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Teenager who made pipe bomb in Nazi-adorned bedroom sentenced on terror charges

A teenager who constructed a pipe bomb in his bedroom, which was filled with Nazi memorabilia, has been sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order.

Jack Coulson, 19, of Mexborough, was found guilty of constructing an explosive device and admitted possessing a document or record for terror purposes. He was sent by Leeds Crown Court to youth custody for four years and eight months.

Prosecutors said that Mr Coulson, who was living in Bradford at the time and was a member of the neo-Nazi National Action terror group, had downloaded The Big Book Of Mischief to his phone after allegedly boasting about wanting to kill a female MP. The 60-page manual provides information on building weapons.

According to prosecutors, Mr Coulson claimed that “all Jews should be exterminated”, while he was attending preventative intervention programmes.

Sentencing Mr Coulson, Judge Marson QC said: “Time and time again you were a given a chance in relation to the previous offence. Help was repeatedly given, but you continued to breach the order that was given to you. You are unable to address the very real problems which you have in relation to your right-wing views.”

Image credit: North East Counter Terrorism Unit

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Two men jailed after being found guilty of membership in neo-Nazi National Action terrorist group

Two men have been jailed after being found guilty of membership in the neo-Nazi terrorist group, National Action.

Christopher Lythgoe, 32, of Warrington, and Matthew Hankinson, 24, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, were convicted of membership in the neo-Nazi National Action group, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the British Government following pressure by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

Mr Lythgoe, the leader of the group, was found not guilty of encouragement to murder for allegedly giving Jack Renshaw permission to kill Rosie Cooper MP on behalf of the group. Mr Renshaw has already been jailed for life over a plot to kill Ms Cooper, who is his MP. Previously, in 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to prosecute Mr Renshaw after lawyers for Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to declare our intention to launch a private prosecution. Mr Renshaw was charged with two offences of incitement to racial hatred in relation to speeches made in 2016, as well as his tweets.

Jurors at the Old Bailey were unable to decide whether Mr Renshaw, Michal Trubini, 35, from Warrington or Andrew Clarke, 33, from Prescot, Merseyside were guilty of membership in National Action, and found Garron Helm, 24, from Seaforth in Merseyside not guilty of being a member of the group.

Mr Lythgoe was jailed for eight years and Mr Hankinson for six.

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ISIS supporter Husnain Rashid jailed for life over calls to attack British Jews, poison supermarket goods and kidnap Prince George

Husnain Rashid, a 34-year-old ISIS supporter from Lancashire, has been sentenced to life in prison over his repeated calls to murder British citizens, sending instructions in 300,000 posts on the heavily-encrypted Telegram network in just 18 months.

Mr Rashid, who operated from his bedroom at his parents’ house on Leonard Street in Nelson, a small town of  29,000 people, urged Islamists to wage jihad by murdering Jews, injecting cyanide into supermarket goods, and kidnapping Prince George. He had even sent one contact instructions on how to shoot down aircraft.

As part of his work as a facilitator for terrorism, he published an online library of instructions on committing acts of terrorism, encouraging would-be Islamist terrorists to operate alone using poisons, vehicles, weapons, bombs, chemicals or knives to murder and maim. He was also working on a magazine called Lone Mujahid which police said was “a sort of e-toolkit for would-be lone-wolf attackers”.

Counter-terrorism police swooped in November last year, just before Mr  Rashid planned to go to Syria to join ISIS terrorists there. When he threw a  mobile telephone over a wall onto a police officer’s foot, and then appeared to faint.

On Friday, he pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, and one count of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. He must serve at least 25 years of his life sentence.

Chief Superintendent Will Chatterton from Counter Terrorism Policing North West said: “Rashid was a prolific poster on Telegram, a messaging and media platform which prides itself on never having provided law enforcement agencies with any user data…He is a prolific and dangerous individual. He has never been forthcoming with information about all of the attacks that he suggested, but we have worked closely with agencies across the world to share the intelligence that we have. We believe that Rashid was days away from travelling to Syria and are in no doubt that he would have continued to encourage others and promote his ideology. Today, Rashid has been sentenced to life in prison and will spend at least the next 25 years behind bars. He will no longer be able to spread hate and encourage senseless harm and killing. Today the world is just that little bit safer.”

Prosecutor Sue Hemming added: “Husnain Rashid is an extremist who not only sought to encourage others to commit attacks on targets in the West but was planning to travel aboard so he could fight himself. He tried to argue that he had not done anything illegal but with the overwhelming weight of evidence against him he changed his plea to guilty.”

We commend the police officers and prosecutors involved in this case for their vigilance in defending Britain from terrorism. This case is a stark reminder that Islamist terrorist consider the Jewish community to be a high-priority target.

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CAA taking advice on legal action against CPS over move to block private prosecution of Nazim Ali, leader of pro-Hizballah parade through London

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has moved to block Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) from privately prosecuting Nazim Ali, the leader of the annual “Al Quds Day” pro-Hizballah parade through central London. The parade is notorious for the crowds of demonstrators who march through London in support of the terrorist organisation, which seeks the murder of all Jews worldwide, carrying out bombings worldwide, including two in London.

Our private prosecution centred on Mr Ali’s statements over a portable public address system at last year’s parade, including:

  • “Some of the biggest corporations who are supporting the Conservative Party are Zionists. They are responsible for the murder of the people in Grenfell, in those towers in Grenfell. The Zionist supporters of the Tory Party. Free, Free, Palestine…It is the Zionists who give money to the Tory Party to kill people in high-rise blocks. Free, Free, Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
  • “Careful of those Rabbis who belong to the Board of Deputies, who have got blood on their hands, who agree with the killing of British soldiers. Do not allow them in your centres.”

The CPS declined to prosecute Mr Ali last year and that is why CAA had to launch our private prosecution. Not only did the CPS refuse to do its job and uphold the law by prosecuting Mr Ali, now it is blocking CAA from doing so privately. The CPS has done this by using its statutory power to take over our private prosecution and then discontinue it just days before Mr Ali was due to face CAA’s lawyers at City of London Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Despite prosecuting many thousands of hate crimes each year, the CPS has not yet been known to conduct more than two dozen prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes in any year.

Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “This decision by the CPS is an appalling betrayal of British Jews, and we are now taking advice on using judicial review proceedings to force the CPS to either prosecute Mr Ali itself or let us get on with the job. We have called for zero tolerance enforcement of the law against antisemitism and that is what politicians have promised, but it seems that the CPS is not only abandoning British Jews, it is intent on actively intervening to block us when we stand up for ourselves. Whilst we prepare to take action in the courts, the Attorney General must urgently investigate the behaviour of the CPS and its horrifying resistance to prosecuting antisemites.”

We will be providing more information once we have consulted further with our lawyers.

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Antisemitic author and saxophonist Gilad Atzmon capitulates, making humiliating apology and paying substantial damages and costs after just two hours in court against CAA

Antisemitic author and saxophonist Gilad Atzmon has been forced into a humiliating capitulation after just two hours in court facing lawyers representing Campaign Against Antisemitism Chairman Gideon Falter.

Mr Atzmon, is an antisemite who is reported to have blamed the Grenfell Tower tragedy on “Jerusalemites” as well as reportedly telling university students that “the Jews were expelled from Germany for misbehaving.” He is not shy about his antisemitism, telling a Jewish Twitter user in 2014: “I am not a Jew any more. I indeed despise the Jew in me (whatever is left). I absolutely detest the Jew in you.”

Following our efforts to have him banned from various musical venues, he penned an article in which he claimed that our Chairman, Gideon Falter, “fabricated” antisemitic incidents as part of a “business plan” to defraud the British taxpayer and earn money for himself.

After being sued by Mr Falter for libel, Mr Atzmon attempted to crowdfund “tens of thousands of pounds”, telling his supporters: “I have made the decision to fight this crucial battle for freedom of expression even though this fight poses a real risk of bankrupting me and my family.”

However in court Mr Atzmon did not even show his face, instead sending his lawyer to make the implausible argument that he had not meant that Mr Falter was making up antisemitic incidents, defrauding taxpayers or profiting personally.

After just two hours of argument, High Court Justice Matthew Nicklin issued a preliminary ruling stating that Mr Atzmon had deliberately accused Mr Falter of: “dishonestly fabricating antisemitic incidents; deliberately exaggerating the prevalence of antisemitism and antisemitic activity (including being too ready to characterise as antisemitism legitimate criticism of Israel); by doing these things Mr Falter therefore risked increasing antisemitism; Mr Falter’s motive was to obtain funds (including funds from the British taxpayer) to support the activities of the CAA and to provide his own income; the funds obtained by this fabrication and misrepresentation were consequently obtained by Mr Falter’s fraud; and Mr Falter is guilty of hypocrisy – he campaigns against antisemitism but he is content with its continued prevalence (even resorting to the manufacture of incidents) because his income and that of the CAA depend upon it.”

Faced with the impossible task of substantiating these libels, Mr Atzmon instead capitulated and agreed to settle the case, admitting that all of the claims were false and agreeing to pay substantial damages and costs. Mr Atzmon did not show his face in court, instead sending his solicitor to read an apology on his behalf.

The defeat is a humiliation for Mr Atzmon.

Mr Falter was represented by the solicitor Mark Lewis who instructed William Bennett as barrister. The libel proceedings brought against Mr Aztmon are part of a strategy devised by Mr Lewis which he and Campaign Against Antisemitism intend to use to force other antisemites into either apologising in court, or paying substantial damages.

Mr Falter said: “For four years, I have led Campaign Against Antisemitism without earning a penny from it and at enormous personal and financial cost to myself. I am proud that we have built an organisation with great integrity to lead the fight against antisemitism in Britain. We are often accused by antisemites of seeking to stifle criticism of Israel or of making antisemitic incidents up, and I am delighted that through the work of libel lawyers Mark Lewis and William Bennett, I have been able to set the record straight and expose one such antisemitic liar for what he truly is.”

Image credit: Nathan Lilienfeld

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Man fined following antisemitic rant on flight from Tel Aviv to Manchester

A man has been fined and ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, following an antisemitic rant he gave on a flight from Tel Aviv to Manchester

Shamraize Bashir, a 34-year-old business owner from Bradford, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated threatening behaviour following an antisemitic rant on the flight, which he blamed on smoking cannabis during Ramadan.

He was quoted as saying: “You know the really fat Jewish women yeah? Their job is to let their husbands f*** them and make babies for them.”

Mr Bashir was ordered by Manchester Magistrates Court to complete a twelve-month community order, 100 hours unpaid work, attend a course to address his cannabis use and pay £505 in costs.

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Man who gave Nazi salute outside Jewish primary school fined and ordered to undertake community service

A man who performed a Nazi salute outside a Jewish primary school has been fined by police.

Stephen Panagi made the offensive gesture from his car window outside Wolfson Hillel Primary School in Southgate.

The incident occured on 20 April 2018, a significant date in neo-Nazi circles as it was Hitler’s birthday.

Mr Panagi was sentenced to 100 hours’ unpaid community service after he pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated breach of the Public Order Act. He was also ordered to pay £50 in compensation, an £85 surcharge, £85 in costs and to attend a session on Holocaust education.

A further incident saw a man shout abuse at Jewish patrons of a kosher supermarket in Hendon. He was apprehended by Shomrim North West London, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, before being investigated at a nearby police station and let off without sanction.

Image credit: Google

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Woman charged after brandishing knife and screaming “I want to kill all you Jews”

A 47-year-old woman has been charged after allegedly brandishing a large 10-inch knife and chasing 13-15 young Jewish children who had just left a synagogue in South Tottenham in north London on Sunday evening while screaming: “I want to kill all you Jews.”

Volunteers from Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood watch group, apprehended the woman and she was arrested by Haringey Police on Gladesmore Road.

Stamford Hill Shomrim reported that the suspect was subsequently charged with possession of a knife and a racially aggravated public order offence and remanded in custody to appear in court today.

Once again, we applaud our brave colleagues at Stamford Hill Shomrim for stepping in to protect the Jewish children and ensuring that this woman could be arrested. We thank the police for their speedy response.

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Alison Chabloz sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid community service and a social media ban

District Judge John Zani has sentenced Alison Chabloz to a 20-week prison sentence suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid community service, an indefinite restraining order against contacting two leaders of Campaign Against Antisemitism, as well as issuing an order banning her from social media for 12 months. She was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge, and costs of £600. District Judge Zani handed down the sentence this morning at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, after finding Ms Chabloz guilty on all counts of criminal offences under the Communications Act at a hearing last month.

The case effectively delivers a landmark precedent verdict on incitement on social media and on whether the law considers Holocaust denial to be “grossly offensive” and therefore illegal when used as a means by which to hound Jews.

In sentencing her, District Judge John Zani said: “It appears to this court that no proper remorse is forthcoming from you…I don’t know whether you want to be a martyr to your cause. Only time will tell. This sentence will test your resolve. If you fail to abide by the terms of the suspended sentence you should expect to go to prison.”

Ms Chabloz, from Glossop in Derbyshire, had pleaded “not guilty” to charges relating to three self-penned songs in which she decries the supposed Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world and denies the Holocaust. However, in spite of her grossly antisemitic statements and social media posts, the court heard that Ms Chabloz had told probation officers that she had never intended to offend Jews.

The court was read an impact statement from Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, who concluded: “Today, British Jews feel more beleaguered and exposed to danger than at any time in the last seventy-plus years. Alison Chabloz has been at the forefront of those who are responsible for that state of affairs.”

Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “This sentence sends a strong message that in Britain, Holocaust denial and antisemitic conspiracy theories will not be tolerated. Alison Chabloz is a remorseless and repulsive antisemite who has spent years obsessively inciting others to hate Jews, principally by claiming that the Holocaust was a hoax perpetrated by Jews to defraud the world. District Judge John Zani refused to make her a martyr, leaving her a pathetic and insignificant figure who now has to learn to muzzle her incitement or face immediate imprisonment. Time will tell whether she manages.”

At a hearing last month in which he found Ms Chabloz guilty, District Judge John Zani had said: “This court is entirely satisfied that the material in each of the songs complained of is grossly offensive, as judged by the standards of an open and multi-racial society – as opposed to any of them being, merely offensive. The defendant has failed, by some considerable margin, to persuade this court that her right to freedom of speech as provided by Article 10, under the guise of her work as an artist, can properly provide her with immunity from prosecution in relation to each of the songs complained of. Having had the opportunity to assess the defendant’s live evidence during the course of these proceedings, I am entirely satisfied that she will have intended to insult those to whom the material relates or, at least, that she must have recognised that there was a risk of so doing. Having carefully considered all evidence received and submissions made, I am entirely satisfied that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of charges 2, 4 and 5. I dismiss charges 1 and 3 as they are alternatives to charges 2 and 4.”

Charges 2 and 4 were charges of “causing to be sent by a public communications network an offensive, indecent or menacing message or material”, relating to two songs performed at a gathering of the far-right London Forum in London in September 2016 and uploaded to YouTube. Charge 5 was a charge of “sending by a public communications network an offensive, indecent or menacing message or material” in relation to a third song. All of the charges were brought under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

The case began as a private prosecution brought by Campaign Against Antisemitism after the authorities failed to act. Once we had begun the private prosecution and won a judicial review against a decision not to prosecute a separate case, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to take over our private prosecution of Ms Chabloz. Due to strict deadlines for bringing prosecutions, had Campaign Against Antisemitism not brought our private prosecution, the CPS would have missed its chance to take action against Ms Chabloz. Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Chairman, Gideon Falter, and Director of Investigations and Enforcement, Stephen Silverman, testified against Ms Chabloz on 10th January and were the only prosecution witnesses.

The lyrics written and sung by Ms Chabloz include:

  • “Did the Holocaust ever happen? Was it just a bunch of lies? Seems that some intend to pull the wool over our eyes. Eternal wandering liars haven’t got a clue, and when it comes to usury, victim’s always me and you.”
  • “Now Auschwitz, holy temple, is a theme park just for fools, the gassing zone a proven hoax, indoctrination rules.”
  • “Tell us another, come on, my brother, reap it, the cover, for tribal gain. Safe in our tower, now is the hour, money and power, we have no shame.”
  • “History repeats itself, no limit to our wealth, thanks to your debts we’re bleeding you dry. We control your media, control all your books and TV, with the daily lies we’re feeding, suffering victimisation. Sheeple have no realisation, you shall pay, all the way, until the break of day.”

The songs were partly set to traditional Jewish folk music such as Hevenu Shalom Aleichem and Hava Nagila. She mocked prominent Jewish figures persecuted by the Nazis, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel and Anne and Otto Frank.

Under cross-examination on 7th March, Ms Chabloz said that: “There should be an official investigation, forensic, regarding Holocaust numbers.” She strongly contested the number of six million Jews being murdered by the Nazis, explaining that her position is “scientific” and that “it looks unlikely to be more than a million.” She continually referred to the “so-called Holocaust” and said that “it’s been used to sustain the criminal State of Israel.”

Regarding gas chambers, she said that: “It’s impossible, without an investigation, without evidence, it’s impossible to affirm” and there’s “no proof of these non facts”, there’s “no proof that any such murder weapon existed” and that they are being “used as a weapon to destroy European countries.”

Ms Chabloz also described as “indoctrination” the programme which sends schoolchildren to visit Auschwitz. She also claimed that Jews are disproportionately influential and asked “how Jews are eight times overrepresented in Parliament.” She then alleged that “plenty of Jews find my music funny.”

The verdict comes amidst a crisis of confidence in the Jewish community. Each year the CPS prosecutes in the region of 15,000 hate crimes, but there has yet to be a year in which there have been more than two dozen known prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes. With antisemitic crime rates surging, the failure to prosecute has led to a crisis of confidence in Britain’s Jewish community, with Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer research showing that just 39% of British Jews believing that an antisemitic crime against them would be acted on by the authorities, even if there was enough evidence, and more than half of British Jews saying that the CPS does not do enough against antisemitic crime.

Instead, Campaign Against Antisemitism is being left to take action against antisemitic crime.

In a clear example of the problem, last week on 14th May, neo-Nazi leader Jeremy Bedford-Turner was sentenced to 12 months in prison after being unanimously convicted by a jury of incitement to racial hatred over a speech he gave in 2015 at a demonstration called to protest against the “Jewification” of Golders Green. Campaign Against Antisemitism had to battle the CPS since 2015, eventually winning a landmark judicial review which forced them to prosecute this case. Mr Bedford-Turner was represented by barrister Adrian Davies, who also represented Ms Chabloz and antisemitic Holocaust denier David Irving, and himself held leadership positions in two right-wing fringe political parties.

Whilst Campaign Against Antisemitism brought its private prosecution of Ms Chabloz because the authorities had failed to act and due to a consistent failure by the CPS to adequately tackle antisemitic crime, we could not be more satisfied with the professional excellence of the expert prosecuting team from the CPS, led by barrister Karen Robinson with the expert support of Hazel Allen. Before it was taken over by the CPS, our private prosecution was led pro bono by Jonathan Goldberg QC, with junior barristers Senghin Kong and Jeffrey Israel, supported by solicitor Stephen Gilchrist.

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Far-right supporters give Nazi salutes at rallies calling for Tommy Robinson to be released

Far-right supporters of Tommy Robinson have reportedly performed Nazi salutes at rallies calling for the former English Defence League (EDL) leader to be released from prison. Robinson was jailed for 13 months after admitting committing contempt of court by live streaming details of a trial.

The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, is grossly offensive to Jews and is a well-known fascist gesture. Use of the Nazi salute is illegal in Germany where it is punishable by up to three years in prison.

The Independent has published disturbing footage of a man repeatedly performing a Nazi salute while holding a banner stating “F*** Islam” at a rally in Whitehall, London on 9th June. The news website also reported that another T0mmy Robinson supporter was photographed performing a Nazi salute at a rally in Belfast.

Michael Bradley, a coordinator for Stand Up to Racism, attended the rally in London and told The Independent that: “There were loads of people doing Nazi salutes during the day” and added that: “Most of the fascist right in Britain were on that demonstration.”

