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Residents of Portsmouth, New Hampshire alarmed by white supremacist flyers

Residents of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, have expressed their alarm after finding flyers on their lawns produced by a white supremacist group known for their inflammatory statements about Jews.

The flyers apparently bear labels naming a New England based group associated with the Nationalist Social Club as those responsible.

Though confined to small, self-organising chapters mostly inside the United States, the Nationalist Social Club is known for spreading white supremacism. The group maintains an overtly military theme, with its members regarding themselves as combatants against a “Jewish-controlled” social and political system that aims at “white genocide”.

Members of the group marched through Boston during a recent St Patrick’s Day parade wearing items featuring neo-Nazi symbolism.

Sergeant Nick Small from the Portsmouth Police said: “I understand [the flyers] are unnerving people, but right now we are just telling people to throw them away.”

Portsmouth resident Kelly Weinstein, who is Jewish, said that “I fear these groups are upping the ante. I would like to think they are just trying to recruit members, but part of me thinks this is not a random distribution.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout the United States.

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Statistics show California antisemitic hate crimes highest in a decade

A report has shown that antisemitic hate crimes in California have reached their highest level in a decade.

According to data compiled by the Office of the California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, there were 152 antisemitic incidents in 2021, marking an increase of 32.2 percent on the year before.

Incidents included the words “death to Israel” graffitied outside a Chabad preschool, and graffiti on a Jewish-owned cafe in St Francisco’s Mission District that said “Zionist pigz” and “Racist pigz”. 

Mr Bonta said: “Today’s report undeniably shows that the epidemic of hate we saw spurred on during the pandemic remains a clear and present threat. In fact, reported hate crime has reached a level we haven’t seen in California since the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on incidents relating to antisemitism throughout the United States.

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United States’ Presbyterian Church passes resolution comparing Israel to Nazis

A Christian group in the United States has used its General Assembly to pass a resolution that compares Israel with Nazis.

The Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, which is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States with nearly nine thousand congregations and almost two million members, made comparisons between Israel and the Nazis when it voted overwhelmingly to accuse Israel of apartheid.

In its resolution, the Church said: “After World War II when the horror of the Nazi Holocaust was revealed, Jews around the world said ‘never again, Christians too vowed that never again would they be silent if a government passed laws establishing and maintaining the domination by one ethnic group over another ethnic group through systematic separation, oppression and denial of basic human rights.

“Silence in the face of evil was wrong then, and it is wrong now.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

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Far-right leader Nick Fuentes says Jews should not be allowed in politics

A far-right leader and media personality with a large online following has used his platform to argue that Jews should not be allowed in politics.

Nick Fuentes, the founder of the America First Political Action Committee, which has been described as a gathering of “overt and public white nationalists”, and who also leads the Groyper Army of far-right internet trolls, made the claims on his website’s livestream. 

The thrust of Mr Fuentes’ claims is that there is a malign Jewish influence on American politics. At one point, Mr Fuentes said that “Jewish people can be here [in America], but they can’t make our laws” and should not be allowed to hold public office.

This is because, Mr Fuentes said, “We need a government of Christians. We need a conservative movement, a nationalist movement, led by Christians that obey the Bible and obey God and serve Jesus Christ…You’re never going to convince me that we need people in government that don’t serve Jesus Christ, the Son of God [i.e. Jewish people].”

Mr Fuentes also said: “If Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Jewish woman, didn’t die last year, so that Amy Coney Barrett, a Catholic woman, could be appointed to the bench, we would still have Roe v. Wade. Now you tell me that this is a Judeo-Christian country…You tell me that it doesn’t matter that we have a lot of Jewish people in government.”

Video footage appears to show Mr Fuentes denying the Holocaust and he has often been accused of using antisemitic language and tropes.

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism. Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout the United States.

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Trial begins for man accused of creating antisemitic and racist podcasts

A trial has begun for a man accused of creating the website “Radio Aryan”, later named “Radio Albion”, in order to upload antisemitic and racist podcasts.

James Allchurch, 50 from Pembrokeshire, appeared at Swansea Crown Court yesterday. He is accused of fifteen counts of distributing a sound recording stirring up racial hatred.

The charges allege that Mr Allchurch distributed recordings that included the titles “Rivers Of Blood”, “Banned In The UK”, “The Leftist Supremacist Mindset”, and “The Usual Suspects”. The alleged offenses were said to have taken place in Gelli, a village in south Wales.

In previous hearings, the defendant requested he be referred to as “Sven Longshanks”, his podcasting name which is apparently taken from King Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks, who expelled the Jews from England in 1290.

Prosecutor Ian Wright, referring to the podcasts in question, told the court that “These recordings are insulting or abusive and were distributed with intent to stir up racial hated,” labelling the recordings “highly racist and highly antisemitic in nature” as well as “white supremacist in nature”.

The court was played an audio clip in which Mr Allchurch reportedly introduced a song that said the world was better when Black people were enslaved and Jews were persecuted under Adolf Hitler as “one of his favourite tracks”.

Other recordings allegedly made reference to Jewish people controlling the media, banks and TV and film industries.

In a raid of his home, police reportedly discovered a notebook belonging to Mr Allchurch containing usernames and passwords which included entries such as “JewsAreTheEnemy”, “RaceWarMessiah” and reference to the numbers 14 and 88. 

1488 is likely a coded reference to the neo-Nazi fourteen-word oath: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”, a slogan initially devised by David Lane, a member of the white supremacist terrorist group “The Order” which was responsible for the murder of Jewish radio host Alan Berg. The number 88 refers to the eighth letter of the alphabet, H, and is intended as a code for “Heil Hitler.”

The trial continues.

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Dozens of gravestones vandalised in Winnipeg

Dozens of gravestones were discovered to have been vandalised at a Jewish cemetery in Winnipeg this week.

Around 70 gravestones were found tipped over at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Winnipeg.

Ran Ukasha, Executive Director of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, said: “I think there’s a strong emotional toll, much more than the physical toll. You can always stand up the headstones, repair things. That can be done. But it’s the ultimate slap in the face.”

The incident has been reported to the police.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

Image credit: Google

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Antisemitism in Germany increased 40 percent in 2021 with over 2,700 reported incidents

A new report has been published which shows that there were 2,738 antisemitic incidents recorded in 2021, marking a 40 percent increase from the year before.

