A time to celebrate, but we cannot rest on our laurels

The return of the hostages

The return of the living hostages today is an extraordinary occasion. To have secured the release of over 250 hostages in these circumstances has few, if any, historical parallels, and reflects the Jewish commitment to life. That this unprecedented achievement should come as part of the fight against global antisemitism is humbling.

The hostages are returning home from the most barbaric captivity on the eve of the festival of Simchat Torah – during which they were abducted two years ago to the day, in the Hebrew calendar. It is truly wondrous that they can celebrate this festival again, after it was desecrated and be spoiled in the most unspeakable fashion by crimes against humanity committed by antisemitic genocidal terrorists.

Not all of the deceased hostages have been returned yet, and members of proscribed antisemitic Islamist terror organisations are still armed in Gaza. They have not renounced their genocidal antisemitism and, as we have seen in recent days, their supporters in Britain and around the world are doubling down on their racist hatred against Jews.

That is why, as Jews in Israel and around the world rejoice, our attention must also shift to the UK and other countries of the West, where antisemitism rages unabated and the position of Jewish people is very different to what it was two years ago.

We cannot and will not rest on our laurels, even as we savour this incredibly significant victory in the fight against the oldest hatred.

At Downing Street, we called for action, not words

Last Thursday evening, Campaign Against Antisemitism led a demonstration of the Jewish community and its allies outside Downing Street, one week after the Manchester terrorist attack that left two British Jews dead.

Watch as Demonstrators cry “Shame!” and “Actions, not words!” outside Downing Street at the demonstration.

The crowd, several thousand strong, was addressed by five speakers:

Broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer said: “What happens in the next few days, weeks, months, or even years in the Middle East, we need to deal with what is happening right now, right here in Britain as well, because even if a full ceasefire is declared, the hostages return, and the war in Gaza ends, the battles on our own streets will just carry on.

“The never-ending marches by the pro-Palestinian activists won’t just suddenly stop… They aren’t pro anything. They’re anti-Israel and yes, anti-Jew.”

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Here we are two years after 7th October, mourning the deaths of Adrian and Melvin whilst others sit in hospital praying for their loved ones’ recoveries. This is a Jewish community that has clamoured for two years in the face of mounting hate.

“We watched as this country did nothing as people celebrated the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Shame. We have been betrayed and we have been abandoned by politicians whose job it is to uphold the ways of this land. Why has it taken the murder of British Jews for our politicians to start to pay attention? Actions not words. We’re fed up of thoughts and prayers.”

Journalist Camilla Tominey told the crowd: “I stand beside you as an ally… Stopping antisemitism is not just about protecting one community. It’s about protecting the very values that hold our society together.

“Our universities should be centres of excellence, not agencies of Hamas propaganda… This hatred has never truly gone away.”

A friend of Adrian Daulby, one of the victims of the terrorist attack in Manchester, also took the stage: “Adrian was a friend of mine. I can’t believe it’s happened. We have to do something about it: we can’t stand back anymore.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The last two years have been an awful stain on this great country of ours that we love so much. We have seen warm words, we have seen statements that antisemitism has no place in the country. Well, I’m sorry Prime Minister: it very clearly does.”

In advance of the protest, Stephen also wrote in LBC about how, “after the Southport terrorist attack, protests were banned overnight. Yet when Jews face intimidation in London, suddenly nothing can be done and the authorities are reduced to begging the purveyors of hatred to show some compassion.”

The protest was covered widely, including by BBC News, ITV News, Sky News, GB News, and others, and trended across social media.

Elie also interviewed demonstrators outside Downing Street on why they felt it important to be there. 

Remembering Manchester

Our Chief Executive, Gideon Falter, stood with Mancunian Jews in the wake of the devastating terrorist attack.

The revelation that the Manchester Islamist terrorist was heard saying during the attack that “this is what they get for killing our children” affirms how the blood libel – the trope that Jews gratuitously kill children – pumped out daily by the British media has real-world effects.

If you keep telling people that the Jewish state wantonly murders children, you are radicalising people to hate Jews, and the blood of slain British Jews is also on your hands.

The Manchester terrorist reportedly attended a mosque where the imam called Jews “treacherous”.

When are regulators going to wake up?

It will no longer do just to give mosques like these a regulatory slap on the wrist. They must be severely sanctioned, and the message that radical extremism in the name of religion will no longer be tolerated must be broadcast loud and clear.

And still, the protests continue

Despite the ceasefire in the Middle East, the hate marches in the UK continue.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, spoke to LBC about the meaning of these persistent protests.

At this weekend’s march, Mark Birbeck and others from Our Fight UK were pushed and abused by hate marchers, then arrested by police. Their only “crime” was displaying signs reading, “We stand with Britain’s Jews.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has provided solicitors to represent Mark and others who were arrested. We are proud to stand behind those who stand up for us.