Anybody with information which might help to identify the perpetrators should contact the police by calling 101.

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CAA welcomes call by our Honorary Patron, Sir Eric Pickles, for a law against Holocaust denial, following the conviction of Alison Chabloz

Speaking to the BBC, Sir Eric Pickles has called for a new law against Holocaust denial to ensure that perpetrators receive longer sentences.

Sir Eric, who is an Honorary Patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, made the comments in the wake of the landmark conviction of Alison Chabloz today following a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism which was eventually taken over by the Crown Prosecution Service, which should have taken action in the first place.

Speaking to Martin Bashir, the BBC’s Religion Editor, Sir Eric said that he had been “root and branch” opposed to a law against Holocaust denial, but he wanted longer sentences.

Ms Chabloz is the first person to be convicted of a crime for denying the Holocaust, but the offence she was charged with by Campaign Against Antisemitism carries a maximum six-month sentence.

The UK is one of the few countries in Europe which does not have a specific law against Holocaust denial, and the UK is even a signatory to an EU framework which requires countries to pass such a law, but no government has ever done so.

Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes Sir Eric’s call for the law to be strengthened so that Holocaust denial carries a much tougher sentence.

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Neo-Nazi who described Jews as “destructive” and “vile” on social media is jailed

Wayne Bell, a prominent member of National Action before it was banned in 2016, published hundreds of posts on Twitter and a Russian social media site, including one which described Jewish people as “destructive” and “vile”.

Neo-Nazi National Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation at the culmination of a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Mr Bell had also daubed neo-Nazi graffiti on pillars and lampposts in his hometown of Castleford.

His online activity took place between March and December 2016 when he set up a profile on the Russian site VK using the pseudonym Celtic Raider. Among his postings was an image of a man being hanged by a rope with a Star of David on his forehead.

In May 2018, Mr Bell was sentenced to four years and three months in jail at Leeds Crown Court. His sentence was added on to a 30-month jail term he is already serving for involvement in violent clashes with left-wing activists in Liverpool in 2016.

Image Credit: Counter Terrorism Policing North East

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Alison Chabloz convicted on three charges over antisemitic songs in landmark verdict, following private prosecution by CAA

District Judge John Zani has convicted Alison Chabloz at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, finding her guilty on all counts of criminal offences under the Communications Act.

Ms Chabloz, from Glossop in Derbyshire, had pleaded “not guilty” to charges relating to three self-penned songs in which she decries the supposed Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world and denies the Holocaust.

The case effectively delivers a landmark precedent verdict on incitement on social media and on whether the law considers Holocaust denial to be “grossly offensive” and therefore illegal.

Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Alison Chabloz has dedicated herself over the course of years to inciting others to hate Jews, principally by claiming that the Holocaust was a hoax perpetrated by Jews to defraud the world. She is now a convicted criminal. This verdict sends a strong message that in Britain Holocaust denial and antisemitic conspiracy theories will not be tolerated.”

District Judge John Zani said: “This court is entirely satisfied that the material in each of the songs complained of is grossly offensive, as judged by the standards of an open and multi-racial society – as opposed to any of them being, merely offensive. The defendant has failed, by some considerable margin, to persuade this court that her right to freedom of speech as provided by Article 10, under the guise of her work as an artist, can properly provide her with immunity from prosecution in relation to each of the songs complained of. Having had the opportunity to assess the defendant’s live evidence during the course of these proceedings, I am entirely satisfied that she will have intended to insult those to whom the material relates or, at least, that she must have recognised that there was a risk of so doing. Having carefully considered all evidence received and submissions made, I am entirely satisfied that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of charges 2, 4 and 5. I dismiss charges 1 and 3 as they are alternatives to charges 2 and 4.”

Charges 2 and 4 were charges of “causing to be sent by a public communications network an offensive, indecent or menacing message or material”, relating to two songs performed at a gathering of the far-right London Forum in London in September 2016 and uploaded to YouTube. Charge 5 was a charge of “sending by a public communications network an offensive, indecent or menacing message or material” in relation to a third song. All of the charges were brought under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

The case began as a private prosecution brought by Campaign Against Antisemitism after the authorities failed to act. Once we had begun the private prosecution and won a judicial review against a decision not to prosecute a separate case, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to take over our private prosecution of Ms Chabloz. Due to strict deadlines for bringing prosecutions, had Campaign Against Antisemitism not brought our private prosecution, the CPS would have missed its chance to take action against Ms Chabloz. Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Chairman, Gideon Falter, and Director of Investigations and Enforcement, Stephen Silverman, testified against Ms Chabloz on 10th January and were the only prosecution witnesses.

The lyrics written and sung by Ms Chabloz include:

  • “Did the Holocaust ever happen? Was it just a bunch of lies? Seems that some intend to pull the wool over our eyes. Eternal wandering liars haven’t got a clue, and when it comes to usury, victim’s always me and you.”
  • “Now Auschwitz, holy temple, is a theme park just for fools, the gassing zone a proven hoax, indoctrination rules.”
  • “Tell us another, come on, my brother, reap it, the cover, for tribal gain. Safe in our tower, now is the hour, money and power, we have no shame.”
  • “History repeats itself, no limit to our wealth, thanks to your debts we’re bleeding you dry. We control your media, control all your books and TV, with the daily lies we’re feeding, suffering victimisation. Sheeple have no realisation, you shall pay, all the way, until the break of day.”

The songs were partly set to traditional Jewish folk music such as Hevenu Shalom Aleichem and Hava Nagila. She mocked prominent Jewish figures persecuted by the Nazis, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel and Anne and Otto Frank.

Under cross-examination on 7th March, Ms Chabloz said that: “There should be an official investigation, forensic, regarding Holocaust numbers.” She strongly contested the number of six million Jews being murdered by the Nazis, explaining that her position is “scientific” and that “it looks unlikely to be more than a million.” She continually referred to the “so-called Holocaust” and said that “it’s been used to sustain the criminal State of Israel.”

Regarding gas chambers, she said that: “It’s impossible, without an investigation, without evidence, it’s impossible to affirm” and there’s “no proof of these non facts”, there’s “no proof that any such murder weapon existed” and that they are being “used as a weapon to destroy European countries.”

Ms Chabloz also described as “indoctrination” the programme which sends schoolchildren to visit Auschwitz. She also claimed that Jews are disproportionately influential and asked “how Jews are eight times overrepresented in Parliament.” She then alleged that “plenty of Jews find my music funny.”

The verdict comes amidst a crisis of confidence in the Jewish community. Each year the CPS prosecutes in the region of 15,000 hate crimes, but there has yet to be a year in which there have been more than two dozen known prosecutions. With antisemitic crime rates surging, the failure to prosecute has led to a crisis of confidence in Britain’s Jewish community, with Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer research showing that just 39% of British Jews believing that an antisemitic crime against them would be acted on by the authorities, even if there was enough evidence, and more than half of British Jews saying that the CPS does not do enough against antisemitic crime.

Instead, Campaign Against Antisemitism is being left to take action against antisemitic crime.

In a clear example of the problem, last week on 14th May, neo-Nazi leader Jeremy Bedford-Turner was sentenced to 12 months in prison after being unanimously convicted by a jury of incitement to racial hatred over a speech he gave in 2015 at a demonstration called to protest against the “Jewification” of Golders Green. Campaign Against Antisemitism had to battle the CPS since 2015, eventually winning a landmark judicial review which forced them to prosecute this case. Mr Bedford-Turner was represented by barrister Adrian Davies, who also represented Ms Chabloz and antisemitic Holocaust denier David Irving, and himself held leadership positions in two right-wing fringe political parties.

Whilst Campaign Against Antisemitism brought its private prosecution of Ms Chabloz because the authorities had failed to act and due to a consistent failure by the CPS to adequately tackle antisemitic crime, we could not be more satisfied with the professional excellence of the expert prosecuting team from the CPS, led by barrister Karen Robinson with the expert support of Hazel Allen. Before it was taken over by the CPS, our private prosecution was led pro bono by Jonathan Goldberg QC, with junior barristers Senghin Kong and Jeffrey Israel, supported by solicitor Stephen Gilchrist.

Ms Chabloz will be sentenced soon after 14:00 today.

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Jewish father says that antisemitic abuse targeting his children on Canvey Island has “really shaken them up”

Two incidents of antisemitic abuse directed at young children within the orthodox Jewish community on Canvey Island have been reported to the police by their father, Naftali Noe.

The first incident took place on Saturday 28th April in the Link Road area when a man in a car followed Mr Noe’s wife and young girls whilst they were walking back from a friend’s house. The man in his thirties shouted antisemitic abuse at the family before driving off.

This was followed by another incident on Friday 4th May in which a man in a pickup truck shouted antisemitic abuse over the fence at Mrs Noe and the children, who were in their back garden on Link Road, and threatened to jump over and attack them. Mr Noe, who quickly came to see what was happening, took the truck’s vehicle registration and reported it to the police.

Mr Noe told The Southend Standard: “It’s so hard when you have your own children coming to you and saying ‘Daddy you told us that Canvey was a peaceful place – why are we being shouted at?’ I try to remind them that it is, and the vast majority of residents have been so welcoming to us and our way of life, but these incidents have really shaken them up. We’ve had some incidents like this before, but never towards our kids.”

A spokesperson for Essex Police said that both incidents are being investigated as hate crimes.

These incidents follow a string of incidents directed towards Canvey Island’s orthodox Jewish community, many of whom relocated to the area from Stamford Hill in search of affordable housing.

In August last year a group of youths in Canvey that directed Nazi salutes at a Jewish family whilst in November, police were forced to issue a dispersal order after a crowd of up to fifty teenagers subjected Jewish children to abuse on the island.

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“Kill all Jews” graffitied on slide at children’s playground in Cambridge

A father was shocked arrived at a playground in the Trumpington Meadows area of Cambridge with his children last Thursday only to find that the words “Kill all Jews” had been graffitied onto the slide.

Pepe Gonzalez discovered the antisemitic graffiti when he took his children to play at the playground. He told Cambridge News he was “disturbed and disgusted by the message of hatred”.

The incident at the park, which was also vandalised and sprayed with other graffiti, was reported immediately to Cambridge City Council which had removed the offensive material by the following morning.

Mr Gonzalez has praised the City Council for acting so quickly, but asked: “Assuming that all this vandalism came from kids, what worries me is how does a kid pick that message of hatred? It is a shame and it is dangerous. I can understand, although disagreeing, that kids may break a swing or draw graffiti but hatred messages are unacceptable.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends Mr Gonzalez for reporting the graffiti, andCambridge City Council for removing it so swiftly.

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Humiliation for CPS as neo-Nazi leader Jeremy Bedford-Turner handed 12-month sentence over “let’s free England from Jewish control” speech, following CAA legal victory

https://youtu.be/P7-8v1cp-Wg?t=30m10s

Neo-Nazi leader Jeremy Bedford-Turner has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after being unanimously convicted by a jury of incitement to racial hatred over a speech he gave in 2015 at a demonstration called to protest against the “Jewification” of Golders Green.

Sentencing Mr Bedford-Turner, Judge David Tomlinson described his speech as “sinister” and “poisonous”, saying that he did intend to stir up racial hatred through his “comprehensive characterisation in a derogatory way of an entire race”. Mr Bedford-Turner had pleaded not guilty.

The verdict is a humiliation for the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after they blocked Mr Bedford-Turner’s prosecution for two years, forcing Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) into a long legal battle which culminated in the CPS having to reverse its decision not to prosecute.

CAA welcomes the sentence and the clear and strong message that it sends that stirring up racial hatred against Jews will not be tolerated, but the key question now is why the CPS got this case so dismally wrong.

In July 2015, neo-Nazis sought to march through Golders Green. Campaign Against Antisemitism stopped their march, and instead they gathered in Whitehall, Westminster in central London, on 4th July. In his speech to neo-Nazis surrounded by police, Mr Bedford-Turner said that: “…all politicians are nothing but a bunch of puppets dancing to a Jewish tune, and the ruling regimes in the West for the last one hundred years have danced to the same tune.” Evoking medieval libels which claimed that Jews drank the blood of non-Jewish children, Mr Bedford-Turner told his followers, of whom one third were from the violent extreme-right National Rebirth of Poland group, that the French Revolution and both World Wars were massacres perpetrated by Jews. He concluded that England was “merry” during the period of the expulsion of Jews from England and demanded: “Let’s free England from Jewish control.” The speech was filmed and posted on YouTube, where it remains.

Mr Bedford-Turner is a leading figure in neo-Nazi circles and even runs global conferences in London at which Jew-hatred is disseminated.

Under cross-examination on Friday, Mr Bedford-Turner defended his speech. Asked about his views on Jews, Mr Bedford-Turner said: “I would very much like them to leave England.” When asked if this applied to Jewish children, he answered: “Ideally, yes”, reasoning that “Jewish power would have no power if there were no Jews.” He also claimed that Jack the Ripper was a Jew but Jewish power covered this up to the consternation of Judge David Tomlinson. Mr Bedford-Turner’s supporters initially enthusiastically filled the public gallery, but their numbers dwindled over the course of three days in court.

Mr Bedford-Turner was only prosecuted because we forced the CPS to defend British Jews, against its will.

The CPS was expertly represented by Louis Mably QC during the trial, but though the prosecution cannot be faulted, the CPS itself has behaved appallingly to try to stop this prosecution from taking place. Mr Bedford-Turner was only prosecuted because we forced the CPS to defend British Jews, against its will.

After CAA reported the speech to the Metropolitan Police Service, Mr Bedford-Turner was interviewed by police officers and a file was passed to the CPS, but after more than five months, senior lawyers from the CPS’s Counter Terrorism Division finally confirmed that they would not to prosecute the case. The CPS told us that there was no realistic prospect of a jury finding that Mr Bedford-Turner’s speech amounted to incitement to racial or religious hatred, defined by law as using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour with the intention (or likely consequence) of stirring up racial or religious hatred. CAA’s Chairman, Gideon Falter, who had witnessed the speech, applied for Victims’ Right to Review, but was told by the CPS that he was not a victim and had no victim’s rights.

Faced with no alternative, CAA took the unusual step of issuing judicial review proceedings to submit the CPS decision to the scrutiny of the High Court. CAA was partly motivated by a growing concern that the CPS is failing to take antisemitic crime seriously. 2015, the year in which the crime was committed, was amongst the worst years on record for antisemitic hate crime. Yet of 15,442 prosecutions of hate crimes by the CPS that year, only 12 were prosecutions of antisemitic hate crime. In the years since, as antisemitic crime has surged, the CPS has continued to prosecute only a paltry number of antisemitic crimes.

We have since been told by a source at the CPS that it was the Director of Public Prosecutions who personally interceded to overrule a senior prosecutor who had advised going ahead with the prosecution.

Whilst waiting for the High Court to decide whether to allow CAA to proceed, the case was brought to the attention of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief Executive of the CPS, but we have since been told by a source at the CPS that it was the Director of Public Prosecutions who personally interceded to overrule a senior prosecutor who had advised going ahead with the prosecution. In the end, on 6th January 2017, the Hon. Mr Justice Haddon-Cave gave CAA’s judicial review permission to proceed on all grounds and limited CAA’s cost liability to zero. He held that this case “raises potentially important issues for society in this growing area of racist and religious hate crime.” The case was expedited to be held before a Divisional Court of the Administrative Division of the High Court on Wednesday 8th March 2017, but on the eve of the hearing, after more than a year of maintaining that her decision was correct, the Director of Public Prosecutions agreed that the decision should be quashed and taken again by a more senior lawyer.

CAA was represented pro bono by leading counsel Brian Kennelly QC, junior counsel Jamie Susskind, and solicitor David Sonn, to whom we are immensely grateful, and without whom Mr Bedford-Turner would have escaped justice.

Now that Mr Bedford-Turner has been convicted, CAA has been entirely vindicated.

More than half of British Jews believe that the CPS is doing too little to fight antisemitism.

CAA’s latest Antisemitism Barometer research shows that following a 45% surge in antisemitic crime and a 36% drop in charging of antisemitic crime:

  • Almost one in three British Jews have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism. Only 59% of British Jews feel welcome in the UK, and 17% feel unwelcome. 37% of British Jews have been concealing their Judaism in public.
  • Only 23% of British Jews think the CPS does enough to protect them. More than half of British Jews believe that the CPS is doing too little to fight antisemitism.
  • 64% of British Jews felt that the authorities were not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.
  • Only 39% of British Jews have confidence that if they reported a hate crime, it would be prosecuted if there was enough evidence.

Gideon Falter, Chairman of CAA, said: “We are delighted by this result, Jeremy Bedford-Turner has been unanimously convicted by a jury of incitement to racial hatred. The real question is why the Director of Public Prosecutions and CPS got this so dismally wrong. CAA had to battle the CPS in court since 2015 to force them to prosecute this case, but a speech that took us and a jury moments to understand as a clear-cut case of incitement, was repeatedly and wrongly dismissed by the CPS as not only not an offence of incitement, but not even a lesser offence. We have been utterly vindicated by the serious 12-month sentence handed down today. This was always a matter of basic law and common sense. The question now is why the CPS seems to demonstrate such incompetence in dealing with cases of antisemitism. Despite record levels of antisemitic crime, there are dismally few prosecutions of antisemites in Britain every year. Antisemites are becoming bolder and British Jews are losing faith in the authorities. The CPS must stop making excuses and prosecute antisemites with zero tolerance. If they do not, we will continue to hold them to account in court.”

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Neo-Nazi leader Jeremy Bedford-Turner convicted of incitement to racial hatred over “let’s free England from Jewish control” speech, following landmark legal victory won by CAA

https://youtu.be/P7-8v1cp-Wg?t=30m10s

Moments ago, neo-Nazi leader Jeremy Bedford-Turner was unanimously convicted by a jury of incitement to racial hatred over a speech he gave in 2015 at a demonstration called to protest against the “Jewification” of Golders Green.

The sentence has not yet been handed down.

The prosecution was blocked for two years by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), forcing Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) into a long legal battle which culminated in the CPS having to reverse its decision not to prosecute Mr Bedford-Turner.

CAA welcomes the verdict and the clear and strong message that it sends that stirring up racial hatred against Jews will not be tolerated, but the key question now is why the CPS got this case so dismally wrong.

In July 2015, neo-Nazis sought to march through Golders Green. Campaign Against Antisemitism stopped their march, and instead they gathered in Whitehall, Westminster in central London, on 4th July. In his speech to neo-Nazis surrounded by police, Mr Bedford-Turner said that: “…all politicians are nothing but a bunch of puppets dancing to a Jewish tune, and the ruling regimes in the West for the last one hundred years have danced to the same tune.” Evoking medieval libels which claimed that Jews drank the blood of non-Jewish children, Mr Bedford-Turner told his followers, of whom one third were from the violent extreme-right National Rebirth of Poland group, that the French Revolution and both World Wars were massacres perpetrated by Jews. He concluded that England was “merry” during the period of the expulsion of Jews from England and demanded: “Let’s free England from Jewish control.” The speech was filmed and posted on YouTube, where it remains.

Under cross-examination on Friday, Mr Bedford-Turner defended his speech. Asked about his views on Jews, Mr Bedford-Turner said: “I would very much like them to leave England.” When asked if this applied to Jewish children, he answered: “Ideally, yes”, reasoning that “Jewish power would have no power if there were no Jews.” He also claimed that Jack the Ripper was a Jew but Jewish power covered this up to the consternation of Judge David Tomlinson. Mr Bedford-Turner’s supporters initially enthusiastically filled the public gallery, but their numbers dwindled over the course of three days in court.

Mr Bedford-Turner was only prosecuted because we forced the CPS to defend British Jews, against its will.

The CPS was expertly represented by Louis Mably QC during the trial, but though the prosecution cannot be faulted, the CPS itself has behaved appallingly to try to stop this prosecution from taking place. Mr Bedford-Turner was only prosecuted because we forced the CPS to defend British Jews, against its will.