According to the report from the Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS), a Berlin-based monitoring institute, large numbers of these incidents can be traced to Islamist reactions to Israel’s war with the genocidal antisemitic terror group Hamas in May 2021.

RIAS’ report mentioned Israel 147 times in their 68-page report, with far-right extremists only being responsible for only seventeen percent of the recorded incidents.

RIAS researcher, Daniel Poensgen, said that “In view of the corona pandemic and the Arab-Israeli conflict, opportunity structures emerged in which people considered it legitimate to articulate their antisemitic attitudes even more openly and to attack Jews and show hostility toward Jews.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents in Germany, which have risen considerably.

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Luxembourg sees antisemitic incidents rise 64 percent in one year

The Luxembourg-based charity, Research and Information on Antisemitism in Luxembourg (RIAL), has reported new statistics showing that antisemitic incidents have risen by 64 percent in the last year.

The group recorded 80 antisemitic incidents in 2021, including harassment, damage to Jewish cemeteries, and online abuse. The total recorded the previous year was 64, with cases doubling since 2019 and 30 reports received in 2022 so far.

RIAL said that some of these incidents were based on coronavirus conspiracy theories, with some comparing the government’s response to the pandemic to the Nazis and the Holocaust, while others turned to antisemitism to explain or justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

There are approximately 1,200 Jews in Luxembourg, making up under 0.19% of a total population of over 645,000.

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101-year-old former SS guard jailed for five years

A 101-year-old man who served as an SS guard has been jailed for five years in Germany. 

‘SS’, the abbreviation of Schutzstaffel, was the leading paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

The unnamed man, who was convicted of 3,518 counts of accessory to murder at Sachsenhausen concentration camp, denied his role as an SS guard and insisted that he had been a farm labourer during the time period in question.

The trial at Brandenburg’s Landgericht Neuruppin court lasted nine months, partially owing to the fact that the defendant was only able to attend sessions for a maximum of two-and-a-half hours each day due to his age. 

Judge Udo Lechtermann said: “The court has come to the conclusion that, contrary to what you claim, you worked in the concentration camp as a guard for about three years. 

“You willingly supported this mass extermination with your activity.”

In March, Dr Efraim Zuroff, the Chief Nazi Hunter at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, appeared on Podcast Against Antisemitism where he discussed the trial, calling it “an important reminder of the terror of the camp”.

He added: “Every generation needs its own reminders and the passage of time in no way diminishes the guilt of the killers.

“What people have to remember is today they look old and frail but when they committed these crimes they were young people full of energy and they devoted all their energy to murder innocent men, women and children simply because they were Jews or other enemies of the Reich.”

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CAA submits complaint against barrister who declared on Twitter: “I hope, no Jew will stay silent on this”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has submitted a complaint to the Bar Standards Board (BSB) after a prominent QC posted an inflammatory tweet online.

Jessica Simor QC, a human rights barrister with a large following on Twitter, last week tweeted an extract from a new law relating to immigration, along with the comment: “Heinous. Just like the Rwanda policy. Utterly heinous, heartless, cruel, appalling. And Raab, the son of a Czech Jewish refugee – astonishing he has no sensitivity to this. I hope, no Jew will stay silent on this. #grim”.

In response, we tweeted: “It is racist to observe the ethnic heritage of a politician whose policy you disagree with and extrapolate that everyone in that ethnic group is somehow accountable for his conduct and required to actively oppose it. We are filing a complaint with your regulator.”

Ms Simor then claimed that she had deleted the tweet because she “got a text from someone asking”, but insisted that she stood by it insofar as she had “expressed what I wanted to say.”

In a private e-mail to the barrister, we invited her to publish a statement of apology, recognising the danger of her choice of words. Such an apology would have made a complaint to her regulator unnecessary. Instead of taking the opportunity to inform her significant following of how to recognise and grow from one’s mistakes, she continued to defend herself in a series of further tweets and petulantly published our letter, ludicrously describing it as “threatening” and portraying it as case of “Jews bullying Jews who don’t meet their test.”

The “test” was left unspecified, but a subsequent review of Ms Simor’s Twitter activity gives reason for concern. For example, despite her many tweets on antisemitism in politics, she does not appear to have condemned it in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. In fact, she repeatedly accused the Conservatives of “smearing” the Labour Party by raising the issue. At one point, she even criticised The Telegraph for reporting on large numbers of Jewish people saying that they intended to leave the country if Mr Corbyn had been elected.

She does not appear to have endorsed the International Definition of Antisemitism; indeed apparently her only tweet on the subject was to post an article criticising it.

According to the BSB Code of Conduct, barristers are required to act with integrity and not “discriminate unlawfully against, victimise or harass any other person on the grounds of race… religion or belief…”

Update: The Bar Standards Board investigated the complaint and determined that “We do not consider that it warrants further regulatory action.” It added that the report “can be used, with reports from other sources, to identify trends and patterns of behaviour. Please be assured it has been kept on record.”

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Judge rejects application to dismiss case against two West Ham fans charged with racially aggravated harassment of visibly Jewish man on Ryanair flight

A judge has today rejected an application to dismiss the case against two West Ham supporters charged with racially aggravated harassment of a visibly Jewish man on a Ryanair flight last year.

Lee Carey, 55, and Jak Bruce, 31, were arrested in connection with an incident on a flight to Eindhoven in November 2021 in which numerous West Ham supporters were videoed chanting an antisemitic song, apparently at a Hasidic passenger.

The group was filmed to be chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew”, as they flew to a match between their team and KRC Genk in Belgium.

Last month, the defendants sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction under the Civil Aviation Act and therefore could not hear the case. 

Sitting at Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge Walker today rejected that application, but the matter of jurisdiction has yet to be resolved, with a further hearing due later this year.

West Ham confirmed last year that it had banned two supporters for life, although it is not known if those fans are the defendants in this case.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Alleged repeat offender targets visibly Jewish people in Stamford Hill

Jewish people have reportedly been harassed outside a Kosher supermarket in Stamford Hill.

It is alleged that they are a repeat offender who specifically targets Jews.

The incident took place on Craven Hill Road on 22nd June, and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD2783 22/06/22

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2021 showed that over two thirds of British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.