There is a ceasefire now, but these marches were never really about a ceasefire. The marchers claim to be “anti-Zionist”, but this was never about “Zionists”. A week after Jews were murdered at a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, those brave and decent people daring to stand with us face abuse and arrest on the streets of London. These are hate marches, pure and simple.

Watch: Counter-protester Mark Birbeck is arrested by police.

Campaign Against Antisemitism launches private prosecution of Nick Griffin

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a private prosecution against Nick Griffin for an alleged offence under sections 18 and 19 of the Public Order Act 1986.

Mr Griffin, the former Chairman of the British National Party and a Member of the European Parliament, is due to appear in court within the coming weeks.

This is one of several cases currently being privately prosecuted by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism writes to Bar Standards Board about conspiratorial barrister

We have written to the Bar Standards Board regarding Sham Udin, the barrister who posted a video of himself claiming that “it is rumoured that the Israeli Government orchestrated the attack in the synagogue in Manchester.”

Day after Campaign Against Antisemitism threatens legal action, GMC announces re-referral of Dr Rahmeh Aladwan to tribunal

The General Medical Council (GMC) has announced that it is re-referring the case of Dr Rahmeh Aladwan to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS).

The decision came a day after Campaign Against Antisemitism notified the GMC of our intention to challenge, via judicial review, the decision not to impose conditions on Dr Aladwan while she is under investigation for misconduct. That decision also drew condemnation from Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who said that he has no confidence in the medical regulator following the ruling.

Despite Dr Aladwan’s repeated use of social media and public appearances to wage what amounts to a campaign of hatred against British Jews, a hearing of the MPTS on 25th September determined that she had done nothing to “undermine public confidence in the medical profession,” and that her abusive rhetoric did not “amount to bullying or harassment”.

Dr Aladwan has:

• Expressed support for the atrocity carried out by Hamas on 7th October 2023;
• Promoted propaganda published by the Al-Qassam Brigades;
• Called for the eradication of “Jewish supremacy”;
• Described the Royal Free Hospital as “a Jewish supremacy cesspit”;
• Asserted that over 90% of the world’s Jews are genocidal; and
• Posted “GLOBALISE THE INTIFADA” in response to the Manchester synagogue terrorist attack.

It is extraordinary that the tribunal could have come to the conclusion that it did.

Why does it take the threat of legal action from us to get regulators in Britain to do their duty?

The Manchester terrorist attack took place in no small part because of cataclysmic failures in enforcement by the authorities – from our streets to the professions. It is evident to any reasonable person that this doctor is wholly unfit to practise medicine. Let us hope that the system delivers the correct result this time, and that the myriad other medical cases are finally addressed with the urgency that they require.

“Dead Jews don’t count, it seems.”

The failure by the FA to observe a moment of silence at last week’s England–Wales match, notwithstanding tributes for other causes in other games, is scandalous.

Recently, our nation witnessed a terrorist attack in which two people were murdered and others injured simply for being Jewish.

Football has a long history of standing against racism and extremism. A national commemoration would have sent a clear message that Jewish lives matter, that the Jewish community has equal standing to others in the beautiful game, and that such attacks will be publicly recognised and condemned. The absence of that commemoration sends an even clearer message, and it is a terrible one. Shameful.

Last week, we gathered outside Downing Street to tell the Government that the double standards and cowardly appeasement of extremists must end.

It may be two years and two dead Jews too late, but the authorities in this country must now finally take action. They must recognise incitement to violence and genocidal language for what it is and bring the full force of the law to bear on wrongdoers.

The hate marches must be banned. Criminals and terrorist-sympathisers must be arrested and jailed. Extremist professionals must be struck off. Mosques that host radical preachers must face the most severe regulatory action. University students who glorify terror must be expelled. Media organisations that promote antisemitic tropes must be sanctioned — and more.

The Jewish community has been scarred forever, and Britain must never be the same again.

The return of the hostages is wonderful news for the Jewish world and decent people everywhere. It is particularly meaningful that it happens on the eve of the festival when they were so brutally abducted.

It is notable that the agreement has come about because Hamas’ patron, Qatar, has finally been compelled to force Hamas to come to terms. It is shameful that two successive British Governments made effectively no effort to bring this about sooner, despite their promises to do everything possible.

The deal shows that at any time Hamas could have given up the hostages and brought an end to the fighting. Those — from politics to the streets — who have been claiming to care about ending the war whilst making no demands of Hamas at best totally misunderstood why the fighting was happening or, worse, simply supported Hamas. It is despicable and unforgivable.

The persistence of the protests even as a ceasefire comes into effect reveals what this was always about, and the continuing failure of the authorities to take drastic steps even after the Manchester terrorist attack shows just how much more there is to do.

Today, however, is a day of celebration, and as the Jewish world enters the final festival of this season, we wish everybody celebrating a truly joyous Simchat Torah.