After CAA reported the speech to the Metropolitan Police Service, Mr Bedford-Turner was interviewed by police officers and a file was passed to the CPS, but after more than five months, senior lawyers from the CPS’s Counter Terrorism Division finally confirmed that they would not to prosecute the case. The CPS told us that there was no realistic prospect of a jury finding that Mr Bedford-Turner’s speech amounted to incitement to racial or religious hatred, defined by law as using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour with the intention (or likely consequence) of stirring up racial or religious hatred. CAA’s Chairman, Gideon Falter, who had witnessed the speech, applied for Victims’ Right to Review, but was told by the CPS that he was not a victim and had no victim’s rights.

Faced with no alternative, CAA took the unusual step of issuing judicial review proceedings to submit the CPS decision to the scrutiny of the High Court. CAA was partly motivated by a growing concern that the CPS is failing to take antisemitic crime seriously. 2015, the year in which the crime was committed, was amongst the worst years on record for antisemitic hate crime. Yet of 15,442 prosecutions of hate crimes by the CPS that year, only 12 were prosecutions of antisemitic hate crime. In the years since, as antisemitic crime has surged, the CPS has continued to prosecute only a paltry number of antisemitic crimes.

We have since been told by a source at the CPS that it was the Director of Public Prosecutions who personally interceded to overrule a senior prosecutor who had advised going ahead with the prosecution.

Whilst waiting for the High Court to decide whether to allow CAA to proceed, the case was brought to the attention of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief Executive of the CPS, but we have since been told by a source at the CPS that it was the Director of Public Prosecutions who personally interceded to overrule a senior prosecutor who had advised going ahead with the prosecution. In the end, on 6th January 2017, the Hon. Mr Justice Haddon-Cave gave CAA’s judicial review permission to proceed on all grounds and limited CAA’s cost liability to zero. He held that this case “raises potentially important issues for society in this growing area of racist and religious hate crime.” The case was expedited to be held before a Divisional Court of the Administrative Division of the High Court on Wednesday 8th March 2017, but on the eve of the hearing, after more than a year of maintaining that her decision was correct, the Director of Public Prosecutions agreed that the decision should be quashed and taken again by a more senior lawyer.

CAA was represented pro bono by leading counsel Brian Kennelly QC, junior counsel Jamie Susskind, and solicitor David Sonn, to whom we are immensely grateful, and without whom Mr Bedford-Turner would have escaped justice.

Now that Mr Bedford-Turner has been convicted, CAA has been entirely vindicated.

More than half of British Jews believe that the CPS is doing too little to fight antisemitism.

CAA’s latest Antisemitism Barometer research shows that following a 45% surge in antisemitic crime and a 36% drop in charging of antisemitic crime:

  • Almost one in three British Jews have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism. Only 59% of British Jews feel welcome in the UK, and 17% feel unwelcome. 37% of British Jews have been concealing their Judaism in public.
  • Only 23% of British Jews think the CPS does enough to protect them. More than half of British Jews believe that the CPS is doing too little to fight antisemitism.
  • 64% of British Jews felt that the authorities were not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.
  • Only 39% of British Jews have confidence that if they reported a hate crime, it would be prosecuted if there was enough evidence.

Gideon Falter, Chairman of CAA, said: “We are delighted by this result, Jeremy Bedford-Turner has been unanimously convicted by a jury of incitement to racial hatred. The real question is why the Director of Public Prosecutions and CPS got this so dismally wrong. CAA had to battle the CPS in court since 2015 to force them to prosecute this case, but a speech that took us and a jury moments to understand as a clear-cut case of incitement, was repeatedly and wrongly dismissed by the CPS as not only not an offence of incitement, but not even a lesser offence. This was always a matter of basic law and common sense. The question now is why the CPS seems to demonstrate such incompetence in dealing with cases of antisemitism. Despite record levels of antisemitic crime, there are dismally few prosecutions of antisemites in Britain every year. Antisemites are becoming bolder and British Jews are losing faith in the authorities. The CPS must stop making excuses and prosecute antisemites with zero tolerance. If they do not, we will continue to hold them to account in court.”

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HM Inspectorate of Constabulary asks to hear about confidence in law enforcement amongst British Jews who have experienced antisemitism

As part of a review of all police forces instigated by the Home Office in 2016 following meetings with Campaign Against Antisemitism, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has asked for our help in contacting victims of antisemitism to discuss their experience and confidence in police forces to take action.

If you have experienced antisemitism and would be willing for researchers to visit you or call you to discuss your views, please contact Hannah Piggott by e-mailing [email protected] or calling freephone 0808 169 1224. The research is being conducted by NatCen Social Research on behalf of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.

It is important that the researchers hear from as many people who have experienced antisemitism as possible.

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Senior Coroner Mary Hassell condemned by High Court over “irrational” and “discriminatory” obstruction of Jewish burials in landmark legal victory

In a landmark High Court victory, Senior Coroner Mary Hassell has been defeated in her campaign to continue delaying Jewish and Muslim burials.

Ms Hassell had argued that cases would be dealt with on a first-come-first-served basis, in a break with convention which has long seen more compassionate coroners prioritise cases where a swift burial is required for religious reasons.

In what many saw as a cruel and disgusting policy which heightened the suffering of grieving families, Ms Hassell would make Jewish and Muslim families wait for weeks before releasing the corpses of their loved ones for burial, and she even prevented Jewish relatives and burial societies from observing the obligation to stand watch over a body until burial takes place.

However, Ms Hassell met her match in campaigner Marie van der Zyl, and lawyer Trevor Asserson, who worked on behalf of the Adath Yisroel Burial Society to put an end to her disgraceful practices.

Ms van der Zyl, who is a Vice President of the Board of Deputies and standing to become its President, orchestrated a fierce campaign which saw Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Sadiq Khan, the Chief Rabbi and even the Chief Coroner attack Ms Hassell’s “cab rank” policy of treating all cases in the same way regardless of families’ needs.

After Ms Hassell defended her policy and refused to listen to reason, continuing to cause immense distress to families under her jurisdiction, the case was taken to the High Court where seasoned litigator Trevor Asserson argued that a blanket policy may appear to assure equality, but in reality an equal policy may discriminate against those who it disproportionately disadvantages.

The campaign was successful and Ms Hassell was roundly defeated.

In a 56-page judgement which has just been issued, Lord Justice Singh, sitting with Mrs Justice Whipple, found against Ms Hassell on all but one count, ordering her to immediately scrap her policy, describing it as “incapable of rational justification”.

Lord Justice Singh wrote: “The fundamental flaw in the present policy adopted by the defendant is that it fails to strike any balance at all, let alone a fair balance…It is very clear from the various materials submitted by the defendant that she was acutely aware of the impact her policy might have on certain minority religious communities within her area…What on its face looks like a general policy which applies to everyone equally may in fact have an unequal impact on a minority. In other words, to treat everyone in the same way is not necessarily to treat them equally. Uniformity is not the same thing as equality.”

Echoing the sentiments of many, Ms van der Zyl demanded the resignation of Ms Hassell, saying that “If she cannot carry out this basic function of her role, she must vacate her position.” We commend Ms van der Zyl on her leadership during what has been an appalling ordeal for Ms Hassell’s many victims.

Responding with relief, Rabbi Asher Gratt, of Adath Yisroel Burial Society, said: “This legal victory will bring immense relief for grieving families to bury their loved ones with respect and dignity, preventing further unnecessary anguish at the darkest moment of their lives.” His comments were mirrored by figures in the Muslim community who had been watching the case closely.

Adding weight to Ms van der Zyl’s call for Ms Hassell to resign, Mr Asserson explained: “The court found against Hassell on every count, except for finding that she had considered the impact of her protocol on Jews and Muslims. This was to damn with faint praise, for the court found ‘she did not recognise that impact as discriminatory as a matter of law’. In other words, she knew she was causing anguish to people, but was too ignorant of the law to understand that her conduct was not only lacking in any compassion, but was also discriminatory and unlawful.”

Ms Hassell’s office said that she was “grateful for the High Court’s clarification of the law” but it has long been obvious that her policy was a disgusting abuse of power and Ms van der Zyl has Campaign Against Antisemitism’s full backing in calling for Ms Hassell to resign immediately.

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Man who plotted attacks on Jews and murder of the Queen jailed for eight years

A man who plotted attacks on Jews and discussed murdering the Queen has been jailed for eight years.

Aweys Shikhey, a delivery driver of Somali origin from Tottenham, discussed killing “the old woman Elizabeth” and former Prime Minister David Cameron, and attacking Jewish football fans with an AK-47 at nearby White Hart Lane and Stamford Hill – the home grounds of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea – in online chat rooms.

He also applied for loans to fund a trip to join ISIS, securing £10,000 from Barclays for a “wedding”.

Mr Shikhey was convicted of preparing terrorist acts at the Old Bailey on 15th March 2018 and jailed for eight years.

Image credit: Metropolitan Police

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Neo-Nazi flyers posted in Peckham by System Resistance Network claim “Hitler was right”

The white supremacist group, System Resistance Network, has distributed posters in Peckham Rye claiming that “Hitler was right” and declaring “zero tolerance for non-white races! Love from the System Resistance Network.”

The posters, which contained the heading “Marxist maggots. We remember names, places, traitors’ faces”, as well as a violent image of a person being punched to the ground, were attached to trees, railings and road signs across the Peckham area and into neighbouring Forest Hill and East Dulwich.

System Resistance Network is the successor to National Action, which the government proscribed as a terrorist organisation in 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the local residents who removed the posters, took to social media to voice their disgust and alerted the authorities.

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Man who tweeted “Hitler isn’t the only one that can silence 70,000 Yids” given community service and £85 fine

A man who tweeted “Hitler isn’t the only one that can silence 70,000 Yids” has been given community service and an £85 fine.

Lee Munns posted the antisemitic tweet in August 2017 after Chelsea beat Spurs by two goals to one at Wembley Stadium.

On 3rd March 2018, Mr Munns was sentenced to 70 hours supervised community service and given the fine after being found guilty of committing an offence under section 4a Public Order Act 1986.

A spokesman for Kick It Out said: “After Kick It Out reported an antisemitic tweet sent by a Chelsea supporter to the Metropolitan Police after the club’s fixture at Tottenham Hotspur in August 2017, the organisation is pleased to see he has been identified and punished appropriately by the authorities.

“It is also encouraging to see Chelsea take a proactive step to ensure the supporter will not be able to purchase tickets for their matches going forward. Antisemitism has no place in football or wider society and is no less unacceptable when posted on social media. This incident should serve as a warning to anyone who believes they will avoid justice when posting discriminatory comments online – you will face consequences.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism continues its robust engagement with social media companies over the content that they enable to be published, and we continue to make representations to the Government in this connection.

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Alison Saunders’ successor as Director of Public Prosecutions must restore the Jewish community’s faith in the criminal justice system

The outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Alison Saunders is today facing widespread criticism in the media, with her tenure being described as “disastrous” and “having reduced the credibility of the role”. Yet, one significant aspect of her legacy is absent from the censure directed at her. She has presided over a catastrophic loss of confidence inside Britain’s Jewish community with regard to the will of the criminal justice system to protect it from the worst manifestations of resurgent antisemitism.

Ever since crime targeting British Jews began to surge in 2014, each successive  year has set a new record for antisemitic crime, and each year fewer crimes have been charged. Between 2014 and 2016, antisemitic crime rose by 44.5% while prosecutions fell by 35.5%. In each of 2015 and 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted around 15,000 cases of hate crime, yet in neither year were we able to identify more than two dozen prosecutions of antisemitic crime.

The blame for this cannot be laid exclusively at the door of Ms Saunders and the CPS. Police forces across the country have played their part too, often through inadequate understanding or lack of will, failing to deal adequately with the rise in antisemitic crime. In particular, they have struggled to come to terms with social media where, as the whole country by now has seen, antisemitic hate speech is feral, exists in vast quantities and is frequently indistinguishable from the Jew-hatred propagated by the Nazi regime in the 1930s. However, even when the obstacles have been overcome and permission has been sought by the police to lay charges, the CPS has consistently batted away even the most extreme cases, including those where the murder of Jews is openly advocated. This refusal to proceed to prosecution in turn makes police forces less likely to investigate.

It seems that, under this DPP, the bar for prosecuting antisemitic crime has been set significantly higher than for other forms of hate crime. As yet, we have been unable to ascertain why, and our attempts to work in a collaborative way with Ms Saunders to resolve the problem have been rebuffed. In 2015 we met with Ms Saunders and Theresa May (in her role as Home Secretary), and agreed a number of actions to address the way in which the CPS handles antisemitic hate crime. None were implemented. The following year, we met with her again to set out our concerns and to put forward constructive suggestions for tackling them. Several weeks later, we were notified in writing that she no longer wished to consider our proposals.

In short, Ms Saunders’ failure to respond adequately to antisemitic hate crime has done much to convince those who harbour ill will towards Jews that they can act with impunity. It is highly likely that there is a direct connection between this dereliction of duty and the rampant antisemitic hatred on social media that has been exposed in recent days. It is therefore no surprise that our Antisemitism Barometer published last year revealed that half of British Jews believed the CPS is doing too little to fight antisemitism and that only 39% felt that hate crimes against them would be prosecuted.

We have sought to hold the CPS to account through judicial reviews and private prosecutions but these unprecedented measures cannot be the way forward. They must not be allowed to become the only route by which Britain’s Jewish community can obtain justice and the protection that recent revelations in the political arena have shown are more necessary than ever.

By adopting our recommendations on training and oversight, whoever replaces Ms Saunders as DPP will have the opportunity to regain the confidence of the Jewish community. It is an opportunity that must not be squandered.

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‘‘Sick and disgusting’’ Nazi graffiti displayed in Cardiff being investigated by police

Nazi graffiti, including swastikas and the phrase ‘‘Nazi Zone’’, has been discovered spray-painted onto buildings in Cardiff.

Alongside the graffiti were posters of a man wearing a balaclava performing a Nazi salute with the words ‘‘P**i rape gangs coming to your town’’, ‘‘protect your children from degenerate scum’’ and ‘‘you are the resistance’’.

The offensive material was displayed on the walls of the Grange Conservative Club and a smaller building in Grange Gardens in the Grangetown area of the city.

Stephen Doughty, the MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, tweeted that the graffiti was ‘‘sick and disgusting’’ and declared that ‘‘far right extremism cannot be tolerated and [is] not welcome in Cardiff. Full stop.’’

The local council quickly removed the graffiti and pledged to work with South Wales Police to locate the perpetrators.

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Marcin Zych banned from driving, fined £250 and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work for shouting “You f***ing Jew” at another motorist

Marcin Zych has pleaded guilty to three driving offences and two charges of causing racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm and distress for shouting “You f***ing Jew” at another motorist following a road accident in Craven Park Road in North London in January.

On 14th February, Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court fined Mr Zych £250, ordered him to pay court costs and £50 in compensation to his victim, sentenced him to 100 hours of compulsory unpaid community work and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 18 months, but offered him a 4-month reduction in the period of disqualification if he satisfactorily completes a government-approved course.

In January, Mr Zych was seen driving erratically before turning down a cul-de-sac where he crashed his car and shouted “You f***ing Jew” at another motorist. He was prevented from leaving the scene by Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol, until police officers arrived to arrest him on suspicion of drunk driving and antisemitic abuse.

We welcome this sentence and commend the courageous volunteers of Stamford Hill Shomrim and the Metropolitan Police Service for their intervention and extremely swift response to this disturbing incident. We also wish to thank the brave witness who testified in the case.

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Plumber Jason Galvin convicted and ordered to pay £515 over antisemitic tirade against Jewish customer

Jason Galvin, a 46-year-old plumber from Oxford, has been convicted of using a public communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety under section 127 of the Communication Act 2003 after sending a torrent of antisemitic abuse to a Jewish man whom he incorrectly believed had failed to pay for his services.

On 21st April 2017, after making a repair at the Jewish man’s flat, Mr Galvin said he would give the customer a quote but would be charging a £50 call out fee in the meantime. Although the customer paid the bill immediately by bank transfer, Mr Galvin did not check his bank account and sent him messages such as “you Jewish f***ing c***” and “all you people are the same”, continuing to harass the customer with two threatening calls and e-mails too, telling the man that he wanted to murder him. He later realised that he had been paid and sent an e-mail saying he was “extremely sorry”. The Jewish man reported the matter to the police who arrested Mr Galvin in the early hours of 22nd April 2017.

Mr Galvin was found to have a violent past, having already been charged with racially aggravated public disorder over an incident involving a traffic warden in 2004 and with battery for domestic abuse in 2012.

Mr Galvin pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 11th January, saying that he had been drinking at the time and was very sorry and ashamed. He was ordered to pay a fine of £300, costs of £85, compensation of £100 and a victim surcharge £30. He was also referred to a restorative justice programme to facilitate an apology.

The victim told CST, which had provided him with assistance during the case: “I was completely thrown by the vehemence and volume of his attack on me. I was frightened for my wife. We are two elderly people in our flat and he knew how to get to us. It was a horrible experience.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the victim, CST, Thames Valley Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for their parts in this case.

Sadly, prosecutions for antisemitic crime are few and far between. Campaign Against Antisemitism helps victims of antisemitic crime to ensure that crimes against them are prosecuted. If you have been the victim of an antisemitic crime or you have witnessed an antisemitic crime, please contact [email protected]. You can also read our guide to the law on antisemitism at antisemitism.org/law.

Image credit: Steve Daniels

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Altrincham man sentenced to four years in prison for barrage of racist, homophobic and antisemitic tweets

An Altrincham man has been sentenced to four years in prison after writing a barrage of racist, homophobic and antisemitic tweets.  

David Bitton, 40, tweeted around 600 posts on Twitter over the course of one weekend in May 2016, many directed at Greater Manchester Police (GMP), making highly abusive and racist, homophobic and antisemitic comments.

In the police interview, Mr Bitton claimed that he had only written the tweets in order to gain followers and deleted them soon after.

Detective Constable David Stevenson from GMP’s Trafford Borough said: “Bitton tried to say that he didn’t mean what he had written and he was only craving attention and followers, but the contents of what was in some of his tweets was of such a horrific, threatening and narrow-minded nature that today’s sentence is entirely justified.

“Bitton will spend the next four years thinking about his actions and how they have affected the people they were aimed at.”

Mr Bitton was tried at Minshull Street Crown Court and pleaded guilty to thirteen separate charges of sending racist and threatening communication. 

Image credit: Greater Manchester Police

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Polish man remanded in custody over alleged arson, threats and antisemitic vandalism of house in Stamford Hill

A Polish man has been remanded in custody after being arrested on suspicion of two counts of arson and the antisemitic vandalism of a house owned by a Jewish family in Stamford Hill.

It is alleged that the man moved into the property as a squatter, refused to move out and procured chemicals and weapons before saying that he would stab members of the Jewish family that owned the property and setting fire to bins outside two homes where he believed that they lived at approximately 23:30 on Friday night.

Volunteers from Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol, operate a 24-hour response service and went to the scene of the incident to assist police in understanding the significance of the graffiti found there. There they found what appeared to be illegal drugs and deranged graffiti, including hundreds of Stars of David and the number 666, which in Christian numerology is used to refer to Satan.

Stamford Hill Shomrim is monitoring the trial, including the remand status of the defendant.

We commend Stamford Hill Shomrim and the Metropolitan Police Service for their extremely swift response to this disturbing incident and we will follow the case with interest.

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Swastika graffiti outside London railway station left visible by Islington Council for days, opposite primary school

Islington Council has described a swastika graffitied outside Drayton Park Railway Station as “extremely offensive”. The graffiti was found sprayed onto a wall outside the station on Sunday last week and left there until Wednesday before being finally removed. In addition to the swastika, which was drawn the wrong way around, Nazi Germany’s iron cross was also found on another wall.

A Jewish man who reported the graffiti told the Islington Gazette: “I take no notice of it personally. There are so many bigger fish to fry in this world. But this is a hate crime and Nazi symbols shouldn’t be in the streets, across the road from a primary school, for three days.”