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Swastikas drawn on signs outside Jewish Mother and Baby Home in Stamford Hill

Swastikas have been drawn on signs owned by Hackney Council preventing vehicles from waiting or loading goods in the area.

The signs are located outside the Jewish Mother and Baby Home, a centre for mothers with babies to recuperate after birth, on Fairholt Road, N16.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD7249 23/06/22.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Neo-Nazi terror cell jailed for total of 31 years

Four members of a neo-Nazi gang who shared antisemitic material with each other via the social media platform Telegram have been jailed for a total of 31 years.

The group was convicted under anti-terrorism and firearms legislation in March following a two-month trial.

Concerns had previously been raised over the alleged increase in neo-Nazi content on Telegram. Last year, the far-right group Patriotic Alternative was found to have created neo-Nazi channels dedicated to sharing vile messages, antisemitic conspiracy theories, and images glorifying Hitler.

Samuel Whibley, 29, Daniel Wright, 30, Liam Hall, 31, and Mr Hall’s girlfriend Stacey Salmon, 29, were convicted of fifteen offences, including counts relating to the encouragement of terrorism and the publication and dissemination of materials related to it, as well as firearms offences.

The jury at Sheffield Crown Court heard that all four defendants shared antisemitic videos, memes, and images, including material celebrating Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Ms Hall confessed to finding material online in which Jews were alleged to control the media and banks, as well as to watching videos made by neo-Nazis in an attempt to see “both sides of the argument” about Hitler.

The court heard that the group communicated with each other using a public Telegram channel set up by Mr Whibley under the name Oaken Hearth. This was, jurors heard, used as “a gathering place for British white nationalists.” Mr Whibley then audited prospective members, who had to prove they were white by taking a selfie before answering questions about their involvement in neo-Nazi groups.

Mr White joined the chat using the name “Gott Mit Uns”, words found on the belts of Nazi soldiers during the Second World War.

The group also shared racist material aimed at Black people, while Mr Whibley reportedly praised Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant, Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Breivik, and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

During the trial, jurors heard that a partially constructed 3D-printed gun was found at Mr Hall’s and Ms Salmon’s home in Keighley, with experts assessing that, once completed, the gun could prove lethal. Other weapons and guides were also reportedly recovered from the gang.

Mr Wright was found guilty of seven offences, including an offence of manufacturing a firearm, and was jailed for twelve years. Mr Hall was found guilty of manufacturing a firearm and possessing a firearm, and was jailed for six years, while Ms Salmon was convicted of possessing a firearm and was jailed for three years. Mr Whibley was found guilty of eight terrorism offences, including the encouragement of terrorism and the dissemination of a terrorist publication, and was jailed for ten years.

Campaign Against Antisemitism closely monitors the far-right, which remains a dangerous threat to the Jewish community and other minority groups.

Image credit: Counter Terrorism Policing Northeast

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Cleveland “Officer of the Year” found to have posted inflammatory content about Jews prior to joining police force

A police officer from Cleveland, Ohio, who won an “Officer of the Year” award in 2019, as well as a medal for his service, is apparently being investigated for posting tweets with inflammatory comments about Jewish people prior to his employment by the force.

It is alleged that, between 2011 and 2015, Ismail Quran shared a post that said “Let me salute to Hitler the great,”and tweeted that “Jews run the world lol Facts!” Our owner is Jew [sic],” and “F**k the @ Jews #freepalestine”.

Mr Quran has reportedly been given desk duty and is currently having no contact with the public.

The Cleveland Division of Police Union President, Jeff Follmer, defended Mr Quran, saying: “These tweets are from over a decade ago. He is an amazing police officer…He is an asset to the Cleveland community that he serves.”

The watchdog that initially made Mr Quran’s posts public, Canary Mission, said in a press release: “While we are aware that the dates of Quran’s posts are a few years old, the extreme nature of these hateful posts after he begun his police training, and the fact he is an active police officer is very alarming. They were posted after he had already taken an exam required to become a police officer. As in, he already knew he wanted to become a policeman. Quran was still tweeting things like ‘Scumbag Yahoodi [Jew]’.”

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism. Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout the United States.

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Monsey synagogue vandalised with swastikas

Police in Monsey, New York, say that they have found several instances of swastika graffiti in a local synagogue.

The swastikas were found at Sanzer Shul drawn behind a coat rack, under a metal counter where coffee is made, drawn on the wall and scratched into a computer screen.

Police have said that they do not know when the act was committed, and the investigation is ongoing.

The heavily-Jewish town of Monsey has not been free from antisemitic incidents in the past. On 28th December 2019, on the seventh night of the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, a masked man wielding a knife wounded five and killed one person. The suspect was named as Grafton E. Thomas, but a federal judge ruled that he was incompetent to stand trial on the federal charges on account of his long history of mental illness, including paranoid schizophrenia.

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism. Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout the United States.

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Outcry in Canadian Jewish community after hate preacher calls for Allah to “bring annihilation upon the plundering Jews”

Members of the Jewish community in Victoria, British Columbia have expressed their concerns after a Muslim preacher has been found delivering inflammatory sermons.

The leader of the Muslim Youth of Victoria, Younus Kathrada, was found to have called upon Allah to “bring annihilation upon the plundering Jews” and for victory over “those criminal, plundering Jews”.

This is not the first time that Mr Kathrada has been criticised for making such statements, which date back to 2004, and the local Muslim community has been quick to denounce him.

In November 2020, Mr Kathrada called Jews “brothers of monkeys and khanzeer [pigs]” and called on Allah to “tear them apart”.

In August 2021, Mr Kathrada described Jews as “enemies” who were attempting to “spend mountains of gold to drive [Muslims] away from Islam”.

The Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada, Michael Mostyn, said that “It is important that this extremist hatemonger is being vigorously investigated after this latest hate incident, It’s appalling that such noxious hate speech against Jews is allowed to continue in Canada, and we hope Kathrada will now face criminal charges.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Homes of suspected members of neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division raided near Quebec City

Police in Canada have raided the homes of individuals suspected of being members of the paramilitary neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division.

It was reported that more than 60 officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police took part in the operation on rural homes south-west of Quebec City.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Corporal Charles Poirier said that “It’s a far-right affiliated group, which could be described as having neo-Nazi allegiance.”

