Davie condemned as 'deeply offensive'. Though he attended the festival, the BBC’s livestream of the performance remained online for hours before removal, sparking criticism from staff, the Chief Rabbi, and government ministers. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy demanded rapid reforms, criticising the broadcaster’s handling of the incident and its earlier decision to withdraw a Gaza documentary linked to a Hamas official’s son. Meanwhile, over 400 figures, including BBC staff and prominent artists, signed an open letter accusing the BBC of failing to report critically on Israel’s actions and UK arms sales. The controversy adds to growing internal and external scrutiny of the BBC’s leadership and editorial decisions. Davie insists that there is no place for antisemitism at the BBC.

Two Israeli embassy staff members, Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, were shot dead outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC. The couple, described as being 'in the prime of their lives', were leaving an event when they were attacked. A suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, was apprehended at the scene and reportedly shouted 'free Palestine' while being detained. Authorities are investigating potential links to terrorism and antisemitism. The killings have shocked both US and Israeli communities, and are being condemned as a brutal act of antisemitic violence. Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase security at diplomatic missions worldwide, while the foreign minister called the attack 'a direct result of toxic, antisemitic incitement’. The incident comes amid intensifying scrutiny of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has triggered widespread global criticism and deepening humanitarian concern.

Australia is investigating allegations that foreign funding is fuelling a rise in anti-Semitic crimes. Prime minister Anthony Albanese revealed suspicions that criminals-for-hire who lack ideological motives are being paid to commit these acts. The authorities are working to trace the sources of funding, whether domestic or international. Anti-Semitic incidents have surged since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023. In Melbourne, arsonists firebombed a synagogue, while in Sydney, vandals targeted Jewish neighbourhoods and institutions, including a childcare centre. The police strike force tasked with investigating these crimes has doubled its manpower. Arrests have been made, and one man has been charged with attempting to burn down a synagogue in Sydney. The police are also investigating the involvement of young people in recent incidents, to see if they had been radicalised online.

There has been severe unrest in Amsterdam since antisemitic violence linked to a football match on 7 November between Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax. The police presence in the city has been strengthened and most protests banned, but the violence has continued. The police have faced targeted attacks, including stones and fireworks. The disturbances have been fuelled by both anti-Israeli and anti-Palestinian sentiments, and Jewish institutions have received heightened security. So far, over a hundred people have been arrested in connection with the riots. Amsterdam’s mayor described the violence as an ‘outburst of antisemitism’: she said the authorities had considered calling the match off because of tensions fuelled by social media, but could find no legal grounds for doing so. The violence has sparked outrage, prompting an emergency debate in the Dutch parliament. In related news, four thousand police will be deployed in Paris on 15 November for a match between France and Israel: see

Michael Gove has addressed the rise in antisemitism in Britain, warning it signals broader societal dangers. In his speech, Gove likened the situation to historical instances where countries becoming unsafe for Jews indicated a descent into darkness, referencing Nazi Germany and others. He criticised the display of anti-Jewish symbols at pro-Palestine marches and called for stricter measures against such displays of hatred. Gove urged the House of Lords to pass a bill preventing public bodies from boycotting Israeli-linked businesses. His comments follow a record 4,103 antisemitic incidents in the UK in 2023.

London police are set to meet with Jewish leaders following concerns raised by the Jewish community over their safety. The discussions are a response to tensions from pro-Palestinian marches, with reports of some participants expressing extremist views. Metropolitan Police commissioner Mark Rowley, under scrutiny for the force's handling of an incident involving an 'openly Jewish' man, will also confer with mayor Sadiq Khan and home secretary James Cleverly. The police apologised after suggesting the man’s presence could provoke demonstrators, a comment they later retracted, clarifying that being Jewish is not provocative. The Met has been actively deploying officers during these events to balance the rights of protesters with the safety of Jewish residents and counter-demonstrators.

Alid Ahmed, a Moroccan asylum seeker in England, is accused of murdering 70-year-old Terence Carney and attempting to murder his housemate Javed Nouri, a Christian convert, citing ‘revenge’ for Israeli actions in Gaza as his motive. Ahmed, who attacked both victims with knives, also assaulted two female police officers during his arrest. He initially targeted Nouri for being a Muslim convert to Christianity, then killed Carney, mistakenly believing both victims were dead. The attacks occurred soon after the Hamas attacks in Gaza, with Ahmed claiming his actions were to ‘free Palestine from the Zionists’. Despite Ahmed's claims of religious and political motivations, including his desire for martyrdom and references to the conflict in Gaza and Israel's actions, the trial is focussing on determining his intentions during the attacks. The prosecution claims his actions were driven by a combination of personal grievances and his perceived religious and political motivations. The case is ongoing.

Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to suspend any Labour member who was present at a meeting of activists where antisemitic comments were allegedly made. Mike Katz, the national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), criticised those who were present at the meeting but failed to 'call out' comments about Israel. At the meeting, which is understood to have taken place in Hyndburn last year, Labour's original candidate for the Rochdale by-election claimed Israel deliberately allowed the Hamas atrocity of 7 October to take place in order to give it the 'green light' to invade Gaza. The Labour Party initially stood by Mr Ali, but later withdrew support for his candidacy after 'further comments' came to light. Another one of the party's election candidates, the former Labour MP Graham Jones, had also been present at the meeting, and made comments resulting in his suspension. Mr Katz said there was a real problem that nobody raised concerns. He said: 'Well, they're identifiable. They all ought to be suspended pending investigation’. A third Labour MP was spoken to about his attendance at the Hyndburn meeting. See