When asked why it took them so long to remove the graffiti, which is directly opposite a primary school, Councillor Kaya Comer-Schwartz told the Islington Gazette: “We condemn all forms of hate crime, and are appalled at this extremely offensive and hateful graffiti. A team was sent to remove this graffiti as soon as it was reported to them, and we thank the Twitter user who brought this to our attention. We urge residents who see graffiti of this kind to report it to police as a hate crime. If residents also report hateful graffiti to the council we will remove it as soon as possible.”

The Metropolitan Police Service is also investigating the hate crime.

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Antisemitic graffiti found at children’s playground in Kent uses neo-Nazi codes

A father walking his young daughter to school was alarmed to find antisemitic and racist slogans alongside Nazi swastikas on playground equipment at Jackson’s playing field in Rochester, Kent, according to the JC.

Darren Kett, who discovered the graffiti, posted images of the graffiti on social media and called on Chatham Council to remove it, commenting: “You don’t expect to see this sort of thing anywhere let along a place where kids go to play.”

In addition to a swastika, the graffiti included the words “F*** Jews”, and another used a neo-Nazi code, “14/88 WPWW”, meaning “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children, Heil Hitler, white pride worldwide.” Other offensive graffiti targeted black people.

The graffiti was removed by a group of local residents.

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Man arrested on suspicion of drink driving and antisemitic abuse after Shomrim volunteers intervene

A man aged approximately 30 was arrested in Tottenham yesterday after volunteers from Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol intervened. The man was reportedly seen driving erratically before turning down a cul-de-sac where he crashed his car and allegedly shouted “You f***ing Jew” at another motorist.

He was prevented from leaving by Shomrim volunteers until police officers arrived to arrest him on suspicion of drunk driving and antisemitic abuse.

We commend Stamford Hill Shomrim and the Metropolitan Police Service for their fast response.

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Alleged antisemitic hawker escapes after overburdened police unable to attend to urgent call from Shomrim in Golders Green

Two door-to-door salesmen, one of whom was alleged by three households to have shouted antisemitic abuse at residents, were detained by Shomrim North West London on Tuesday evening but escaped justice as all police officers in the area were already dealing with other incidents.

The two white males with large rucksacks were surrounded by volunteers from Shomrim North West London, a Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol, but eventually Shomrim North West London had to let them leave when police officers were unable to attend.

Shomrim North West London took photographs of the men and will remain vigilant should they return.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is extremely disappointed that police resources were so overburdened that volunteers protecting their community did not receive support from the police on this occasion, and that an alleged antisemite is now unlikely to face justice.

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Man arrested after courageous Shomrim volunteers detain him for allegedly shouting “Heil Hitler” at Jews and shoplifting from a kosher bakery

A man has been arrested in Stamford Hill after allegedly shouting “Heil Hitler” and shoplifting from a kosher bakery.

The incident occurred on Monday evening at 22:30 when a man allegedly shouted “Heil Hitler” at a group of Jewish women, who called Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol. The man then allegedly shouted “Heil Hitler” at them too, before shoplifting from a kosher bakery.

Stamford Hill Shomrim volunteers then stepped in to detain him until the Metropolitan Police Service arrived to arrest him.

Once again, we applaud our brave colleagues at Stamford Hill Shomrim for stepping in to ensure that this man could be arrested.

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Holocaust denier Mark Weber left stranded in Madrid after realising that Theresa May banned him from the UK

Notorious Holocaust denier Mark Weber has reportedly been stranded in Madrid after being refused permission to board a flight to London where he had hoped to take a further flight to Los Angeles, where he runs the so-called Institute for Historical Review.

It emerged that Theresa May had personally made Mr Weber “the subject of an exclusion decision…on Unacceptable Behaviour grounds” when she was Home Secretary, according to a letter drafted—but not sent—in 2015 by the Home Office, which added that Ms May “personally directed that you should be excluded from the United Kingdom on the grounds that your presence here is not conductive to the public good.” The Home Office said that it did not send the letter to Mr Weber at the time because it did not know his address.

Ms May’s decision was taken on 28th April 2015, just over a week after Mail on Sunday investigation exposed a secret meeting of the far-right London Forum at which Mr Weber spoke, telling delegates: “As long as the power of the Jewish lobby remains entrenched, there will be no end to the systematic Jewish distortion of history…no task is more important or pressing than to identify, counter and break this power.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds Ms May for her decision to exclude Mr Weber from our country.

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No criminal charges for Hizballah-supporting law graduate Sophie Stephenson, after Police Scotland refuses to act

Edinburgh-based law graduate Sophie Stephenson will not face criminal charges over her support for proscribed terrorist organisation Hizballah, which seeks the annihilation of Jews worldwide.

On 1st July 2017, Ms Stephenson tweeted a photograph of herself wearing a Hizballah t-shirt, explaining: “Went out to dinner with my family tonight wearing a Hizballah t-shirt.” As her tweet began to go viral, a proud Ms Stephenson also added that when her sister had asked what the Hizballah emblem was, Ms Stephenson replied: “A terrorist group”.

As other Twitter users angrily responded, Ms Stephenson was pleased to confirm: “I have a flag too” as well as clarifying that this occurred in the UK.

Ms Stephenson has previously claimed that “Hamas are more the victims of an extremely well-funded propaganda campaign rather than terrorists”, and reportedly tweeted that “Everyone in Ukraine is either a Moscow agent, a homosexual, or a Jew.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reported Ms Stephenson to the police, alleging that she had committed an offence under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which applies in Scotland and states that: “A person in a public place commits an offence if he wears an item of clothing, or wears, carries or displays an article, in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation. A constable in Scotland may arrest a person without a warrant if he has reasonable grounds to suspect that the person is guilty of an offence under this section. A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or both.”

After Police Scotland declined to act, Campaign Against Antisemitism considered undertaking a private prosecution, however we were unable to secure enough funding to do so. Campaign Against Antisemitism currently does not receive any annual grants and is dependent upon the generosity of the public.

Ms Stephenson will now escape justice as the deadline for bringing a prosecution has expired.

Please consider making a monthly donation to help fund Campaign Against Antisemitism.

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CAA witnesses testify against Alison Chabloz in antisemitism trial resulting from private prosecution by CAA

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Chairman, Gideon Falter, and Director of Investigations and Enforcement, Stephen Silverman, have today testified against Alison Chabloz.

Ms Chabloz faces three charges under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 following a private prosecution brought by Campaign Against Antisemitism after the authorities failed to act. Once we had started the private prosecution and won a judicial review against against a decision not to prosecute a separate case, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to take over our private prosecution of Ms Chabloz. Due to strict deadlines for bringing prosecutions, had Campaign Against Antisemitism not brought a private prosecution, the Crown Prosecution Service would have missed its chance to take action against Ms Chabloz.

In the morning, the court was played Ms Chabloz’s songs which include lyrics such as:

  • “Did the Holocaust ever happen? Was it just a bunch of lies? Seems that some intend to pull the wool over our eyes. Eternal wandering liars haven’t got a clue, and when it comes to usury, victim’s always me and you.”
  • “Now Auschwitz, holy temple, is a theme park just for fools, the gassing zone a proven hoax, indoctrination rules.”
  • “Tell us another, come on, my brother, reap it, the cover, for tribal gain. Safe in our tower, now is the hour, money and power, we have no shame.”
  • “History repeats itself, no limit to our wealth, thanks to your debts we’re bleeding you dry. We control your media, control all your books and TV, with the daily lies we’re feeding, suffering victimisation. Sheeple have no realisation, you shall pay, all the way, until the break of day.”

The songs are partly set to Jewish music such as Hevenu Shalom Aleichem and Hava Nagila. As the songs were played, Ms Chabloz mouthed or sang along to them and her boisterous crowd of supporters cheered and applauded until District Judge John Zani warned that they would be ejected from the public gallery if they continued.

In the afternoon, Mr Falter and Mr Silverman separately gave testimony unpicking Ms Chabloz’s lyrics, explaining their antisemitic references, as well as explaining the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Adrian Davies, Ms Chabloz’s barrister, who also represented the antisemitic Holocaust denier David Irving and himself held leadership positions in two far-right parties, argued that Ms Chabloz was merely expressing an offensive but legitimate opinion on the veracity of the accounts of Holocaust survivors. Both witnesses from Campaign Against Antisemitism, who are the only prosecution witnesses, rebutted any notion that Ms Chabloz was attempting to query or “satirise” history, pointing out that that the songs claimed that Jews have fabricated the Holocaust in order to perpetrate an horrific fraud against mankind, causing many of the world’s ills for their own gain.

Whilst Campaign Against Antisemitism brought its private prosecution because the authorities had failed to act and due to a consistent failure by the Crown Prosecution Service to adequately tackle antisemitic crime, we could not be more satisfied with the professional excellence of the expert prosecuting team from the Crown Prosecution Service.

The trial will continue on 7th March. Until the trial concludes, Campaign Against Antisemitism and the media are limited in what we can report about the case.

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Counter terrorism police arrest six on suspicion of being members of neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action

Counter-terrorism police in the West Midlands arrested six people today on suspicion of being members of the neo-Nazi terrorist organisation, National Action, a group with deep rooted antisemitic ideologies.

National Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Under section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation is a criminal offence.

The suspects arrested were a 21-year-old man from Banbury, a 24-year-old man from Stockport, two 26-year-old men from Cambridge and Leicester, a 28-year-old man from Wolverhampton and a 37-year-old woman also from Banbury.

A number of properties are being searched in connection with the arrests and all suspects are currently in police custody.

Police have stated that all of the arrests were pre-planned and based on intelligence gathered by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit in conjunction with other counter-terrorism units around the country, and there was no threat to public safety.

In September last year, police arrested serving soldiers on suspicion of membership of National Action as well as arresting a number of civilians in a nationwide swoop. In November last year a martial arts instructor was dismissed on suspicion of involvement with National Action.

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Witnesses sought after passerby asks Jewish man if he is Jewish, then shouts “F***ing Jew” at him

Witnesses are being sought after a Jewish man from Golders Green was verbally abused by another man on Brent Street, Hendon.

On Tuesday, 26th December 2017, at approximately 22:20, a man described as an adult black male approached a Jewish charedi man who was walking with his toddler, and asked him whether he was Jewish. When the victim replied that he was, the suspect said that he himself was Muslim. The victim said: “OK”, at which point the suspect shouted: “F***ing Jew.”

Shomrim North West London, a Jewish community volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, provided assistance to the victim and reported the incident to the police.

Anybody who witnessed the incident or has information which could aid the investigation should contact the Metropolitan Police Service by dialing 101, citing reference CAD6265/26/12/2017.

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Van driver shouts “Hitler was a great man, he knew what he was doing” at Jewish motorist in London

Stamford Hill Shomrim has reported a van driver to the police after they were passed a video of an antisemitic road rage incident.

In the video, a man with a Caribbean accent can be heard shouting at a Jewish motorist: “Hitler was a great man, he knew what he was doing” before adding “You think you own the world? You don’t own the world. This is Stamford Hill, it’s not Israel”.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Stamford Hill in London.

Anybody who witnessed the incident or believes they may know the man should call the Metropolitan Police Service on 101 citing reference CAD6289/23/12/17.

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Burglar with antisemitism conviction jailed for 14 days over synagogue burglary and ordered to pay £115

Mark Zahra has pleaded guilty to burgling a synagogue after being identified on CCTV by Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

Last week he was convicted at Thames Magistrates’ Court and sentenced to 14 days in prison. He was also ordered to pay £115 to fund services for victims.

Mr Zahra has a previous conviction for an antisemitic hate crime, however since this burglary cannot said to be motivated by antisemitism with any certainty, we will not add this conviction to our log of prosecutions for antisemitism.

We commend Stamford Hill Shomrim and the Metropolitan Police Service for their vigilance.

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Comment: The CPS has let us down again, so we have to act ourselves

In the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, conspiracy theorists busied themselves pinning the inferno on Jews or Zionists.

Tahra Ahmed, a volunteer coordinator for those helping the survivors of the fire, told her Facebook followers that the inferno was a “Jewish ritual sacrifice” by a scheming Jewish property developer. In June, days after the fire, Nazim Ali, the leader of the Al Quds Day march through London, bellowed through his megaphone that “It is the Zionists who give money to the Tory Party to kill people in high-rise blocks”.

The Britain that we know and love, where we can live proudly as Jews, is slipping slowly away as antisemitic crime surges. Future generations will not forgive us if we enjoyed the golden era for British Jews but watched complacently as it ended.

But how does one turn the tide?

Read more

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Fitness First denies swastika gym mat arrangement and WhatsApp messages were antisemitic

Fitness First has denied that messages including a photograph of gym mats arranged in a swastika were motivated by antisemitism. David Amroon, a Jewish member of the sports chain told Campaign Against Antisemitism of his shock upon being sent a picture of his local gym’s training mats arranged into a swastika, together with jokes about Nazis from members via their WhatsApp group.

Mr Amroon, a martial arts instructor who trained in Jiu-Jitsu twice weekly at Fitness First’s branch in Ilford, told Campaign Against Antisemitism that he will not use the gym again.

According to Mr Amroon, it was common knowledge amongst members that he is Jewish. He told us that he had previously had to challenge antisemitic comments from other members at the health club including alleged statements about Jews ruling the world, “Zionists” being responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, all Jews being wealthy, and even being told by an instructor that “Jews killed Jesus”. However, Mr Amroon told us that he did not report these incidents to the club’s management, preferring to deal with them himself, but he felt that he could not stay silent after the latest incident, which occurred after he missed a training session through illness.

Upon receiving the WhatsApp messages, Mr Amroon said that he immediately sent a message of complaint to the group’s instructor, who apologised and said he had spoken with the perpetrators and that they had just been joking, before allegedly advising Mr Amroon to “move on”. Mr Amroon says that he then wrote a letter to the instructor in which he requested a meeting with the individuals involved in the incident to explain that it was not a joke, and the impact it had on him, only to be told that he should have a quiet word with the perpetrators himself. When he did so, he says that he was again informed that he “needed to get over it”.

Mr Amroon waited a further nine days for a satisfactory resolution, after which he wrote to Fitness First. A meeting was organised with the club’s manager, the Fitness Manager and the Area Manager. Despite being told that they oppose racism, Mr Amroon said that there was a complete failure to engage with the issue and that his request for disciplinary action against those involved was dismissed. When Mr Amroon threatened to go to the police, he alleges that the gym chain’s staff again told him to move on and told him that speaking to the police was not the right thing to do.

Mr Amroon, whose grandfather served in the RAF and lost his life fighting Nazi Germany, says he was shocked by the incident and that he was made to feel as though he had no voice and that he was invisible to the staff he met. He has now cancelled his membership, having been a loyal customer for sixteen years.

When we asked Fitness First to comment on Mr Amroon’s allegations, a spokesman emphasised the organisation’s pride in being a multicultural company and stated that it does not tolerate any form of discrimination. He said that the swastika created with the mats was intended to be a “Buddhist peace symbol”, not a Nazi swastika: “Fitness First took these allegations extremely seriously as soon as they were relayed and launched an immediate inquiry. Fitness First met with Mr Amroon and spoke to him several times. The class regularly made different shapes and symbols with the mats at the beginning of each class. The room was regularly hired by a third party to conduct a Jiu-Jitsu class and it was not connected with Fitness First. The class is no longer held at Fitness First. As it was a private hire, we advised that if Mr Amroon wanted to take the matter to the authorities, we would assist them in any way we could, including providing the CCTV footage of the mats being laid out. The police did look into the matter after they were contacted by Fitness First but dismissed Mr Amroon’s claims. We have been assured that the remarks on the WhatsApp group, specifically ‘Nazi salutes are great opportunities for hip toss’ refer to grabbing a Nazi’s arm as they salute and throwing them to the ground. The people you have highlighted in the Whatsapp group conversation were never members of Fitness First.”

Fitness First is owned by Dave Whelan, the owner of Wigan Athletic Football Club who was fined £50,000 by the Football Association and banned from football for six weeks for declaring that “Jewish people chase money more than everybody else”.

This is a very regrettable incident in which a Jewish man has felt hounded out of his local gym community. Nobody can be sure of the motives of those involved apart from those who did this.

Anybody experiencing antisemitism is encouraged to contact us at [email protected] or on 0330 822 0321 as soon as possible after the incident if they would like advice.

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No arrests after 25 far-left thugs reportedly storm nightclub and order “Jews and wealthy people” and “Tory Rothschild scum” to be silent “for Grenfell”

A gang of 25 far-left thugs reportedly stormed a birthday party at a nightclub last night in London’s Notting Hill, declaring that there were “Jews and wealthy people inside”. The hooded gang is said to have begun by hurling bottles and eggs at people talking outside before overwhelming security. They then reportedly “threw out” the DJ and demanded that those gathered, who they allegedly referred to as “Tory Rothschild scum”, observe a one-minute silence “for Grenfell”.

The incident reportedly took place at the Maxilla Social Club, which has repeatedly held benefit evenings for the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and was a food distribution centre for survivors of the fire which killed 71 people.

This incident graphically shows the consequences of incitement and conspiracy theories targeting Jews being permitted to proliferate.

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, it was repeatedly claimed that the fire was a Jewish or “Zionist” conspiracy, including by Grenfell Tower volunteer coordinator Tahra Ahmed and allegedly by the leader of the pro-Hizballah “Al Quds Day” march through London, Nazim Ali, who is now subject to a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The Metropolitan Police Service told the Daily Mail that its officers were called but made no arrests. Campaign Against Antisemitism is seeking clarification as to why no arrests were made. Those responsible must not escape the consequences of their actions. Britain must not tolerate this antisemitic thuggery.

Image credit: Duncan C

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CAA launches private prosecution against leader of Al Quds Day march who we allege blamed “Zionists” for Grenfell, after CPS fails British Jews once again

Campaign Against Antisemitism has today laid an information before magistrates to initiate a private prosecution against Nazim Ali, the leader of the “Al Quds Day” march through central London, after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) declined to prosecute him.

Our information alleges: “On the 18th day of June 2017, between Duchess Street and Grosvenor Square in London, Nazim Hussain Ali used threatening or abusive words or behaviour, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.”

We allege that during the march, Mr Ali used a portable public address system to make various statements, including:

  • “Some of the biggest corporations who are supporting the Conservative Party are Zionists. They are responsible for the murder of the people in Grenfell, in those towers in Grenfell. The Zionist supporters of the Tory Party. Free, Free, Palestine…It is the Zionists who give money to the Tory Party to kill people in high-rise blocks. Free, Free, Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
  • “Careful of those Rabbis who belong to the Board of Deputies, who have got blood on their hands, who agree with the killing of British soldiers. Do not allow them in your centres.”

In addition to this private prosecution, we have made a complaint about Mr Ali, who is the managing partner of a pharmacy, to the General Pharmaceutical Council and we have submitted a complaint about the charity that organised the march, the self-proclaimed Islamic Human Rights Commission, to the Charity Commission.

Last year was the worst year for antisemitic crime on record. Crime targeting Jews has surged by rising by 45% since 2014, however of the 14,480 hate crimes prosecuted by the CPS last year, only 20 are known to be cases of antisemitic hate crime.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is represented by Jonathan Goldberg QC, Jeffrey Israel and Senghin Kong (leading and junior counsel) and solicitor David Sonn.

Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We have called for zero tolerance enforcement of the law against antisemitism and that is what politicians have promised. After reporting Mr Ali to the police, we waited to see whether the Crown Prosecution Service would prosecute him, but they declined to do so. Campaign Against Antisemitism has been left with no choice but to expend its resources bringing a private prosecution. We do not know of any other minority which is being repeatedly abandoned by the Crown Prosecution Service and left alone to defend itself.”

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Alleged thief with prior conviction for antisemitism remains at liberty despite reportedly targeting three synagogues in Stamford Hill in under three months

A burglar who has allegedly targeted multiple synagogues allegedly struck again on Saturday, according to Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

The man, who Stamford Hill Shomrim says has committed burglary and theft at three synagogues in Stamford Hill, remains at liberty although he is known to the police and has a prior conviction for an antisemitic public order offence.