RCMP also tweeted: “Searches underway in St-Ferdinand and Plessisville. Investigation targeting individuals with suspected ties to the Atomwaffen Division terrorist group. All measures are in place to ensure the safety of the public and our police officers.”

The Canadian Public Safety Department listed the organisation as a terrorist group last year.

Atomwaffen Division is a paramilitary neo-Nazi group that trains its members in the use of firearms and reportedly seeks to ignite a race war in the United States.

In January 2022, Atomwaffen Division leader, Kaleb Cole, was sentenced to seven years in prison in connection with a plot to target journalists and activists.

Last year, the UK proscribed Atomwaffen Division as a terrorist organisation.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout Canada which have drastically increased.

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Group shouts “stop killing Palestinians” at visibly Jewish parents during high school graduation ceremony

A Member of Parliament in Canada has expressed her concern after groups of people shouted “stop killing Palestinians” at visibly Jewish parents during her daughter’s high school graduation ceremony at Canada’s Wonderland, an amusement park in Toronto.

Ya’ara Saks, MP for York Centre in Toronto, took to Twitter to write that “This is so wrong. It’s collectively blaming Jess for a foreign conflict. It’s hate, it’s antisemitism, it’s dangerous, and it needs to stop.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” is an example of antisemitism.

A recent audit shows that antisemitic incidents in Canada have drastically increased. Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout Canada.

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Protester faces hate crime charges for allegedly throwing rocks at Jewish students

A Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) protester is facing hate crime charges for allegedly assaulting Jewish students.

The incident was said to have taken place at the Hillel Centre at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.

Sayed A. Quraishi, 23, will be charged with violent hate crime for reportedly throwing rocks at the students during the SJP protest at the campus on 18th April.

Protesters said that they were responding to the actions of the Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem a few days earlier.

Mr Quraishi faces a penalty of up to five years in prison.

According to the University’s campus police team, about 75 protestors gathered outside the Hillel centre and gave speeches, while Jewish students and Hillel staff staged a counter-protest nearby.

It is reported that there is video footage of Mr Qaraishi throwing a stone at the counter-protestors.

The Hillel’s Executive Director, Erez Cohen, said that “When people come to the Jewish centre to yell against Israel, they’re creating an equation between any Jewish person and the State of Israel. That’s singling out an entire community based on a country that’s miles away.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” is an example of antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Germany’s High Court rules “Judensau” sculpture on Wittenberg church can stay

Germany’s High Court has ruled that the Judensau sculpture relief on the side of a church in Wittenberg must not be removed.

The sculpture, which represents Jews suckling on a sow while a rabbi lifts its tail, is widely regarded as emblematic of German Medieval Jew-hatred, and an inspiration for subsequent antisemitism running from the writings and teachings of Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther to the Nazis.

Martin Luther in fact preached from this church and wrote about the sculpture in his 1543 book Vom Schem Hamphoras und vom Geslecht Christi (Of the Unknowable Name and the Generations of Christ), which compares Jews to the devil. The Nazis used Luther’s work to promote their own genocidal antisemitism.

The case was brought by Michael Duellmann, who is Jewish. Mr Duellmann decried the sculpture’s historical effect, saying that the sculpture is “a defamation of and insult to the Jewish people.” Mr Duellmann did not argue for the destruction of the sculpture, however, saying that it should instead be moved to the nearby Luther House Museum.

Mr Duellman brought the case to local courts in Dessau in 2019, and Naumberg in 2020, losing both times.

Following the legal battles, church leaders have promised to do more to distance current church teachings and practice from the sculpture and to provide more context around it.

Antisemitic incidents in Germany have increased considerably. Campaign Against Antisemitism is reports on antisemitic incidents in Germany.

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“Cancel Israel” poster found outside Golders Green station

A poster calling for the destruction of Israel was found outside of Golders Green station this week.

The poster had the words “Israel = ISIS” written on it. Below, it said “Restore Palestine” and “Cancel Israel”.

At the bottom of the poster, it said: “The Bible was written a long time ago.”

Golders Green is a neighbourhood renowned for its large Jewish population. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” and “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” are both examples of antisemitism. 

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Gang in Stamford Hill reportedly responsible for attacks on visibly Jewish children

It has been reported that a gang in North London is responsible for two separate attacks on visibly Jewish children. 

The gang is believed to be associated with the Webb Estate and is accused of harassing Jewish residents for years.

At 20:39 on 9th June, an eleven-year-old boy on a bicycle was chased by three male teenagers. Video footage appears to show one of the teenagers, also on a bicycle, cornering the boy in an attempt to prevent him from escaping. The suspect reportedly told the boy to get off of his bike before the boy shouted for help, prompting the suspect to flee. 

In a separate incident that occurred at 17:10 on 13th June, a nine-year-old boy was walking down the street when teenagers reportedly threw a metal box at his leg, severely bruising it. Video footage of the reported incident shows a boy trying to walk away but grabs his leg and falls to the ground.

Both incidents took place on Old Hill Street in Stamford Hill and were reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information on either incident, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number 4616258/22 in relation to the incident on 9th June and 287214/06/22 in relation to the incident on 13th June.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have a data-sharing agreement.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Swastikas found in children’s playground in Norwich suburb

Reports have surfaced that a roundabout has been removed from a children’s playground in a suburb of Norwich after it had been covered with swastika graffiti.

The roundabout at Fitzmaurice Park in Thorpe St Andrew has been removed after authorities were made aware of the vandalism, which seems to have been effected using marker pens.

A statement posted to Facebook by a spokesperson for Thorpe St Andrew Town Council said: “This kind of behaviour is a tremendous strain on both our working hours and the public funds which sustain open spaces and is the sort of thing we regularly deal with behind closed doors, so please bear with us whilst we make good.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image: Thorpe St Andrew City Council

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South Yorkshire Police classify arson attack on Jewish cemetery in Doncaster as merely anti-social behaviour

South Yorkshire Police have denied that an arson attack on a Jewish cemetery in Doncaster was an antisemitic hate crime, classifying it as an example of anti-social behaviour instead.

The police responded to a call from the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service at about 14:50 on 11th June reporting a fire at Rose Hill Crematorium on Cantley Lane, Doncaster. Recognising that the fire was started deliberately, the police are treating it as an act of anti-social behaviour rather than motivated by antisemitism.