Saturday’s burglary, in which valuable items were stolen, is the third incident alleged to have been perpetrated by the same individual in the last two-and-a-half months. Stamford Hill Shomrim has notified the police. As yet no arrest has been made.

We commend Stamford Hill Shomrim for its vigilance and urge the Metropolitan Police Service to investigate this report urgently.

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Jews participating in a Torah parade in Hackney told to celebrate in Israel, not in London

While participating in a parade welcoming the arrival of a new Torah scroll at a synagogue in Hackney, a gathering of Jews from the local charedi community was verbally abused by a passing motorist who wound down his window and shouted: “This parade should take place in Israel, not in London.”

The incident took place at approximately 19:30 on Saturday evening in Amhurst Park, Hackney. The perpetrator is described as an Asian man.

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, attended and provided assistance.

The incident has been reported to the police. Anyone with information that might aid the investigation, should contact the Metropolitan Police by calling 101, citing reference CAD7119/02/12/2017

 

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Police seek help as “brazen” neo-Nazi Holocaust denial graffiti found along 400m stretch of London canal towpath

The Metropolitan Police Service is seeking help from members of the public to determine when a shocking trail of antisemitic graffiti was daubed along 400 metres of the canal towpath between Kensal Green and Wormwood Scrubs in London.

The graffiti included swastikas, calls for non-Jews to “wake up”, and claims that the Holocaust was a “hoax” and that six million Jews were not murdered.

A local resident, Ben Riddle, came across the graffiti whilst jogging and told Campaign Against Antisemitism that he was shocked at how “brazen” it was, and “how much graffiti had been written”.

Shortly after Mr Riddle found the graffiti, it was discovered by a police patrol which called the local council to remove it. A police investigation has now been opened and police officers would like to hear from anybody who saw the graffiti so that they can narrow down when the vandalism occurred.

The graffiti is along the west side of the Car Giant complex along the canal towpath between Old Oak Lane and Scrubs Lane.

PC Shawn Ross told Campaign Against Antisemitism: “This hideous graffiti was discovered by local police on foot patrol today and that has triggered an investigation by Hammersmith & Fulham Police’s Community Safety Unit to track down those involved. I appeal to anyone who saw this incident taking place to come forward with more details of when it happened; by whom and from which direction they came/went. You can contact us via 101 (police non-emergency number) or tweet @MetCC who will gather more details via a direct (private) message. If you know who has done this and don’t wish to give your details then you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The Metropolitan Police take this kind of incident very seriously and appreciate your assistance in the matter. There is no place for hate, especially in one of the most diverse cities in the world.”

The graffiti is sickening and affects a very large area, so we particularly hope that members of the public will step forward to assist.

https://twitter.com/smellpsychosis/status/935600343433596933

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Bricks and bottle reportedly hurled at Jewish men in three separate antisemitic incidents on Friday and Sunday

Two bricks and a glass bottle have reportedly been hurled at Jewish men in three antisemitic incidents over the weekend. The attacks were unprovoked and targeted orthodox charedi Jews.

At 19:30 on Friday, a Jewish man said that a white 10-year-old boy threw a brick at him and shouted antisemitic abuse at him, including something about Adolf Hitler. On Sunday at approximately 15:00, the same victim reported that he was attacked by the same suspect again, and that his time he hurled a glass bottle at him. Later on Sunday at 18:20, another Jewish man reported that a brick was hurled at his car, but he did not see the perpetrator as he did not leave his car for fear of being seriously injured by any more bricks.

All three incidents occurred on Leaside Road in Hackney, near where a Jewish man was told to “Get lost” by a police officer for reporting young children abusing Jewish girls.

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, provided assistance to the victims, and reported the incidents to the police.

Anybody who witnessed any of the incidents or has information which could assist the investigation should contact the Metropolitan Police Service by dialing 101, citing references CAD5337/26/11/2017 and CAD6940/26/11/2017.

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Martial arts instructor in Toothill reportedly loses his job for being a member of National Action

A martial arts instructor in Toothill in south west England has reportedly lost his job for being a member of National Action, a deeply antisemitic, violent organisation whose fascist ideology and terrorist operations threaten British society.

National action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Under section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation is a criminal offence.

According to the Swindon Advertiser, the man who taught children at Total Martial Arts Premier Academy in Toothill, has now been removed from his post at the academy. The paper understands that he was “closely involved with National Action”.

Wiltshire Police confirmed that the martial arts school recently sent a letter to parents addressing concerns over radicalisation. A spokesperson for the force said: “This letter was issued as part of a long term safeguarding strategy. The investigation is still ongoing and we are unable to comment further.”

A spokesman for Total Martial Arts Premier Academy (TMA) reportedly spoke of the school’s shock. In a statement, the academy said that the instructor was asked to leave TMA as soon as the issue was raised: “We have been co-operating with the police and the local authority in their investigation and in making the decision on how to inform our students. We were shocked and appalled to learn of the potential extremist views held by this individual and had absolutely no idea that they held these views or of their potential involvement in any organisation that share or promote them. We at TMA totally distance ourselves from such views and have no connection to them. We do not condone such ideologies and they couldn’t be further from our culture at TMA.” The spokesman added that they are committed to “the safety and security” of students and stressed their “zero tolerance policy on any behaviour that may promote the wrong image or bring our academy into disrepute.”

The Swindon Advertiser also reported that members of National Action have in the past held secret meetings in Swindon.

Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the decision by Total Martial Arts Premier Academy to remove the instructor. This sends a very strong message that antisemitism and hate will not be tolerated by principled employers.

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Police investigating after woman allegedly shouts antisemitic abuse at Jewish shopper in Tottenham Hale Retail Park

Witnesses are being sought after a woman allegedly shouted abuse about at a Jewish shopper in an incident at Tottenham Hale Retail Park in Haringey at 13:55 this afternoon.

As an orthodox charedi Jewish man, who was accompanied by his wife, parked his car outside the Iceland store, the two women in a black Peugeot allegedly objected to him parking near their car, despite them being able to exit the vehicle with ease. They allegedly started shouting abuse at the Jewish man, with the female passenger shouting about “Hitler”. The female driver was described as white and approximately 20 years old, and her female passenger was described as white and approximately 60 years old.

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, provided assistance to the victim, and reported the incident to the police.

Anybody who witnessed the incident or has information which could aid the investigation should contact the Metropolitan Police Service by dialing 101, citing reference CAD4687/22/11/17.

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Witnesses sought after man shouts “Heil Hitler” upon seeing Jewish driver, then speeds away

Witnesses are being sought after an orthodox charedi Jewish man was subjected to antisemitic verbal abuse whilst driving on Sunday evening. The victim was driving along Colney Hatch Lane in Haringey, when another car pulled out in front of him. When the driver of the other car saw the visibly Jewish man, he lowered his window and shouted: “Heil Hitler, heil Hitler”. He then drove away in the opposite direction.

The suspect is described as an Asian male aged between 35 and 40 years old. He had black hair and a short-trimmed beard.

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, provided assistance to the victim, and reported the incident to the police.

Anybody who witnessed the incident or has information which could aid the investigation should contact the Metropolitan Police Service by dialing 101, citing reference CAD7826/19/11/2017.

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Witnesses sought after orthodox Jewish children aged 11, 12 and 14 threatened with kidnap and being run over on their way home from school in London

Three orthodox charedi Jewish children, aged 11, 12 and 14, have been threatened and verbally abused whilst returning from school by the driver and two passengers of a white mini-delivery van. The incident occurred at approximately 12:55 on Friday 17th November at the junction of Spring Hill and Clapton Common in Stamford Hill.

The driver was described as an adult male, and also visible in the van were two passengers, an adult female and a boy aged approximately 10 years old. All three were described as white. The female passenger shouted: “If you cross the road, I’ll drive over you” and then added: “I’m going to kidnap you”. She then shouted: “You’re afraid”, then all three occupants of the vehicle laughed. The female passenger shouted: “Ugly Jew” before the vehicle drove further down the road.

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, provided assistance to the victims, and reported the incident to the police.

Anybody who witnessed the incident or has information which could aid the investigation should contact the Metropolitan Police Service by dialing 101, citing reference CAD7145/19/11/2017.

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Police open investigation into swastika graffiti in Lockerbie on Remembrance Sunday

Police Scotland is investigating a series of swastikas that were painted on vehicles and a wall near McConechy’s garage and a butcher’s shop in Lockerbie between Remembrance Sunday and Monday morning.

PC David Noble appealed for witnesses and told the BBC that it was a “disgusting act” at a time of “remembrance and reflection”.

Councillor Adam Wilson added: “Yesterday I had the privilege to lay a wreath alongside veterans and townspeople to commemorate those who have fought in conflict since World War One, especially to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom and our democracy. The fallen that we have stood in silence for over the weekend protected us from the horrible ideology that the swastika represents. The people of Lockerbie along with me will be horrified by this graffiti because we stand with the fallen as they gave the ultimate sacrifice to give us our freedom.”

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Timothy Rustige sentenced to 140 hours of unpaid work after daubing “ZioNazis” and Star of David on walls of historic aqueduct

Timothy Rustige, a 68-year-old from Altrincham, has pleaded guilty to eight counts of criminal damage at Central Manchester Magistrates’ Court following a graffiti campaign between September 2016 and August this year that saw him scrawl slogans on the River Bollin Aqueduct in Dunham Massey. Mr Rustige’s graffiti included anti-Israel slogans such as “BDS” and “Gaza bleeds”, but also antisemitic slogans such as “ZioNazis”, accompanied by a Star of David. The International Definition of Antisemitism states that “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is antisemitic.

Mr Rustige was caught after Greater Manchester Police installed a hidden camera on the bridge, pleaded guilty to the offences and on 11th October he was ordered by magistrates to pay £500 in compensation and sentenced to a 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work.

Regrettably, it appears that Mr Rustige was not charged with a racially aggravated offence for his graffiti that was antisemitic.

We commend Greater Manchester Police for taking this graffiti seriously and bringing Mr Rustige to justice.

Image credit: Facebook and CST

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Police forced to issue dispersal order after crowd of up to 50 children aged 11-15 subject local Jewish residents to torrent of abuse on Canvey Island

A gang of between 30 to 50 children have reportedly caused police to issue a dispersal order over antisemitic behaviour during Halloween directed at the Jewish community on Canvey Island in Essex. A community of Orthodox charedi Jews from Stamford Hill in London have pioneered a move to establish a new community on the island.

According to the Echo News, on Tuesday evening last week, police invoked powers under the Anti-Social, Crime and Policing Act to issue a dispersal order after reports of a large gang of up to 50 children gathering near the Jewish Centre in Meppell Avenue, and other reports of children gathering in the town centre.

The children, believed to be aged between 11 and 15, all reportedly wore black hoodies and masks. One resident, Rebecca Vos, witnessed one member of the Jewish community trying to disperse the children, only to be met with a torrent of abuse. She told the Echo News: “It is a nightmare. I did go and apologise to the man because it was horrible. In all honesty, these children don’t even know what they are saying, they don’t understand, but they are creating a gang mentality where they feel safe to act this way.”

Essex Police posted a statement on Facebook warning: “Do you know where your children are?…On Canvey we have had a report of a large group congregating and intimidating local residents. As a result a dispersal order has been put in place for Canvey, this gives an officer in uniform the power to remove a young person to a place of safety. This is under s35 of the Anti-Social, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and lasts for 48 hours. Children under 16 but over the age of 10 will be taken home, if they return to the locality defined within the order and cause anti-social behaviour within 48 hours this will be considered a breach which is an arrestable offence.”

We commend Essex Police for their firm response to this incident.

Jewish newcomers to the island say that they have generally been welcomed, but there have been antisemitic incidents such as when in August a group of youths reportedly directed Nazi salutes at a charedi Jewish family.

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70-year-old Jewish woman’s head allegedly smashed against brick wall from behind by young thug shouting “Jew” in Polish

A 70-year-old woman had to be treated in hospital after a man aged 19-20 allegedly attacked her from behind and smashed her head into a brick wall, whilst shouting “Żyd”, which is Polish for “Jew”. The victim felt sick and frightened and required hospital treatment after suffering head pain from concussion. Stamford Hill Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol, are assisting the victim.

The attack occurred on Saturday at approximately 16:30 on St Kilda’s Road in Stamford Hill, north London. Anybody with information should call the police on 101.

This is a particularly repulsive incident and it is important that the perpetrator is brought to justice.

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Complaint filed after police officer tells Jewish man to “get lost” for reporting antisemitic targeting of young Jewish girls

A Jewish man has said that a police officer told him to “get lost” after he witnessed and reported an antisemitic incident targeting young Jewish girls.

The man witnessed an unprovoked incident on Sunday when children targeted young Jewish girls by shouting abuse at them, leaving them shocked and fearing for their safety. The witness believed this to be motivated by antisemitism and called the police to report the incident which occured in Warwick Grove in Hackney. As a police car arrived, the witness approached it and the window of the police car opened. A police officer allegedly asked the witness “Did you just call police for 10-year-old kids?” to which the witness replied “Yes.” The witness then says that the police officer aggressively replied “Get lost” and sped away from the scene.

There have been numerous incidents in which Jewish children have been attacked by other children, including one case in which a 16-year-old girl was left bloodied for hours after police failed to attend.

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community neighbourhood watch patrol, is assisting the witness. They have made a formal complaint to the police and referred the case to Campaign Against Antisemitism for assistance.

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Witnesses sought after Jewish men pursued and pelted with onions by thugs passing by in car in Amhurst Park

Two charedi Jewish men walking home were pursued by a car and pelted with onions by is occupants. The men were walking in the Amhurst Park area near Stamford Hill in north London when the first onion was thrown at them at approximately 21:55 by a passing car.

After the Jewish men parted company and went separate ways, the car repeatedly followed one of them and pelted him with onions, whilst shouting abuse. The victim described the attackers as a white male in his mid-thirties who was driving the car, and at least two white teenage male passengers. The car was described as small and light-coloured.

The victims are being assisted by Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol and the incident has been reported to the Metropolitan Police Service. Anybody with information should call the police on 101, quoting reference CAD2223/05/11/2017.

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Witnesses sought after man stops car outside Jewish schools and shouts “F***ing Jews” at children

A man allegedly stopped his car outside Jewish schools this morning and shouted “Palestine” and “F***ing Jews”, amongst other antisemitic insults, at young Jewish children. A witness described the alleged suspect as a 35-40-year-old man of Middle Eastern appearance with a black beard, driving a Citron Berlingo van. The incident occurred on Amhurst Park in Stamford Hill, in North East London.

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish community neighbourhood watch patrol, has reported the incident to the police and referred the case to Campaign Against Antisemitism for assistance.

Anybody with information should contact the Metropolitan Police Service on 101, citing reference CAD3765/31/10/2017.

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Jewish man stops car to assist assault victim, called “the Devil” by attacker and “F***ing Jew” by another driver

A prominent member of London’s charedi Jewish community was called an “F***ing Jew” and “the Devil” yesterday afternoon, when he came to the aid of a taxi driver who was being attacked by the roadside.

The Jewish man was driving through Kilburn when he saw a man attempting to drag a taxi driver from his vehicle. The Jewish man pulled over to assist and was immediately verbally abused by the driver of the car behind him called him a “F***ing Jew” for stopping his car.

The man who had been attacking the taxi driver then approached and hugged the Jewish man, before becoming violent and calling him “the Devil”. The taxi driver and the Jewish man then assisted two police officers in restraining the attacker, described only as a black male, who was lashing out at police officers who had arrived on the scene.

The Jewish man was able to film the verbal abuse by the driver of the car behind him, described only as an Asian male, and has reported that incident to the police.

If anybody witnessed the incident or has information that could aid the investigation, they should contact the police by dialing 101.

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Gang reportedly knocks Jewish man’s hat off and calls him an “F***ing Jew” in Hackney

A man from north east London’s charedi Jewish community, has said that he was approached by a gang of black males, one of whom shouted “F***ing Jew” before knocking the victim’s religious hat (shtreimel) from his head. Frightened and fearing for his safety, the man ran away immediately. The alleged assault occurred at approximately 19:00 on 20th October as the victim walked through Berkeley Homes in Woodberry Down in Hackney, London.

As the incident took place during the Jewish sabbath, the victim did not report it to the police immediately as he was not carrying a mobile telephone for religious reasons.

Instead he contacted Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish community neighbourhood watch patrol, which has reported the incident to the police. Anybody who witnessed the incident, or who has information that could aid the investigation should contact the police by dialing 101, citing CAD7809/28/10/17.

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ISIS-supporting British trio convicted after procuring weapons and researching targets including Birmingham’s Central Synagogue

Ummariyat Mirza, aged 21, his wife Madihah Taheer, also aged 21, and his sister Zainub Mirza, aged 23, have all been convicted of terrorism offences. Mr Mirza and his sister, Ms Mirza, pleaded guilty, but Ms Taheer pleaded not guilty and was convicted by a jury today at Woolwich Crown Court.

Mr Mirza procured knives with the help of his wife, and used a martial arts dummy to practice stabbing people to death. The court heard that the couple bonded over their plans to fight with ISIS in Syria and raise a family of jihadis, with Ms Taheer repeatedly telling Mr Mirza that they could execute their plans once they were married. They would watch videos of beheadings and terrorist attacks and laugh at them, constantly sending each other messages about their future as a terrorist couple, and the murders they would commit.

Ms Taheer reportedly told the court that the couple’s extensive messages and preparations for acts of terrorism were just their “humour”.

The couple’s attention shifted from Syria to the UK however, with Ms Taheer telling Mr Mirza that she had a list of people for him to kill after their wedding, which he said he would act upon for her. Ms Taheer even provided him with her bank details so that he could purchase a knife. Ms Taheer’s only concern appeared to be the cost of weapons. In one message she told her husband, when he asked for her bank details so that he could buy a £300 knife: “Can’t we wait until I get paid. Got bills to pay — baby things to buy. It doesn’t have to be bloody state of the art.” To this, Mr Mirza replied: “This isn’t a fantasy, it’s real. We are living like kuffar [a derogatory term for non-Muslims].” Eventually Ms Taheer bought him a knife for £120.

Following their wedding, they instead turned their attention to targets in Birmingham, including the RAF careers office and Birmingham Central Synagogue.

Mr Mirza and his sister were arrested by plain-clothes counter-terrorism officers on 29th March, the day after the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack, after Mr Mirza sent an emoticon of a knife via WhatsApp, which officers feared could be a signal for an attack.

Mr Mirza admitted his crimes, as did Ms Mirza, who had been sending her brother a stream of extremist material, including footage of a man holding two severed heads.

Ms Taheer was arrested on 24th April after officers seized electronic devices and analysed the messages that had been exchanged between her and her husband.

Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Ward, head of West Midlands Counter-Terrorist Unit, said: “Ummariyat Mirza’s plan was escalating quickly so the decision to carry out arrests in a busy Birmingham street at rush hour was not taken lightly. The planning had begun in 2015 but quickly gathered momentum in terms of the volume and especially the nature of the shared material with the majority of videos shared by Zainub Mirza to her brother. The constant stream of material and supportive comments sent were, we believed, to encourage Ummariyat Mirza to begin acts of preparation for terrorism. When Ummariyat Mirza and his sister were arrested, mobile phones were found in the car and at their respective addresses, as well as at other family addresses. Their devices were examined and a significant quantity of relevant mind-set material was found on them. The communications between Ummariyat Mirza and his sister reveal that they shared extremist material and praised killings carried out by Daesh. It is thought Mirza and his wife, encouraged by Zainub, were planning to carry out an attack in the UK, it is not known where this attack would have been, but we discovered research into potential targets, including military sites in the area.”

We are grateful to the police officers and intelligence officers for their life-saving vigilance.