Formal synagogue services there stopped in the 1970s, and there has not been a funeral held at Rose Hill since 2006.

Rabbi Yonosan Golomb of the United Synagogue Sheffield said: “The fire, if an antisemitic arson attack, is an indication of to what level such people will sink in desecrating the resting place of the deceased.”

A member of the community told Campaign Against Antisemitism that he was perplexed by the police force’s decision.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “Enquiries are ongoing at this time. If anybody has any information which could assist enquiries, or was in the vicinity of the crematorium or cemetery at the time and saw or heard anything suspicious, this can be passed to officers by calling 101, quoting incident 604 of 11 June.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Assistant Police Chief who displayed Nazi insignia and performed Nazi salute gets reported $1.5 million payout to resign

A former Assistant Police Chief in Kent, Washington, who faced disciplinary measures for displaying Nazi symbols on his door and making jokes about the Holocaust, will receive a $1.5 million payout by the local authority to ensure his resignation.

Derek Kammerzell had posted the insignia of an Obergruppenführer (a senior ranking Nazi SS Officer) on his office door. A complaint was made about this, and the investigation into his conduct that followed found that Mr Kammerzell had also shaved his facial hair into a moustache resembling that of Adolf Hitler, performed what was reportedly a Nazi salute, and made jokes about the Holocaust.

Mr Kammerzell’s original penalty was a two-week suspension without pay.

Following a backlash against the weakness of the sanction, Mr Kammerzell was put on administrative leave and asked to resign.

The city was, however, unable to fire him because this would violate the principle of “double jeopardy”. If Mr Kammerzell resigned, the city would have had to have made a substantial payout. Although it was reported that Mr Kammerzell originally asked for over $3 million, in the end he received around half that amount.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the City of Kent said: “While this is a substantial sum, we strongly believe that settling this matter will be a substantial step towards meeting our commitment to the community and continuing with the excellent work the police department is doing.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Sixteen-year-old Jewish boy chased by three schoolboys whilst on the way to synagogue in North London

It has been reported that a sixteen-year-old Jewish boy was chased by three schoolboys in North London.

The victim was riding his bicycle on the way to his local synagogue when he was allegedly chased by three boys wearing Gladesmore School uniforms who were shouting “Let’s catch him!”

The incident took place on the corner of Crowland Road and Elm Park at 08:17 on Friday and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 7088 12/6/22

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have a data-sharing agreement.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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“You Jews are evil, I will break into your houses”: Man arrested after allegedly abusing Jewish people in Stamford Hill

It has been reported that a man has been arrested after he hurled verbal abuse at Jewish people in North London.

Video footage shows a man yelling in a Jewish-owned pizza restaurant in which he appears to shout: “What, you don’t speak English?”

The man is also reported to have yelled: “You Jews are evil, I will break into your houses”.

Additional videos appear to show the same man later that night yelling at people on a quiet residential street, and subsequently being arrested.

The incident was reported yesterday by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 7906 12/06/22

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have a data-sharing agreement.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Brick thrown from third-floor window at Jewish father and children in Stamford Hill

It has been reported that a brick was thrown from a third-floor window at a Jewish father and his children.

The victim was standing on the corner of Seven Sisters Road and Eade Road in Stamford Hill with his two children, three and six, when the brick was reportedly thrown, missing them by centimetres. 

The incident took place at 15:55 on Sunday and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 5200 12/06/22

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have a data-sharing agreement.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image credit: Google

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Toronto police investigate “Shoot a Jew in the head” graffiti

An image showing an antisemitic caricature of a Jew beside the words “Shoot a Jew in the head” is being investigated by the Hate Crimes Division of Toronto Police.

The antisemitic graffiti depicting a figure with sidelocks and a Star of David inside a gun’s crosshairs was found near Toronto’s York University.

In a statement, the University condemned the image and said it was “working closely with law enforcement” to find the perpetrators of this “hateful antisemitic act.”

It also said support was available to students and that “direct outreach” was being offered to Jewish student groups.

A York University graduate student, Garrett Ryan, told a local news outlet that antisemitic graffiti was “not a surprising thing” in the area but it was “frightening” that people were inciting “violence.”

According to data compiled by B’nai B’rith Canada, antisemitic hate crimes in the country have reached record levels for six consecutive years.

A recent audit by the group found that there were 2,799 antisemitic hate crimes that year, including assaults, synagogue vandalism, and swastika graffiti in schools. 

In May, B’nai B’rith Canada urged the Canadian government to report on its progress in fulfilling its promise – made last year at the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism – to fight antisemitism throughout Canada.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

Image credit: Twitter via The Algemeiner

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Man reportedly yells that “the war in Ukraine is because of the Jews” on London Underground 

It has been reported that a man on the London Underground yelled that “the war in Ukraine is because of the Jews.”

In addition, he was also alleged to have said that “Jews control the world and the banks, they have the money.”

The suspect is believed to have boarded the Victoria Line train heading southbound at Seven Sisters and yelled the abuse in the presence of a visibly Jewish man who later stated that he felt threatened, intimidated and scared.

The incident took place at 10:16 on 1st June and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CRIS 2814358/22.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have a data-sharing agreement.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Maryland train station hit by ‘hateful’ antisemitic vandalism

“Hateful, antisemitic vandalism” has hit the Maryland area in recent weeks.

In the latest incident, a swastika and antisemitic graffiti were spray-painted at a disused, historic, train station in Garrett Park.

One week earlier, similar messages and fliers were posted at a bus stop next to a synagogue in nearby Silver Spring.

Images tweeted by the Jewish Federation showed swastikas with words such as “White power.”

Gil Preuss, Chief Executive of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, said in a news release that “as antisemitism continues to rise” across the United States, the Federation and the Jewish community would “stand strong and resilient in the face of hatred in all forms.”

He added that the Federation continued to work with its “security team” and local police to monitor incidents and “keep our community safe.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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New report shows antisemitic incidents increased by 29% in 2021 in Germany

A report published by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution shows that there has been a 29 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in 2021, compared to a year earlier.

The report shows that 3,027 antisemitic incidents were recorded in 2021. This is up from 2,351 in 2020.

Although the overwhelming majority of the incidents were reported as being related to far-right extremism, there are indications that antisemitic attacks motivated by Islamism are also increasing.