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16-year-old Jewish girl allegedly told to “be patient, Jews come last” by Stamford Hill shopkeeper

A 16-year-old Jewish girl has allegedly been told by a shopkeeper in Stamford Hill in North East London to “be patient, Jews come last.”

The alleged incident took place on Wednesday between 17:30 and 18:00 at a shop which has a drop-off service for parcels, acting as an agent for online shops. The Jewish schoolgirl was dropping off items with the female shopkeeper, but in the middle of serving her the shopkeeper allegedly stopped and started serving another customer. The Jewish schoolgirl asked politely if she could just have her receipt so that she could leave, to which the shopkeeper allegedly replied: “be patient, Jews come last.”

Stamford Hill Shomrim, the volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, is assisting the young girl who was shocked and felt very hurt by the alleged antisemitic comment. Stamford Hill Shomrim has reported the incident to the police and referred the case to Campaign Against Antisemitism for assistance.

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Police and Crime Commissioner for hate crime left “shocked” but resolute after CAA arranges meetings with Holocaust survivors, Jewish students and BCCA members

Campaign Against Antisemitism was pleased to welcome the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) charged with overseeing the police response to hate crime for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners last week.

Hardyal Dhindsa is the PCC for Derbyshire and has been appointed the national lead on hate crime. Last week, Campaign Against Antisemitism hosted him in London to discuss antisemitic hate crime, and the police response.

The Holocaust Survivors’ Centre kindly hosted a meeting for us and Mr Dhindsa with a group of Holocaust survivors who told Mr Dhindsa that in addition to more education about antisemitism, they expected to see more prosecutions for antisemitism, expressing frustration that antisemitism disguised as political discourse against Israel and antisemitic hate speech often goes unpunished.

We then arranged for Mr Dhindsa to meet members of the newly-launched British Council for Countering Antisemitism who told Mr Dhindsa about their work on the front lines protecting Jews from antisemitic hatred on the streets.

To round off Mr Dhindsa’s visit, we took him to the School of African and Oriental Studies, SOAS, which has sometimes been nicknamed the “School of Antisemitism”, to meet Jewish students from across the UK who we brought to London to talk about their experiences as Jews on modern campuses.

Mr Dhindsa said: “I’m shocked. Like many, I believed that antisemitic behaviour had been consigned to the past and clearly that is not the case. I will do whatever I can, with my fellow PCCs and the wider policing family, to see this unacceptable bigotry replaced by tolerance and respect.”

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Jewish residents shocked to find swastika painted on road outside their home in Stamford Hill

Stamford Hill Shomrim was called this afternoon following the discovery by Jewish residents of a swastika drawn on the road outside their home. Stamford Hill Shomrim has reported the graffiti to the Metropolitan Police Service and the local Council so that evidence can be captured and the graffiti can be removed.

Anybody with information should call the Metropolitan Police Service on 101, or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123.

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Police issue images of men wanted for questioning in connection with neo-Nazi poster and yellow Star of David at Britain’s oldest synagogue

Detectives from City of London Police are asking for help identifying two men wanted in connection with an incident on 16th August in which a neo-Nazi propaganda poster and a yellow Star of David were placed on a sign at Bevis Marks Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Britain.

Police Constable Adam Bond, who is leading the investigation, said: “Any form of hate crime is not acceptable and will not be tolerated by the City of London Police. We are committed to tackling this sort of crime and want people to feel they can go about their daily business in the City, no matter who they are, without fear of violence or threat. If you recognise these men, please get in touch.”

Alison Rosen, Executive Director of The S&P Sephardi Community added: “This incident is a very serious concern for our regular members and visitors and we would be grateful if anyone can identify the culprits.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends City of London Police for its zero-tolerance approach to antisemitic crime.

Anybody with information should contact City of London Police by calling 0207 601 2999, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, which takes anonymous tip-offs on 0800 555 111.

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CPS reveals it prosecuted thousands of hate crimes last year, but it has yet to prosecute more than two dozen antisemitic crimes per year

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has released statistics, stating that in 2016/17 it prosecuted 14,480 hate crimes.

Whilst the CPS says that it is prosecuting hate crime ferociously, we have yet to see a single year in which more than a couple of dozen antisemitic hate crimes were prosecuted. So far in 2017, we are aware of a paltry 21 prosecutions, in 2016 there were 20, and in 2015 there were just 12.

So serious are the failures by the CPS to take action that we have had to privately prosecute alleged antisemites ourselves and challenge the CPS through judicial review, the first of which we won in March.

Last year only 1.9% of hate crime against Jews was prosecuted, signalling to police forces that their effort in investigating hate crimes against Jews might be wasted, and sending the strong message to antisemites that they need not fear the law.

Set against a backdrop of rising antisemitic crime, this is especially unacceptable. In 2014, antisemitic crime broke all records, but rather than being met with the full force of the law, antisemites have been able to target the Jewish community with relative impunity. Each year since 2014 has been a record-breaking year for antisemitic crime: between 2014 and 2016, antisemitic crime surged by 45%.

The failure to prosecute cases of antisemitism appears to be making police reluctant to put effort into investigating antisemitism in certain cases because of fears that despite their work, the CPS may drop the case. Despite the rapid rise in antisemitic hate crime, charging of antisemitic crime dropped by 36% between 2014 and 2016.

The message sent to antisemites and British Jews is chilling. According to our 2017 polling, only 39% of British Jews feel confident that antisemitic hate crimes against them would be prosecuted, and 52% believe that the CPS is doing too little to fight antisemitism. Almost one in three British Jews considered leaving Britain due to antisemitism in the past two years.

The CPS must start to seriously address hate crime against Jews. If it is so proud of its record, why does it refuse to break down its hate crime prosecutions in the same way as police forces, to show how many antisemitism cases were referred and how many were prosecuted?

 

 

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Exterior of Etz Chaim synagogue in Leeds vandalised with swastika and “K***s get out” threat

The exterior of the Etz Chaim Synagogue in Leeds has been defaced with threatening graffiti overnight. A sign for the synagogue’s hall was defaced with a swastika and the word “K***s” and the driveway of the synagogue was daubed with an apparent threat to congregants: “K***s get out”.

Police are investigating. We are following the case with interest.

Antisemitic crime surged by 45% between 2014 and 2016, making 2016 the worst year on record. It is expected that 2017 might be worse still when police forces release their statistics. Despite this, police were found to have charged 35% fewer cases of antisemitic hate crime in 2016 than they did in 2014, and the Crown Prosecution Service has yet to prosecute more than two dozen hate crimes per year. It is vital that antisemites are brought to justice and made to fear the law.

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Total vindication for CAA as police and CPS start to fully prosecute antisemitism cases they had turned down until CAA took legal action

Until we succeeded, Campaign Against Antisemitism had always been told that it was completely impossible to force the state to take action against antisemites. The Jewish community had tried coaxing the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) into action over the course of decades to no avail. When Campaign Against Antisemitism was formed, we too tried to amicably convince the CPS to do more, even arranging a summit with the then Home Secretary, Theresa May, and the current Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders.

It soon became clear to us that pleading with the CPS would not work, but when we took legal action we were told by others in the Jewish community that confronting the CPS could only be damaging and would not result in progress.

Our approach has now been totally vindicated.

In July 2015, neo-Nazis sought to march through Golders Green. We stopped their march, and instead they gathered in a kettling pen in Westminster. One of them, Jeremy Bedford-Turner, said that: “…all politicians are nothing but a bunch of puppets dancing to a Jewish tune, and the ruling regimes in the West for the last one hundred years have danced to the same tune.” Evoking medieval libels which claimed that Jews drank the blood of non-Jewish children, Bedford-Turner told his followers, of whom one third were from the violent extreme-right National Rebirth of Poland group, that the French Revolution and both World Wars were massacres perpetrated by Jews. He concluded that England was “merry” during the period of the expulsion of Jews from England and demanded: “Let’s free England from Jewish control.” The speech was filmed and posted on YouTube, where it remains.

When the CPS refused to prosecute him, we launched judicial review proceedings to quash the CPS’s decision not to prosecute, and after 13 months, we won a comprehensive victory. There was a risk however that the CPS could take us back to square one by refusing to prosecute for a different reason, and we would have had to start our judicial review again.

We have now learned that Jeremy Bedford-Turner has been charged with incitement to racial hatred for his speech.

In 2015 we also reported Alison Chabloz to police over her antisemitic social media activity. Due to strict time limits on bringing prosecutions, and the failure of the criminal justice system to act on the information that we provided to them, we were forced to launch a private prosecution. We alleged that Ms Chabloz had produced and circulated various antisemitic music videos.

Earlier this year, accepting that Ms Chabloz should have been prosecuted, the CPS exercised its power to take over our private prosecution. On Wednesday last week, after Campaign Against Antisemitism sent more than a dozen letters to police with information about alleged bail breaches and further hate crimes, she has now been arrested on suspicion of breaching her bail conditions and committing additional crimes.

Neither Mr Bedford-Turner nor Ms Chabloz are important people, but their cases are important because the fact that prosecutions are being brought represents two major successes in Campaign Against Antisemitism’s struggle to ensure that alleged antisemites face the full force of the law. After remaining defiantly inert for years, the CPS has now been forced by our legal interventions to take action.

We will maintain our efforts and are discussing further cases with our lawyers. In particular, we would like to thank Brian Kennelly QC, Jamie Susskind and David Sonn, who acted pro bono in our judicial review of the decision not to prosecute Jeremy Bedford-Turner, and Jonathan Goldberg QC, Jeffrey Israel, Senghin Kong and Stephen Gilchrist who acted pro bono in our private prosecution of Alison Chabloz.

When Campaign Against Antisemitism was formed in 2014, we promised to do our level best to ensure that the law was enforced against antisemitism with zero tolerance, and that remains our mission today.

If you have been the victim of an antisemitic crime, or antisemitism at the hands of a member of a regulated profession (for example a teacher, doctor, security guard, charity worker or accountant), and you are dissatisfied with the way it was dealt with by police or regulators, please e-mail [email protected] and we will look into whether we can help.

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Alison Chabloz, who is on trial following private prosecution by CAA, has been arrested on suspicion of bail breaches

Alison Chabloz, who is currently standing trial for alleged antisemitic offences, has just been arrested at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on suspicion of bail breaches brought to the attention of police by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Ms Chabloz was the subject of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s first private prosecution for alleged antisemitic offences. We privately prosecuted her as the state had failed to do so and the statutory time limit for bringing a prosecution had almost expired. In December last year, we secured court bail conditions to prevent antisemitic social media activity and various other actions by Ms Chabloz while she awaited trial.

Earlier this year, the Crown Prosecution Service exercised its power to take over our private prosecution, and on the basis of information provided by Campaign Against Antisemitism, the bail conditions were tightened further.

After Campaign Against Antisemitism sent more than a dozen letters to police with information about alleged bail breaches, she has now been arrested on suspicion of breaching her bail conditions.

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Anti-Israel activist convicted of hate crime over intimidatory boycott of Jewish businessman, but walks away with £175 fine

Anti-Israel activist Allister “Ally” Coutts has been convicted of acting in a in a racially-aggravated manner with intent to cause distress and alarm over his attempts to intimidate a Jewish businessman in Aberdeen.

Nisan Ayalon, the owner of Jericho Skin Care, told Campaign Against Antisemitism that protesters had repeatedly visited his stall, which sells beauty products from the Dead Sea, and attempted to intimidate, him, his pregnant wife, his customers and staff.

On 16th August 2016, when Mr Ayalon arrived at his stall, he told us that Mr Coutts approached him shouting “Free Palestine” with his fist upheld. When Mr Ayalon asked him to leave, he says that Mr Coutts responded: “You’re not welcome here.” Security officers from the shopping mall then asked Mr Coutts to leave for 25 minutes whilst he continued his abuse, until police officers arrived and arrested him. Mr Ayalon says that the nature of Mr Coutts’ motivation was clear to all during his exchanges with security and police officers, whom he allegedly told that ISIS really stands for “Israeli Secret Intelligence Service” and that it was supported by Mossad.

On 9th September 2017, Mr Coutts entered a plea of “not guilty” at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, but was convicted on the strength of evidence from the security guards’ body-worn video cameras and he was fined £175 two days later on 11th September. Mr Ayalon was supported throughout by the Jewish community in Aberdeen and Jewish Human Rights Watch.

Mr Coutts is now the third member of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign to be convicted of an offence due to the use of intimidatory tactics. Earlier this year, an investigation by researcher David Collier uncovered widespread antisemitism amongst activists of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, however the group dismissed his detailed findings, predictably publishing a statement announcing that it “is not inclined to take seriously the so-called ‘research’ of a pro-Israel blogger whose primary purpose is to smear organisations that support Palestinian rights”.

Now that the one of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s activists has a hate crime conviction to his name, it will be harder to shrug off such accusations.

However, Campaign Against Antisemitism is dismayed that such a small fine has been imposed. It will hardly deter those who use anti-Israel discourse to disguise their criminal antisemitism. Research by Campaign Against Antisemitism published in August found that 78% of British Jews consider boycotts of businesses selling Israeli products to constitute intimidation.

We sought comment from the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Mr Coutts, but we did not receive a response.

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Glenn Okafor walks free with 200 hours of community service after threatening to “wipe out” Jewish families

Glenn Okafor, aged 32, has been convicted of shouting “we will wipe you out” and other antisemitic abuse, including death threats, at Jewish people in Stamford Hill in London on 4th March this year. The incident occurred at 9:00 on a Saturday morning as Jewish families made their way to synagogue, at one point even entering the front garden of a synagogue. Mr Okafor exclaimed at Jewish passersby: “F*** you Jewish people…you lot should go back to your own country”. He also added: “We will sort you out. I have friends. I’ll be back tomorrow. We will wipe you out.” In an apparent reference to a conspiracy theory that white Jews are in fact imposters and that the supposed real Jews are black, Mr Okafor shouted: “We are the real Jews”. Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, assisted officers from the Metropolitan Police Service in arresting Mr Okafor and a man who was walking with him.

Mr Okafor, of West Norwood, was found guilty at Stratford Magistrates’ Court of two counts of religiously-aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress contrary to section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986, as amended. He was sentenced at Thames Magistrates’ Court to a 12-month community order with 200 unpaid hours of work. His sentence would have been 150 hours of unpaid work, but 50 hours were added following an application by the Crown Prosecution Service. He was also ordered to pay £150 to his victims and costs of £620.00 to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Chair of the bench, Danni Tate, was not persuaded by Mr Okafor’s claims that he was merely seeking to engage in “theological debate” and wanted to ask his victims “a few questions about the origin of Judaism”.

The victims had to attend court four times during the trial, and each time they were accompanied and supported by volunteers from Stamford Hill Shomrim.

Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for North London, Jan Lamping, said: “Stiffer sentences are a powerful way of sending the message that hate crime is viewed very seriously in the eyes of the law. These were unacceptable, hostile words and threats directed at worshippers intended to make them fearful of their safety. I would encourage all victims to report hate crimes so that others do not become the target of hateful abuse.”

We commend Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service for ensuring that Mr Okafor was brought to justice, however we regret that this sentence is merely the latest in a chain of lenient punishments that will not deter antisemites.

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Imprisoned but not for antisemitism, the man whose brazen “Hitler was right” sign is a case study in the danger of the failure to enforce the law against antisemites

In the summer of 2014, as antisemitism in Britain reached a new peak during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Hussain Yousef walked through central London holding aloft a sign stating: “Hitler, you were right!” This act was one of the catalysts behind the formation of Campaign Against Antisemitism. We were disgusted that such an individual could brazenly walk through the streets of London with such a sign, in full sight of police officers, without any consequences. Mr Yousef is one of the many cases that convinced so many of us to come together to build a campaign for zero tolerance enforcement of the law against antisemites was necessary.

For three years, Mr Yousef’s identity was unknown to us, but this week he has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years for terrorism offences, however he did not face any charges on account of his antisemitic hate crime, and now it seems that he never will.

We believe that Mr Yousef’s case is a stark reminder of the danger to society of failing to enforce the law against antisemites.

Kingston Crown Court has confirmed to us that Mr Yousef was convicted of collecting or making a record of terrorist information contrary to section 58(1 )(a) of the Terrorism Act 2000, encouraging terrorism contrary to section 1(2) of the Terrorism Act 2006, and dissemination of a terrorist publication contrary to sections 2(1)  and 2(2)(d) of the Terrorism Act 2006. He was found not guilty of two other terrorism offences. The judge also recommended that Mr Yousef should be deported from the United Kingdom upon completion of his sentence.

We welcome this sentence, but Mr Yousef should have come to the attention of the criminal justice system before now. He should have been arrested and investigated in the summer of 2014 when he walked through central London openly declaring his support for the Holocaust, and by inference, demanding that the Jews of Israel too should be systematically annihilated.

Instead, we learned from his trial that it was not until the end of 2015, nearly a year-and-a-half later, that Mr Yousef was investigated by counter-terrorism police over his social media support for Islamist terrorism. Mr Yousef, a 21-year-old asylum seeker from Afghanistan, whose asylum application had been denied, had created multiple Facebook accounts which he used, for example, to call a British Muslim soldier a “Murtad”, meaning an apostate, and he had even shared the purportedly hacked names and addresses of 700 United States military personnel.

Commander Dean Haydon, from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command, confirmed that only terrorism offences were considered, saying: “Yousef was sharing content, images and videos of the terrorist activities of [ISIS] through his various Facebook accounts and trying to get others to support their evil and hateful ideology. This case was brought to our attention thanks to members of the public reporting it to us and I continue to urge anyone who see terrorist or extremist material online to act and report it via the online reporting tool.”

In July 2015, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, gave a speech identifying that antisemitic conspiracy theories act as a gateway to Islamist extremism and even terrorism. He was right of course, and the case of Mr Yousef is yet further proof of that. It also illustrates very clearly that when antisemitic hate crime goes ignored, not just British Jews but all of British society is put at risk.

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Police investigating antisemitic abuse after passenger repeatedly swore at Rabbi and accused him of “murdering Muslims” while on a bus in north London

A rabbi from north London’s orthodox charedi Jewish community has been subjected to a barrage of antisemitic abuse while travelling through Stamford Hill on the 253 bus service. At 20:40 on Wednesday evening, a middle-aged man of Middle Eastern appearance boarded the bus, sat immediately behind him and began to swear at him under his breath. When, on arrival at the stop outside the Shell petrol station in Upper Clapton Road, the rabbi stood up to leave the bus, his abuser shouted at him, “Why are you killing all the Muslims? You are a murderer!” The rabbi declined the bus driver’s offer to call the police, as he was on his way to officiate at a ceremony. However, the next day, he made contact with the police himself. Clearly still angry and upset, he told us: “He was clearly antisemitic. He has no right to say these things to a person in a public place.”

If anybody has information that could assist the investigation into this incident, they should notify the police by dialling 101.

The victim contacted Stamford Hill Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol, which referred the case to Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Crime Unit for assistance.

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Pensioner fined £250 for third offence of sending over 150 harassing letters, including references to “Zionist Jews” being a “death cult” and claiming they will “get us all killed”

James Evans, a 70-year-old pensioner from Worcester, has been fined for harassing Worcester MP Robin Walker after writing him over 150 letters which included references to “Zionist Jews” being a “death cult” and claims that they will “get us all killed in the Third World War.” He also said the Jews were “not a race.” Mr Evans was fined £250, despite him refusing to express remorse and the fact that this is his third conviction for a similar offence.

Mr Evans wrote over 150 letters to Mr Walker between 1st August and 25th November last year. Mr Evans, who represented himself, had previously admitted racially aggravated harassment against Mr Walker when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court to be sentenced.

It is Mr Evans’ third conviction for similar offences, one of which led to a restraining order preventing him from contacting staff at BBC Hereford and Worcester after he sent them 70 offensive letters. It was a restraining order he later breached.

Mr Walter even contacted Mr Evans in an attempt to stop the letters being sent, but he continued to send and hand deliver letters, sometimes several times a day.

Judge Pearce-Higgins asked Mr Evans: “What are you planning? Are you going to keep your thoughts to yourself and not send letters to different people and harass them?” Mr Evans responded: “What you are in effect saying is that I must not express views that you don’t approve of. It seems a bit like Stalinist Russia to me. If you don’t agree with people, define them as mentally ill or as criminals.”

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Pearce-Higgins gave Mr Evans credit for his early guilty plea. No restraining order was made because the judge felt it would be “unworkable.” Mr Walker reportedly also did not seek to stop Mr Evans contacting him, but believed contact should be limited to legitimate, constituency matters.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends Mr Walker and the authorities for standing up against racism and antisemitism. However, we are disturbed that this recidivist antisemite has been let off with a slap on the wrist, in spite of his repeated offending. This sentence, like others we have recently seen, will hardly deter antisemites.

Image credit: Bill Nicholls

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Counter-terrorism police arrest eleven suspected members of far-right National Action terrorist group in nationwide swoop

Counter-terrorism police have arrested eleven suspected members of the far-right National Action terrorist group in a nationwide swoop. The suspect are all men aged between 23 and 35, and they were arrested on suspicion of offences ranging from preparation of a terrorist act through to membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation.

National Action is a deeply antisemitic, violent organisation whose fascist ideology and terrorist operations threaten British society. In February, a 17-year-old member of National Action walked free despite being convicted of preparing a bomb with which to spark an “all-out race war”. It was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Under section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation is a criminal offence.

Counter-terrorism police are now searching the suspects’ homes.

Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, head of the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “Today’s arrests are part of coordinated action by the national counter-terrorism network and UK policing. Those who promote extreme right-wing views are looking to divide our communities and spread hatred. This will not be tolerated and those who do so must be brought to justice.”

The Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu of the Metropolitan Police, said: “Counter-terror policing is committed to tackling all forms of extremism that threatens public safety and security. Investigations relating to alleged extreme right-wing activity are pursued with the same level or resource and vigour as other ideologies, in order to bring suspected offenders before the courts. Today’s arrests, while resulting from two separate investigations, have been coordinated by our officers across a number of forces. This maximises operational effectiveness for police and minimises disruption for the local communities.”

Nine men were arrested in England, including six in north-west England, two in West Yorkshire and one in Wiltshire. One of the men was already in prison. Two men were arrested in Wales.

The suspect are:

  • A 24-year-old man from Seaforth on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, funding terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation;
  • A 23-year-old man from Newton-le-Willows on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, funding terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation;
  • A 33-year-old man from Prescott on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, funding terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation;
  • A 31-year-old man from Warrington on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, funding terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation;
  • A 35-year-old man from Warrington on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, funding terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation;
  • A 22-year-old man from Lancashire has been produced from prison for police interview on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act and membership of a proscribed organisation;
  • A 28-year-old man from Swansea on suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation and possession of terrorism material/documents;
  • A 23-year-old man from Sowerby Bridge on suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation;
  • A 23-year-old-man from Swansea on suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation;
  • A 26-year-old man from Leeds on suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation; and
  • A 30-year-old man from Wiltshire on suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation.

Three soldiers were charged with membership of National Action earlier in the month.

We thank the police for their constant vigilance.

We are following the case with interest.

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New study finds strong link between anti-Israel and antisemitic beliefs, and increased likelihood of antisemitic beliefs amongst British Muslims

A new study by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) has confirmed that approximately one third of British people hold at least one antisemitic prejudice. The study, authored by Dr Daniel Staetsky, corroborates Campaign Against Antisemitism’s own research, whilst also venturing into new areas, examining the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Israel beliefs, and providing further detail on antisemitism amongst the far-left, far-right and Muslims.

The report is very detailed, and it is clear that considerable effort and expense has been devoted to providing it as a freely-available resource for those interested in the study of antisemitism in Britain.

Adopting a very similar methodology to our Antisemitism Barometer polling conducted with YouGov, JPR commissioned Ipsos MORI to show a sample of British people a selection of statements about Jews: some positive, and others of a nature that Jews typically recognise as antisemitic. 30% of British people hold at least one antisemitic view according to the JPR research, whereas our YouGov polling put the figure at 36%. The small difference is only just outside the margin of error, and is likely to be accounted for by differences in the antisemitic statements and the definition of antisemitism used.

The JPR report then goes beyond our research, asking respondents whether they agree with a number of “anti-Israel” statements in order to measure the correlation between negative beliefs about Israel and negative beliefs about Jews. Under the terminology adopted in the JPR report, only the statements about Jews per se were classified as antisemitic, although some of the statements about Israel would also be classified as antisemitic under the International Definition of Antisemitism. For example, respondents who agreed with the statement that “Israel exploits Holocaust victimhood for its own purposes” or that “Israel has too much control over global affairs” are extremely likely to be expressing beliefs that engage the International Definition of Antisemitism, but the JPR study simply classifies these beliefs as anti-Israel, not antisemitic.

This part of the study does confirm what many have long suspected: that there is a very strong link between negative beliefs about the Jewish state and negative beliefs about Jewish people: 43% of people who agree with at least one anti-Israel statement also agree with at least one anti-Jewish statement. For example, those with anti-Israel views were especially likely to agree with statements that “Jews think they are better than other people” and “The interests of Jews in Britain are very different from the interests of the rest of the population”. Most disturbingly, 49% of those with strong anti-Israel attitudes were found to agree with the statement “Jews exploit Holocaust victimhood for their own purposes”.

Delving further still, JPR sought to identify the extent to which antisemitism flourished amongst particular political and religious groups, finding that antisemitism was much more likely to be found on the far-right and amongst Muslims (especially amongst religious Muslims) than amongst the British population in general. Indeed JPR found that British Muslims were approximately twice as likely as the rest of the British population to hold antisemitic beliefs.

The study’s findings with regard to antisemitism on the far-left may prove controversial. Unlike Muslims and members of the far-right, survey respondents describing their politics as far-left appeared no more likely than members of the general population to agree with negative statements about Jews. However, the study found the same link between negative statements about Israel and negative statements about Jews among people on the far-left that it did among members of every other religious and political group. In other words, it found that a person who holds multiple negative views about Israel is likely to hold negative views about Jews, regardless of whether that person sees him- or herself as belonging to the left, the right, or the centre.

Moreover, the study found people on the far left to be much more likely to agree with negative statements about Israel – so when we consider  the manner in which some antisemitic beliefs were classified in the study as being anti-Israel rather than antisemitic, it seems likely that the far-left in fact does have a disproportionate antisemitism problem when judged using the International Definition of Antisemitism instead of the JPR criteria.

JPR also sought to gauge support for violence against Jews, finding that 14% of British people consider “violence against Jews in defence of one’s political or religious beliefs and values” to often, sometimes or rarely be justified. 71% said that it was never justified and 15% said that they did not know or preferred not to say. However the study also showed that British people held similar views about the legitimacy of using violence against a range of targets, ranging from banks to European Union institutions.

In one respect in particular, the JPR study raised more questions than answers: if 30% of respondents agreed with antisemitic statements (as defined by JPR) and only 4% of respondents within that 30% self-defined as far-left, far-right or Muslim, what do the remaining 26% of British people who hold antisemitic beliefs have in common? Discovering the common denominator that unites that unaffiliated, casual grouping of antisemites remains as elusive as ever.

Finally, JPR’s results should be interpreted in the light of the methodology used. For example, when JPR asked whether respondents viewed Jews favourably, 5.4% of respondents said that they viewed Jews unfavourably, 46.8% were neutral, and 38.8% said that they viewed Jews favourably, with the remainder saying that they did not know. However, when JPR asked the question without the option of expressing neutrality, the percentage of respondents expressing unfavourable attitudes towards Jews more than doubled, suggesting that some people with unfavourable views towards Jews may have preferred to express neutrality to hide their true views, and only express their real feelings about Jews when they are not given an opportunity to express neutrality. Since JPR did allow respondents to express neutrality in all but one of its questions, it is reasonable to assume that more respondents would have expressed antisemitic views had they not been given the option of answering neutrally. In other words, it is possible that JPR’s results would have been much worse had they forced respondents to make choices.

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Couple who punched Jewish wedding guests and whipped them with dog leash walk free with £40 compensation to victims

A couple who viciously attacked Jewish wedding guests, punching them and whipping them with a dog leash whilst shouting antisemitic abuse, have walked free. Thames Magistrates’ Court handed Ineta Winiarski and Kasimiersz Winiarski a suspended 12-week prison sentence on 5th September, allowing them to walk free paying a mere £40 to each of their victims, which is approximately one third of the cost of a parking fine.

The court had heard how Ineta Winiarski, aged 33, and Kasimiersz Winiarski, aged 62, a Polish couple living in Hackney, “terrified” wedding guests outside Kehal Yetev Lev Synagogue near Clapton Common in London on 3rd July.

Magistrate Caroline Dillon was told by prosecutor Demi Ugurtay how Mr Winiarski walked over to a driver, David Tangy, who was waiting to transfer the guests from the synagogue, and slammed his door. He then shoved Mr Tangy, whilst Ms Winiarski approached with the couple’s dog and whipped a guest, Ben Herbst, with the dog’s leash and shouted “F***ing Jew”. Ben Herbst’s father, Israel Herbst rushed to protect his son from the attack and was hit by Ms Winiarski in the shoulder. Ms Winiarski shouted antisemitic abuse throughout the incident, including shouting “Kurwa” (a Polish expletive) and reportedly telling the Jewish wedding guests in broken English: “Dog stay here England, you Jews go away.”

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol was called and followed the assailants to Clapton Common where they were arrested on suspicion of common assault and racially aggravated assault.

Ms Winiarski pleaded guilty to three counts of racially aggravated assault. She was handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, in respect of each offence, as well as being ordered to participate in a rehabilitation programme lasting no longer than 20 days. She was also ordered to pay £40 to each of her three victims, as well as £230 in victim surcharges to fund victims’ services, and £85 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Mr Winiarski pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault. He too was handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, in respect of each offence, as well as being ordered to participate in a rehabilitation programme lasting no longer than 20 days. He was also ordered to pay £40 to each of his two victims, as well as £115 in victim surcharges to fund victims’ services, and £85 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Magistrate Caroline Dillon told the couple: “The appropriate sentence is one of 12 weeks in prison, however, because you are of good character it will be suspended for 12 months.”

We commend Stamford Hill Shomrim for their fast response which ensured that the suspects could be arrested and prosecuted.

We are deeply dismayed by this sentence. Antisemitic crime has soared by 45% in the past two years and securing prosecutions is rare enough. For a court to hand down such a derisively lenient sentence, effectively allowing vicious antisemitic assailants to walk free, paying approximately one third the cost of a parking fine to the Jewish people that they punched and whipped in broad daylight, is an affront. This paltry sentence will not deter antisemites, it will embolden them. Our criminal justice system is continuing to send a strong message that antisemites will rarely be charged, rarely be prosecuted, and rarely be properly punished. It is surely because of verdicts like this one that our research shows that a mere 21% of British Jews think that the authorities are doing enough to address and punish antisemitism. We hope that the Crown Prosecution Service will now appeal this outrageous verdict.

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José Manuel Silva sentenced to 28 days in prison and ordered to pay £250 for shouting “burn” at Jews in Golders Green

José Manuel Silva has been sentenced to 28 days in prison after being convicted of racially and religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, distress and criminal damage for shouting antisemitic abuse in Golders Green in London. Mr Silva, who pleaded guilty, has also been ordered to pay costs of £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and has been fined £165.

Mr Silva’s abuse reportedly included shouting “burn” and pointing at Jewish passersby, including children, on 24th August on the corner of Hoop Lane and Finchley Road in Golders Green. He was detained by CST until the Metropolitan Police Service arrived to arrest him.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends CST for its swift response and thanks the police and the CPS for ensuring that Mr Silva has suffered the consequences of his antisemitic abuse.

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Cambridge neo-Nazi Lawrence Burns’ sentence slashed after judges sympathise with arguments he was just “immature”

A convicted neo-Nazi has had his four-year sentence slashed by the Court of Appeal, after judges branded his original sentence “manifestly excessive”.

Lawrence Burns was sentenced to four years in prison in March by a judge at Peterborough Crown Court after being convicted of two counts of incitement to racial hatred over his antisemitic Facebook posts and a speech on YouTube last year. In December 2016, Mr Burns was also found guilty of two charges of publishing threatening, abusive or insulting written material with intent or likely intent to stir up racial hatred by a jury at Cambridge Crown Court.

In one video, Mr Burns accused Jews of being “parasites” that wanted to create a “mongrelised race”. In one of his many social media posts, Burns compared Jews to “maggots in a decaying body” who are “hijacking the genes of a superior white race”. The court heard that Mr Burns had posted 140 comments comments in which he stirred up racial hatred on an alias Facebook account he had set up.

According to one report, a search of Mr Burns’ home revealed a number of antisemitic books, a scarf with a “neo-Nazi” logo and a phone containing a further 125 photos depicting racist views, along with three audio recordings made by Mr Burns, where he is alleged to have said a “real Holocaust” is the only solution to “ridding the Jews”.

Mr Justice Phillips, sitting with Lord Justice Davis and Mr Justice Garnham, said Mr Burns’ utterances had strayed “far beyond what is regarded as acceptable in this society” and were intended to “promote racial hatred”, but that Mr Burns’ four-year sentence was “manifestly excessive”.

The judges slashed Mr Burns’ sentence to two-and-a-half years on account of the fact that he was only 20 and 21 when he committed the offences, and because he was of “low intellect”, stating that they made the decision due to his “young age” and “poor educational background”.

Mr Burns’ lawyer, Adrian Davies, also told the court that Mr Burns’ 98 Facebook friends had much more extreme views than Mr Burns, and that should be taken into account, because their views were so extreme that they made Mr Burns “seem moderate”.

Mr Burns was disappointed in his ambition to completely overturn his conviction.

Campaign Against Antisemitism deplores the message sent by the court, that a dedicated adult neo-Nazi who embraced a genocidal ideology should be granted clemency. Mr Burns was not a child. He wilfully and prolifically engaged in the most vile incitement to commit acts of violence against Jews and black people.

You may wish to write to your MP using the simple form at writetothem.com, asking them to draw your concerns to the attention of the Attorney General, The Rt Hon. Jeremy Wright QC MP, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, The Rt Hon. David Lidington MP, and the President of the Sentencing Council, The Rt Hon. Lord Thomas, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.

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Richard Reed fined £300 for shouting “I’m going to kill you f***ing Jews” and making gun gestures at Jewish man

Richard Gary Reed from Ipswich has reportedly been convicted of religiously-aggravated harassment and fined £300 after pleading guilty to shouting “I’m going to kill you f***ing Jews, I know where you are” and making gun gestures at a recognisably Jewish man who had entered a pub in Suffolk with friends on 5th August.

The landlady called the police, who arrested Reed at the scene. He pleaded guilty at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court late last month and has now been ordered to pay a £300 fine, as well as court costs of £85, a victim surcharge of £30 and compensation of £100.

The victim, who asked to remain anonymous told the Jewish News: “I was shocked that this antisemitic abuse happened whilst I was out in the country, I didn’t expect this type of threatening behaviour.” CST provided victim support.

Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the firm response by the police, the prosecution and the court.

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Four members of British Army arrested on suspicion of being National Action terrorists

Four members of the British Army have been arrested by specialist counter-terrorism police on suspicion of being members of National Action, a violent far-right terrorist organisation.

The men, aged 22, 24, 24 and 32, from Birmingham, Northampton, Ipswich, Birmingham and Powys, are all now in police custody. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the arrests and that civilian police are leading the investigation.

The arrests were carried out by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit in conjunction with the Wales Extremism Counter Terrorism Unit and the East Midlands Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit.

National Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Under section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation is a criminal offence.

National Action is a deeply antisemitic, violent organisation whose fascist ideology and terrorist operations threaten British society.

In February, a 17-year-old member of National Action walked free despite being convicted of preparing a bomb with which to spark an “all-out race war”.

We thank the police for their constant vigilance.

We are following the case with interest.

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14-year-old subjected to antisemitic abuse and threatened by unknown man in Stamford Hill

While returning to his home at approximately 03:30 on 2nd September, a 14-year-old boy became aware of shouts of “Jew, Jew” being directed at him by a man on a bicycle. He bravely confronted the man who repeatedly asked him: “What do you have?” The man then asked “Do you have a knife?” at which point the boy ran home. The incident was witnessed from the house by his mother, who told us that it left her feeling scared and worried that the streets are not as safe as she had believed.

The victim described the man as having a beard and a big double chin, and wearing a heavy jacket and trousers. The incident occured in Holmleigh Road and has now been reported to the police by the victim’s mother.

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the police by dialing 101.

Stamford Hill Shomrim provided support to the victim and then referred the incident to Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Image credit: Lewis Clarke

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President of Stamford Hill Shomrim tells authorities to be “much more proactive” and bring antisemites to justice

Rabbi Hershel Gluck, the President of Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol, has called on the authorities and the police to be more proactive against antisemitic crime, as the rate of incidents rises in the Stamford Hill area. Rabbi Gluck said: “It is a shocking phenomenon that this seems to be allowed to continue. There certainly seems to be a lack of positive action in dealing constructively with antisemitic hate crimes. I expect the authorities and the police to be much more proactive in bringing the perpetrators of these hate crimes to justice.”

The news comes as research by Campaign Against Antisemitism found that almost one in three British Jews have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism. The study found that only 59% of British Jews feel welcome in the UK, and 17% feel unwelcome, and for the past two years, 37% of British Jews have been concealing their Judaism in public.

In the wake of a 45% surge in antisemitic crime since 2014, British Jews delivered a damning verdict on law enforcement in Britain. 64% felt that the authorities were not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism, and a mere 39% felt confident that antisemitic hate crimes against them would be prosecuted. For the first time, more than half of British Jews said that the CPS is doing too little to fight antisemitism, and almost half criticised the courts.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends Rabbi Gluck for his firm call for the authorities to act against antisemitism. It is imperative that Jewish leaders continue to speak out against rising antisemitic crime and demand action. It is crucial that our world-renowned criminal justice system prosecutes antisemitic hatred before it is too late.

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“F*** Yids” found freshly scrawled on side door to London Jewish school

Stamford Hill Shomrim has reported graffiti found freshly scrawled on the side door to a Jewish school to the Metropolitan Police Service. It is likely that whoever is responsible intended to target the graffiti at the school.

Anybody with information should contact the police by calling 101 and quoting reference number CAD6281/30/08/2017.

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Man allegedly hurls bottle at Jewish girls, shouting “Hitler is a good man, good he killed the Jews”

A man allegedly attacked and chased a group of teenage Jewish girls at approximately 18:50 today. The girls, who did not know the man, noticed him when he allegedly started shouting “Israel” at them, before hurling a bottle at them. As the bottle shattered and the girls ran for cover, he allegedly yelled after them: “Hitler is a good man, good he killed the Jews”. The suspect was not known to his alleged victims.

One of the victims’ mothers has reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police Service, and volunteers from Stamford Hill Shomrim are assisting the victims.

Anybody who witnessed the alleged incident should call the Metropolitan Police Service on 101, quoting reference CAD7138/27/08/2017.

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Swastika and star of David graffiti removed from recreation ground in Sible Hedingham

Swastikas (drawn the wrong way around) and a star of David daubed on a wall at Sible Hedingham Recreation Ground in Essex have been removed by the Parish Council.

A parish council spokesman said: “Sible Hedingham Parish Council were horrified and upset with the graffiti that was painted on the brick shelter in the Recreation Ground. The Recreation Ground is a community facility that is well used by families who enjoy the play equipment and the open space. The graffiti was gone within 24 hours of the Parish Council finding out about it. The graffiti had to be painted over as no amount of scrubbing, graffiti remover or paint thinner worked. The Parish Council denounce the behaviour of those involved in the disgusting graffiti.”

The Halstead Gazette reported that CCTV is now being examined in the hope that the perpetrator can be identified.