Many of the crimes are to do with the publication of hate speech that is banned in Germany, such as Holocaust denial, but there were also examples of attacks on individuals and Jewish religious institutions.

The number of incidents increased during the conflict between the genocidal antisemitic terror group Hamas and Israel in May 2021, as well as coronavirus conspiracy theories.

However, the Director of the Berlin-based Research and Information Centre on Antisemitism (RIAS), Benjamin Steinetz, warned that there is a “dark field of antisemitic incidents” that are not reported and thus not represented in government statistics. Mr Steinetz said: “We have to assume that…recorded incidents are only the tip of the iceberg.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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“Zionists are responsible for the Holocaust” graffiti found at Mount Zion Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem

Graffiti associating Zionists and Nazis has been found at the Mount Zion Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

The graffiti, which was written with a metal marker on a garbage can, wall, water fountain, tombstone, and baby-nappy-changing station, included the phrases “Zionists = Nazis”, “Zionists are responsible for the Holocaust”, and “Cursed Zionists, your end is near”.

The phrase “Zionists are responsible for the Holocaust” was seen scrawled on a tombstone commemorating the 50,000 Jewish Holocaust victims at the Bergen-Belsen death camp.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Israel Police

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Jewish man putting up posters for French legislative elections called “dirty Jew” and beaten

A Jewish man in France was reportedly beaten and called a “dirty Jew” while campaigning as part of the French legislative elections.

Liron Rozenhaft, 41, was putting up campaign posters for his wife, Audrey, who is running for a legislative seat for the Republicans in Strasbourg when two men approached him.

Upon noticing Ms Rozenhaft’s name on the poster, the two men are alleged to have called Mr Rozenhaft a “dirty Jew”, pulled down the posters, and followed him to other locations on a scooter, accompanied by several other men.

Ms Rozenhaft took to Facebook to claim that her husband had been beaten and left unconscious. Other accounts said that Mr Rozenhaft suffered minor injuries, including a concussion.

Local police are investigating the incident.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Two charged with painting antisemitic graffiti on New Zealand “Pink Church”

Two men, aged twenty and 21, have been charged with painting antisemitic and homophobic graffiti on a church in Greymouth, New Zealand.

The words “synagog [sic] of satan” were sprayed under a Star of David, alongside the words “Christ is risen” next to a Russian Orthodox cross, and “Leviticus 20:13”, a reference to a Biblical verse that is often used to give discrimination against homosexuals a religious justification.

The “Pink Church”, officially known as Gloria of Greymouth but which used to be known as St Peter’s Anglican Church, was designed by Jewish poet and artist Sam Duckor-Jones as a “queer place of worship” and an “immersive sculpture” in the former mining town.

In an Instagram post, the Church stated that “The Greymouth community responded beautifully, with love, support & outrage,” adding that “The Greymouth police moved quickly, taking this act of hate seriously.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Tony Greenstein humiliatingly capitulates in his failed defamation case against CAA for calling him a “notorious antisemite”

Tony Greenstein has surrendered what remains of his claim against Campaign Against Antisemitism for calling him a “notorious antisemite”. Having humiliatingly lost his libel claim and been bankrupted in the process, he seems to have held onto one belief throughout: that he cost us a fortune.

When a supporter of Campaign Against Antisemitism was raising money for our work among her family and friends, Mr Greenstein found the fundraiser and donated £1, enabling him to leave a message on the fundraising page saying: “I can’t imagine what prompted this [fundraising request]!! Surely Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs isn’t running out of money! No matter I’ve cost you bastards £200K…I think we can plan some more ambushes.”

The fantasy that his failed defamation lawsuit against us had damaged us financially was the silver lining in Mr Greenstein’s black cloud of legal failure. We can now reveal to him, however, that as soon as he filed his initial claim against us in 2018, we contacted our insurers, Hiscox, who covered our costs in full. This previously undisclosed information brings any fantasy to an end.

After the Supreme Court spurned his attempt to appeal rulings against him, Tony Greenstein has now filed a Notice of Discontinuance in the High Court, bringing a humiliating end to his failed defamation case against Campaign Against Antisemitism for calling him a “notorious antisemite”.

An expelled member of the Labour Party and founder of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Mr Greenstein has long sought to have Campaign Against Antisemitism struck off the register of charities, and in 2018 he brought a case against us alleging that we had libelled him when we described him as a “notorious antisemite” in 2017.

In 2020, his legal action humiliatingly backfired, as the High Court ruled that it was permissible for us to describe him as such.

We applied to strike out Mr Greenstein’s case because it had no hope of success at a full hearing and should not proceed, and the court agreed to dismiss the entirety of his libel claim, leaving only other minor aspects of the case to be determined at a later hearing. The judgment was significant not just for its ruling but also because it referenced the International Definition of Antisemitism in coming to its decision.

In 2021, three Lord and Lady Justices sitting at the Court of Appeal dismissed Mr Greenstein’s appeal of the High Court ruling, deciding in favour of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Later that year, we had Mr Greenstein declared bankrupt for failing to pay our legal costs, as the court had ordered him to do. We then alerted the Charity Commission, which removed him as a trustee of The Brighton Trust, formerly known as the “Trust 4 Unpopular Causes”, as bankrupts are not permitted to serve as charity trustees.

Mr Greenstein’s failed case has affirmed our entitlement to call him a ‘notorious antisemite’ and set an important legal precedent in the fight against antisemitism, while his hope of having at least damaged us financially is also utterly dashed.

Campaign Against Antisemitism was represented by Adam Speker QC, instructed by solicitors Keith Mathieson and Alex Wilson of RPC, and advised pro bono by solicitor Dr Mark Lewis who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism. We were represented by Karl Anderson in the insolvency proceedings.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The humiliating failure of Tony Greenstein’s defamation case against us has affirmed our entitlement to call him a ‘notorious antisemite’ and set an important legal precedent in the fight against antisemitism. It seems that only Mr Greenstein is surprised that the High Court and Court of Appeal sided with us in recognising our right to identify and call out those we consider to be antisemites.

“We can also now reveal that from the outset of Mr Greenstein’s claim against us, we have been steadfastly supported by our insurers, thwartings his rather contemptible attempt to drain our charity’s funds and dashing his abject search for consolation in the fantasy that he had cost us a fortune in legal fees. Our legal team and insurers performed perfectly, so the outcome of Mr Greenstein’s legal misadventure is that the courts have confirmed that we can legitimately label him a ‘notorious antisemite’. Not only that, but having sought to have our charity struck off the Register of Charities, due to his bankruptcy as a result of this case it is now he who has been disqualified from being a trustee.”

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Swastika graffiti found at Illinois middle school

Swastika graffiti has been found at a school in the Evanston and Skokie 65 school district in Illinois.

A staff member at Nichols Middle School discovered the swastikas, alongside other undisclosed racist messages, written on stalls in two bathrooms.

The bathrooms in question were then closed and Evanston Police Department was contacted to help with the investigation.

Superintendent Devon Horton said: “We are reminded once again that antisemitism, racism and white supremacy are alive and well within our community.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Arms cache found in Alsace police raid on alleged neo-Nazis

Two men in France’s north-eastern Alsace region were arrested after police raided the home of alleged neo-Nazis and found a large cache of weapons and ammunition.

They found 23 illegal weapons, eighteen legal weapons and 120,000 rounds of ammunition, as well as Kalashnikovs, magazines and more than 35 kilograms of explosives.

Prosecutor Edwige Roux-Morizot said during a press conference that two of the four men arrested on 31st May had been indicted for arms trafficking and put in prison. They face ten years in jail.

Two other men are free but under judicial supervision, while a further individual was released without charge.

Mr Roux-Morizot said that the men were not believed to be planning an attack, but with the large weapons cache there was a fear that they could “take action.” Police were monitoring their computer data, he said.

The raid also yielded three machines for making ammunition, a machine to heat casings, two silencers, a banknote counter and more than 25,000 euros in banknotes.

Judicial police chief Lieutenant-Colonel Yann Wanson said that the haul was “intended” for “war,” adding that one of the suspects had trained as a sniper.

Mr Roux-Morizot said that the suspects were aged between 45 and 53 and had jobs. Their alleged neo-Nazi affiliation was reportedly confirmed by the literature found among their belongings.

According to a report published by the French Jewish community’s main watchdog, antisemitic incidents in France have skyrocketed. Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents in France.

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French police reportedly arrest neo-Nazis who took part in “Jew hunt”

Police in the Alsace region of France have reportedly arrested four neo-Nazis on weapons charges.

The haul reportedly included forty-one guns, twenty-three of which were illegal. Also found was the equivalent of at least 120,000 bullet cartridges. Approximately 200 police officers were involved in the arrest of the four men, aged 45 to 53.

French intelligence services also believe that the men had taken part in a “Jew hunt” where they sought out Jewish people to attack during a football match in Strasbourg.

The four men face ten years in prison for amassing a vast amount of weaponry, as well as antisemitic and Holocaust-denial literature found in their belongings, though investigators are not yet able to say whether the men had planned a large-scale attack.

According to a report published by the French Jewish community’s main watchdog, the Jewish Community Security Service, antisemitic incidents in France skyrocketed by 75% in 2021.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Staten Island teenager arrested for allegedly attacking visibly Jewish man in Brooklyn

An 18-year-old from Port Richmond, Staten Island, has been arrested for assaulting a visibly Jewish man, it has been reported.

The attack was allegedly carried out by Logan Jones, in addition to five others, on 1st April at around 20:00.

Mr Jones faces assault and hate crime charges after the 21-year-old man was reportedly walking to his local synagogue to attend a Sabbath service with his wife. The victim was said to be wearing traditional Hasidic clothing at the time.

Mr Jones is alleged to be one of six people who took part in the assault, reportedly punching the victim in the face before two others began kicking him.

The victim reportedly tried to avoid the attack by sliding underneath a parked truck, and suffered head injuries, a cheek abrasion, and bruising to his face and mouth.

Mr Jones has been charged with third-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault, third-degree menacing as a hate crime, third-degree menacing, third-degree attempted assault as a hate crime, third-degree attempted assault, and second-degree harassment.

His bail was set at $30,000 and he was ordered to return to court on 24th June.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Alex Davies jailed for over eight years after being convicted of membership of neo-Nazi terrorist group, National Action

Alex Davies, 27, has been sentenced today to eight and-a-half years after he was convicted last month of membership of the neo-Nazi terrorist group, National Action.

Mr Davies, of Swansea, was found guilty last month by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of being a member of the proscribed group, which he founded in 2013, between 17th December 2016 and 27th September 2017.

National Action was proscribed by the British Government following repeated calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

Following the ban, Mr Davies was involved in the development of a “continuity” organisation, designed to continue the work of the banned group and initially called the Southern Activist Network, later renamed NS131. That group was also banned as an alias of National Action nine months after the proscription of its predecessor organisation.

During the trial, Mr Davies explained his ideology, saying that “If we were to take power, our aim is to have an overwhelmingly white Britain as it more or less has been for centuries. It’s only in the past 50/60/70 years we have had mass immigration. It would be to return to the status quo of before the Second World War.” He was asked if he would repatriate Jewish families with British heritage dating back centuries and replied: “Yes, that’s how repatriation would work.”

The court also heard that he was photographed in 2016 performing a Nazi salute in the Buchenwald death camp execution chamber, and said that he did not believe that the Holocaust occurred. He said that he felt “badly” about the photograph, and, regarding the Holocaust, insisted: “I do not believe there was a systematic extermination of Jews. I can’t be a national socialist if the Holocaust occurred, I cannot support an ideology that supports genocide. I have the same moral compass as anyone else, I believe murder is wrong and I cannot support something that engaged in systematic genocide of people because they are Jewish.”

The jury heard that Mr Davies contacted prospective members on the secure messaging platform Wire, explaining that the group had a “revolutionary Nationalist Socialist ideology”, but needed to “be able to ‘swim’ among the general population without trouble.”

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson told Winchester Crown Court that National Action was banned after it “terrorised” towns including Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Swansea and Darlington, during which its members could be heard “screaming Nazi-era proclamations through megaphones”, including one occasion in York where Mr Davies reportedly spoke in front of a banner that read “Refugees not welcome: Hitler was right.”