We commend the Parish Council for its exemplary response.

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Shomrim patrol finds potential National Action graffiti in Stamford Hill alongside the message “Too many yids f*** off”

Graffiti bearing what may be the logo of National Action, a proscribed terrorist organisation, has been found scrawled on a bus stop in Amhurst Park in Stamford Hill, alongside various messages including the words: “Too many yids f*** off”. National Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism. There has also been speculation that instead of a National Action logo, the logo might be the symbol for the anarchist movement, however the accompanying messages appear to be racist in nature and do not reflect typical anarchist messaging.

The graffiti includes a ghoulish figure, which bears a moustache that could be likened to that of Adolf Hitler, along with a clenched fist and another specimen of what appears to be the National Action logo, or possibly the anarchist movement’s logo. The graffiti was found by volunteers from Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol. It has been reported to the Metropolitan Police Service.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Service told the Jewish News that “The local policing team are working to capture the images and remove the grafitti in partnership with the local authority.”

If the graffiti is indeed the work of National Action’s followers, it is very possible that it was drawn by individuals whose intention is to cause the most severe harm to the Jewish community and other sections of British society. We trust that the police officers who investigate will treat this as a dangerous warning sign that merits resources being devoted to finding the perpetrator and clarifying their motive. Vigilance is vital, and we commend Stamford Hill Shomrim for bringing this graffiti to the attention of the police.

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New CPS guidelines for prosecution of hate crime will only help if there is a change of attitude

Today the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published new guidelines for prosecuting hate crime, including taking online hate crime as seriously as hate crime committed in person. We welcome the new guidelines, but they will not address the principal problem that the CPS only very rarely prosecutes antisemites.

Having had our input into the consultation process, we do recognise the advance that this guidance makes by treating online hate crime just as seriously as hate crime committed in person, but the CPS should always have treated online hate crime just as seriously. It is already clear in law that hate crime must be prosecuted, and there is no legal basis for routinely giving some forms of hate crime less attention than others. We are pleased that the CPS recognises this, but the law has not changed and nor have the CPS’s obligations.

The reason for the failure of the CPS to prosecute antisemitism seems to be a matter of willpower, not a lack of proper guidance.

What concerns us is that we have seen the CPS make policy announcements before with great fanfare, but then they fail to take action. The relentless three-year rise in antisemitic crime has been met by a decrease in the already low prosecution rate for offences against Jews and a complete lack of transparency by the CPS with regard to the manner in which it deals with antisemitic crime.

In the years that we have been monitoring prosecutions for antisemitism, the CPS has yet to prosecute more than two dozen known cases per year, despite antisemitic crime having surged by 45% since 2014, which was itself an exceptionally terrible year for antisemitic crime. The paltry number of known prosecutions has a very damaging knock-on effect: police forces have to constantly assess how they are using resources, so when police officers put time and effort into investigating an antisemitic hate crime, only for the CPS to decline to prosecute it in spite of the evidence, then it follows that those police officers will be less likely to put the same time and effort into investigating similar antisemitic hate crimes that are reported to them. At the same time, antisemites who are permitted by the CPS to escape punishment, are often emboldened and more likely to reoffend.

Our latest polling of the Jewish community shows the extent to which it has lost confidence in the will of the criminal justice system to protect it. Unless the CPS changes its stance towards crimes committed against Jews, the perpetrators will be emboldened to continue offending and Britain’s Jewish population will continue to worry that it does not have a long-term future in this country.

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CAA research shows that antisemitism is falling, but 1 in 3 British Jews has considered emigrating, with concern mounting over antisemitic crime and antisemitism in politics

Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has announced the results of our Antisemitism Barometer research, a multiyear study conducted by CAA and YouGov.

We now have data that show that in a very British way, fairly and quietly, Britons have been rejecting antisemitic prejudice. British society has shunned a growing worldwide addiction to antisemitism and proved that so-called British values are no mere buzzphrase, but are embedded in our national being.

However, our research shows that British Jews have become so fearful of mounting antisemitic crime and the failure to excise antisemites from politics that they have increasingly considered leaving Britain altogether. Our research clearly shows that British Jews have pointed their fingers at the Crown Prosecution Service and the Labour Party.

If British society can fight antisemitism, why are our world-renowned criminal justice system and some of our famous political parties still doing too little?

YouGov was commissioned by CAA to survey attitudes towards Jews amongst the British population in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and CAA worked with partners in the Jewish community to survey British Jews’ responses to antisemitism in 2016 and 2017. The YouGov sample sizes were 3,411 in 2015, 1,660 in 2016, and 1,614 in 2017. CAA sample sizes were 1,857 in 2016, and 2,025 in 2017. The results of our survey of British Jews cannot be compared to a similar we conducted in 2015, due to a substantial change in our methodology. The full report is available on our website.

The research has revealed that almost a third of British Jews have considered leaving the UK in the past two years.

Only 59% of British Jews feel welcome in the UK, and 17% feel unwelcome. For the past two years, 37% of British Jews have been concealing their Judaism in public.

Last month, CAA published police figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showing that there has been a 45% surge in antisemitic crime since 2014. Additionally CAA revealed that the CPS has yet to prosecute more than two dozen antisemitic crimes per year.

52% of British Jews said that the CPS is not doing enough to fight antisemitism, and only 39% of British Jews felt confident that antisemitic hate crime would be prosecuted.

76% of British Jews feel that recent political events have resulted in increased hostility towards Jews, and for two years, more than 4 in 5 British Jews have considered the Labour Party to be harbouring antisemites in its ranks.

The failure of the criminal justice system and political parties to tackle antisemitism is in stark contrast with the attitudes of the British public towards Jews. YouGov’s polling for CAA found that antisemitism, measured by how many respondents agreed with seven antisemitic statements, has been in decline for the past three years. In 2015, 45% of British people held at least one antisemitic view, but that fell to 39% in 2016 and then dropped again to 36% in 2017.

In the report, CAA calls on the Government to urgently implement the recommendations of our last two National Antisemitic Crime Audits, and for all political parties to adopt our manifesto for fighting antisemitism. Our recommendations for the criminal justice system include basic measures such as producing specific training and guidance on antisemitic hate crime for officers and prosecutors, instructing Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to review all police forces’ responses to antisemitic crime, appointing a senior officer in each force with responsibility for overseeing the response to antisemitic hate crime, and requiring the Crown Prosecution Service to record and regularly publish details of cases involving antisemitism and their outcomes, as police forces are already required to do. Our recommendations for political parties are to adopt the Government’s definition of antisemitism, as many have, and to enforce it using transparent and robust disciplinary processes, with expulsion from the party in the worst cases.

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Police investigating after man allegedly shouts “I am the next Hitler and I am going to kill you” at Jewish Tube passenger

Police are investigating a shocking antisemitic tirade in which a man reportedly shouted at a Jewish passenger on the London Underground: “I am the next Hitler and I am going to kill you.” According to a report in the JC, police are treating the incident as a hate crime. The Jewish passenger, who wears a Jewish skullcap, or kippah, is a solicitor who works in the City of London, and he was travelling home to Golders Green on the Northern Line on Wednesday, when the incident occurred.

The passenger, who did not wish to be named, explained to the JC that he feared for his life when the man shouted at him: “I am the next Hitler and I am going to kill you,” gesturing with his hand to simulate a gun, and making a “bang” sound to indicate a bullet being fired.

He told the JC that the man had got on the train at Old Street station and sat down opposite him. The man said: “The moment he sat down, he stretched his legs out to me and started nudging me. He then removed his legs and starting swearing at me extremely loudly. After about a minute of non-stop abuse he got up and went towards the doors and came back to show me a picture on his phone which said something about ‘Jews killing babies.’…It was clear to me and everybody in the carriage that he was targeting me because I am a Jew. I was extremely shocked at being spoken to like that and when he approached me with his phone I was extremely scared and expecting him to punch me at any moment.”

The suspect alighted at Angel station, the next stop, at which point the Jewish passenger left the carriage at the front of the train where he had been sitting and went to the driver’s cabin to report the incident. He said: “The driver told me that she heard the shouting and had alerted the police, who were waiting at the platform when we got to Euston, two stops further along the line. The police took a statement from me and another passenger on the train.”

A spokesperson for British Transport Police (BTP) said: “Officers are investigating after a 31-year-old man was verbally abused by a fellow passenger. The incident happened on board a Northern Line Tube service from Old Street to Euston on Wednesday, 16th August.  Anyone who was travelling on board the service and witnessed the incident is asked to call BTP on 0800 40 50 40.”

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Youths reportedly direct Nazi salutes at Jewish family on Canvey Island in Essex

A group of youths has reportedly directed Nazi salutes at an orthodox Jewish family on Canvey Island in Essex. A woman who witnessed the incident but asked not to be identified, told the Echo News that “We have a lovely family of orthodox Jews living near us. The family were outside minding their own business when three kids rode past on scooters — no older than 8-9 yrs old — stopped to take the time to do the Nazi salute. How rude and disrespectful. Total scumbags.”

Joel Friedman, a member of the local Jewish community posted a response to the alleged incident on social media. He said that: “Every single one of us orthodox Jews lost numerous relatives during the Holocaust. My grandparents lost the vast majority of their families and barely made it out alive. I’ve had plenty of Nazi salutes and Heil Hitlers thrown my way over the years and [it reminds] me of my grandfather with whom I was extremely close.”

He added that “In the vast majority of cases the perpetrators are teenagers, bored and uneducated if I my say so. Since my move to Canvey just over a year ago, personally I have had little negative experiences. The absolute vast majority are friendly, supportive, accepting and just treat us as equals — which is what we all are. I am so proud of Canvey and of its residents, neighbours, shop owners etc — you are all such a friendly bunch and supportive and for this I thank you from the depth of my heart.”

The Echo News reported that a community of orthodox charedi Jews had begun moving to the island from Stamford Hill “after being forced out of London by high rents.” The newspaper said that they chose Canvey Island “due to the community spirit and the former Castle View School site which they have bought and will turn into a Jewish school.”

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National Action reportedly recruiting, training and working out of a converted warehouse in Warrington

An investigation has revealed that the banned pro-Hitler organisation National Action is actively recruiting, training and working out of a converted warehouse in Warrington. National Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

National Action allegedly has a new and secretive leader, Christopher Lythgoe, who has been tasked with rebuilding the group beyond the spotlight. The remaining 80 members of National Action are not all reportedly permitted to know where their training base is, but are providing the thousands of pounds needed to rent and refurbish the warehouse into a gym and an office.

Last month, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to prosecute National Action’s former spokesman, Jack Renshaw, after lawyers for Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to declare our intention to launch a private prosecution. Renshaw has now been charged with two offences of incitement to racial hatred in relation to speeches made in February and March last year, as well as his tweets.

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90-year-old man convicted after displaying “Pull the chain, flush the Jew mafia down the drain” placard in Brighton

Sussex Police has confirmed that 90-year-old Paul Pawlowski has been convicted for displaying a placard including the words: “Pull the chain, flush the Jew mafia down the drain” on the Old Steine, Brighton at 12.20 on 28th May. When confronted, Mr Pawlowski, a Burgess Hill resident, told officers that if they took his antisemitic placard and leaflets, he would walk up and down North Street and shout his views, which included other antisemitic messages.

On Tuesday, Brighton Magistrates’ Court fined him £100, which was increased to £150 because of the antisemitic nature of his crime, and also ordered him to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £85.

Sussex Police hate crime sergeant, Peter Allan said: “I am pleased the court convicted the defendant in this case. People have a right to free speech, but hate speech will not be tolerated. If hate speech is not challenged appropriately, it can lead to communities feeling a sense of unease and can send a message to perpetrators that such behaviour is acceptable. This sentence sends out a clear signal that we will take a robust approach to those who target individuals based on their disability, gender identity, race, religion or sexual orientation. I hope this case will encourage other victims of hate to report such behaviour to the police. We will record all such incidents and take them seriously. We will investigate any allegations, irrespective of the age or any other demographic of those involved.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism thanks Sergeant Allan for his principled statement and commends Sussex Police for sending a strong message that they will not tolerate antisemitic hate crime.

We would like to thank Sussex Friends of Israel for providing information about this case.

Image credit: Andy Leates

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Police downgrade targeting of Jewish men in London by bicycle gang that squirted liquid over one victim

On Tuesday evening, in separate incidents, a gang of three young men riding Transport for London’s public hire bicycles targeted two orthodox charedi members of the Jewish community in Stamford Hill. In the first incident, which occurred close to Morrisons supermarket, they snatched and rode away with the victim’s hat. Later that evening, at approximately 22:30, the same gang targeted another charedi Jewish man. When they were unsuccessful in their attempt to knock the second victim’s hat to the ground, they squirted him with liquid. With the well-publicised rise in acid attacks in the capital, this was extremely alarming for the victim, who said that he attempted to notify the police by dialing 999 but gave up after a lengthy wait for a response. Fortunately the liquid turned out to be water.

The first victim was visited by an officer from the Metropolitan Police Service who, we understand, told him that they would treat the incident as a theft that they expect to be unable to solve, rather than an antisemitic hate crime. The two victims were clearly targeted because of their distinctive appearance. It is therefore surprising that the police have reportedly decided to dismiss religion as an aggravating factor. It is also disappointing, given the prevalence of CCTV in the area, that they have so quickly given up hope of finding the culprits, who would have had to rent their bicycles using traceable credit or debit cards. If anybody has information that might assist the police in identifying these men, they should report it by dialing 101, and e-mailing [email protected].

Both of the victims contacted Stamford Hill Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol, which referred the cases to Campaign Against Antisemitism for assistance.

We are raising the matter with the Metropolitan Police Service.

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Children arrive at playground in Essex to find their swings, slides and climbing frames covered in antisemitic graffiti and swastikas

A children’s playground in Mace Park in the seaside town of Dovercourt in Essex has reportedly been vandalised with antisemitic and racist graffiti, including swastikas. According to the Harwich and Manningtree Standard, the playground’s swings, slides and climbing frames were all daubed with racist messages.

In photographs published by the newspaper, a swastika is clearly visible painted in black on a pink swing and the word “Jew” is scrawled in black on the blue roof of a climbing frame.

Nigel Brown, Tendring Council’s communications manager, told the newspaper that “An officer has been over to inspect the site and it is our aim to have the equipment steam cleaned tomorrow to remove all the graffiti.” Dave McLeod, Harwich Town councillor for the area, hit out at the vandalism, commenting: “I am totally disgusted quite honestly. The park is somewhere for children to enjoy and people have spoilt it. What is the deterrent? Do we really need CCTV on our play areas?”

Local parents and families are reportedly furious about the graffiti and have spoken out in disgust. One grandmother who takes her four-year-old grandson to the park said: “What if my grandson was to ask me what it means? I wouldn’t know what to say to him.”

Anybody with information should contact Essex Police on 101 and e-mail [email protected].

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Arbroath residents tear down propaganda from new antisemitic extremist group seeking “a white Britain, free from Jewish usury”

Angry locals in Arbroath in Scotland have torn up propaganda from Vanguard Britannia, a right-wing white nationalist antisemitic movement. In one of the offensive flyers, the group blamed Jews, who they allege control the judiciary, media and government, “for pushing mass immigration of Muslims” and to “replace” white Britons, proclaiming: “we stand firm against white genocide.”

According to a report by The Courier, Vanguard Britannia was trying to boost their membership, but they were thwarted by local residents who tore down the shocking material which they described as “awful”, “truly chilling” and “terrible.”

In a tweet, the group challenged residents: “Tear it down and we’ll put it right back up with more.”

Vanguard Britannia started in the UK in June and appears to be a British version of Vanguard America, a self-described fascist movement. On their website, the group states: “Vanguard Britannia envisions a white Britain, free from Jewish usury, media control, and non-white immigration. It continues: “Are you filled with anger towards the politicians that allow for our children to be raped, run over and torn apart by bombs, while lining their pockets with the money of (((globalist entities))), ensuring their loyalty to their masters over their loyalty to you as your representative to follow the anti-Western agenda pushed by Marxists and Zionists? Then join the Vanguard and lead the fight for your family, for your nation, and for your people. When the Sun sets, we must rise.”

In the most recent update on their website, they blame Jews for immigration and link to a video on their YouTube page: “Our video ‘Who’s Behind the Migrant Crisis?’ has been spread across many channels and platforms, and shows that we shall not hold back from naming the Jew. We must spread the information far and wide, in both the digital and physical realms, and educate all on the evils the Jew wreaks upon our lands and people.”

Another poster on the website, covered in the Star of David, appears to blame the Jews for everything from white genocide to pedophilia.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds The Courier for exposing Vanguard Brittania and for the local residents of Arbroath for standing up to this hate.

We will be discussing this extremist group with social networks and the authorities.

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Charles Panayi convicted in antisemitic road rage case, ordered to pay £1,620 and carry out 200 hours of community service

‘Christopher’ Charles Panayi was convicted of racially aggravated criminal damage on Monday last week over an antisemitic road rage incident.

Mr Panayi became abusive towards a Jewish man at the junction of Conley Hatch Lane and the A406 on 31st January, stopping his car multiple times, exposing his buttocks and parting them, calling a Jewish man a “F***ing Jewish prick”, punching the Jewish man’s car window and smashing his wing mirror.

Shomrim North West London, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol provided evidence to the Metropolitan Police Service resulting in Mr Panayi’s prosecution.

Hendon Magistrates’ Court ordered Mr Panayi to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community service work, and to pay £1,000 in compensation and £620 in prosecution costs. He was also handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a year.

A spokesman for North West London Shomrim said: “Charles Panayi was racist, abusive, violent and out of control. We are pleased that we were able to provide the Metropolitan Police Service with evidence leading to Mr Panayi’s arrest, prosecution and conviction.”

We commend North West London Shomrim, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service for ensuring that Charles Panayi has suffered the consequences of his disgusting antisemitic abuse. Rising antisemitic crime must be met with zero tolerance law enforcement.

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Police investigate after Cardiff electronic billboard hacked to display Nazi flag and far-right messages

South Wales Police are investigating after hackers reprogrammed an electronic billboard to display a Nazi flag, images of Donald Trump as a frog, a poster proclaiming that “Big Brother is watching you”, and a notice warning that shariah law is supposedly being imposed.

A police spokesperson told Wales Online: “On Tuesday evening South Wales Police received a number of calls relating to concerns regarding messages being displayed on the screens in Queen Street, Cardiff. We alerted the City Council and will investigate any crimes which may have been committed.”

The billboard has now been switched off until it can be fixed.

The hack appeared to be the work of hackers using online forum 4chan which is notorious for its antisemitic and racist memes.

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German woman in Bournemouth reportedly tells daughter of Holocaust survivors “We cannot answer you, we are German and we cannot answer Jews”

A Jewish woman who is the daughter of Holocaust survivors was allegedly told by a woman to whom she had asked a question: “We cannot answer you. We are German and we cannot answer Jews.” The disturbing incident reportedly took place by the esplanade in Bournemouth.

According to the alleged victim, who was visiting Bournemouth from Stamford Hill in London, she was sitting with her daughter when she noticed three women approaching: a short woman aged approximately 80, and two tall younger women who looked very much alike. The alleged victim and her daughter asked whether the two younger women were twins. As they came near, the alleged victim asked: “Excuse me, but may I ask you something?” The oldest woman stopped and answered in a German accent: “We cannot answer you. We are German and we cannot answer Jews.”

The alleged victim said that the incident shocked her so much that she could not move initially. “Something has happened to me since.” She said that before she was trusting with strangers and smiled easily, but now she expects hostility. She initially received support from Stamford Hill Shomrim, which then referred the case to Campaign Against Antisemitism.

This incident has been reported to the police. We are following developments closely.

We are seeking to recruit a General Counsel a Creative Communications and Events Officer a Communications and Research Manager an Education and Outreach Intern to join our London office

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Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Everything that we do is done by people who volunteer their time, using donations contributed by members of the public. Join the fight against antisemitism by subscribing to our updates, volunteering, or donating.