Sentencing Mr Davies today at the Old Bailey in London, Judge Mark Dennis QC said: “You are an intelligent and educated young man but you have held, over a period of many years, warped and shocking prejudices.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Alex Davies is the epitome of a youth wasted, devoted as it was to ignorance and malice. The ban on National Action, secured after calls from Campaign Against Antisemitism and others, was the first step, and convictions of its members are the second. Firm custodial sentences such as these are the third. The message is clear: neo-Nazis have no place in British society.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism closely monitors the far-right, which remains a dangerous threat to the Jewish community and other minority groups.

Image credit: Counter Terrorism Policing

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“6 million kikes? Is that a challenge? We wish!”: neo-Nazi flyers found at a bus stop opposite a synagogue in the Greater Washington Area

Jewish community leaders in the Greater Washington area have expressed their shock and outrage after flyers with swastikas on them and references to the Holocaust were posted at a bus stop opposite a synagogue.

One flyer features a swastika in the centre of the page and the words “Love Your Race” above it and a link to the neo-Nazi website, American Futurist. 

The other shows a skeleton whose skull resembles the Totenkopf (“Death’s Head”) insignia found on Nazi SS uniforms, which the skeleton is itself wearing. The headline to this flyer reads “6 million kikes?”, and the skeleton is replying with a speech bubble and the words “Is that a challenge?” followed by a swastika. Beneath this are the words “We wish!” followed by a link to the neo-Nazi website Aryan Freedom Network.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington tweeted: “We are deeply disturbed by the appearance of a swastika in the Kemp Mill neighbourhood of Silver Spring, MD, a centre of Montgomery County’s Orthodox Jewish community. This antisemitic and hateful symbol has no place in our society.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Neo-Nazi David Musins jailed for three years for remaining a National Action member after the group was banned

A neo-Nazi has been jailed for three years for continuing to be a member of the far-right terror group National Action after they had been named as a proscribed organisation.

David Musins, 36, pleaded guilty to belonging to National Action, contrary to section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He is one of at least 25 members to have received custodial sentences since the group was banned in December 2016.

National Action was proscribed by the British Government following repeated calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

Mr Musins’s online activity dating back to early 2016 saw him engage with the fascist Iron March forum, publishing posts that demonstrated an interest in National Socialism.

Soon after, Mr Musins took part in a National Action meeting in London, a training camp organised by the far-right group, Legion, which combined combat training with lessons in neo-Nazi ideology. Later, Mr Musins went to a National Action rally in Darlington alongside other groups like the Scottish Defence League and the North-West Infidels.

When officers from the Metropolitan Police raided Mr Musin’s address in late 2017, they found clothing and spraypaint which connected him to National Action, and a USB stick that contained a digital journal with information about his time at the Legion training camp, and pictures of Mr Musins alongside others giving a Nazi salute.

Sentencing Mr Musins at the Old Bailey on 27th May to three years’ imprisonment with an extended period on licence of twelve months, Judge Anthony Leonard QC said: “That you left the group voluntarily is particularly significant, but it cannot expunge your earlier behaviour, which is abhorrent.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism closely monitors the far-right, which remains a dangerous threat to the Jewish community and other minority groups.

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Capitol rioter who made antisemitic slurs found guilty

A white supremacist and Nazi sympathiser who reportedly carried a photograph of himself with a “Hitler moustache” and haircut, has been convicted in a Washington D.C. federal court for his part in the Capitol riots of 6th January 2020.

Timothy Hale-Cusanelli worked at a naval weapons station in New Jersey and served as an Army reservist before his arrest for storming the Capitol. He was caught on camera shouting profanities at police.

Evidence included text messages sent by Mr Hale-Cusanelli allegedly containing antisemitic, racist and homophobic slurs, and suggestions of how the 2020 election results could be overturned.

Jurors also saw a video of him appearing to attempt to wave other rioters inside the Capitol through a skylight and heard a post-riot conversation secretly recorded by a roommate at the naval base, who reported him to the Naval Criminal Investigation Service.

His mobile phone reportedly held photos of him with a Hitler-style moustache and haircut, but Judge Trevor McFadden barred prosecutors from using the photos as evidence.

Mr Hale-Cusanelli, who identifies as “half-Jewish and half-Puerto Rican”, was described by his lawyer as someone who made “extreme statements to get attention.”

One juror told a local TV channel hat he was troubled by Mr Hale-Cusanelli’s use of antisemitic slurs, given his testimony that he was “half-Jewish”.

Mr Hale-Cusanelli is due for sentencing in September.

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism. Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout the United States.

image credit: United States Department of Justice

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Man armed with knife arrested after making threats at Jewish school in Toronto

An Uber Eats delivery driver may be facing hate crimes charges after he allegedly threatened Jewish students at a Toronto-based school.

Kyle McLeod, 21, is accused of cycling through Yeshiva Gedolah and confronting students with the claim that he would “kill 30 Jews today”. When the yeshiva’s cook asked Mr McLeod to leave, Mr McLeod is alleged to have assaulted him.

The cook then detained Mr McLeod and waited for the police to arrive, when it was apparently discovered that Mr McLeod was armed with a knife.

Director of Policy at the Toronto-based Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, said: “It is extremely troubling that a man with a weapon violently threatened people at a yeshiva and, even more disturbingly, yelled that he wanted to kill Jews. Such an attack comes on the heels of the Toronto Police Service’s most recent annual hate crime report that once again showed the city’s Jewish community as the most targeted group.”

“Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our city,” tweeted Toronto Mayor John Tory.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Swastikas discovered scratched into Los Angeles synagogue

Synagogue officials say that they have discovered a number of swastikas carved into the windows of IKAR Synagogue in Los Angeles.

A joint statement released by Chief Executive Melissa Balaban, Chair Ethan Goldstine and Vice Chair Michelle Rosenthal, suggested that the incident took place the night of 26th May or the morning of 27th May, and expressed their distress about the attack, although they also said that they were unsurprised.

The statement said: “Fortunately no one was present or physically harmed. We have alerted the relevant authorities and we are taking all measures to keep our staff and community safe, including reviewing security footage to see if we can get further insight into the attack, and revisiting our security protocols for all locations where IKARites meet, work, and learn.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Leaflets with derogatory comments about Jews left on cars at Florida malls

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Florida is investigating two incidents in two separate shopping centres in the county.

Shoppers at the Coconut Point and Miromar Outlets malls were targeted. Leaflets featuring derogatory material about Jews, including accusations about the “Jewish media monopoly”, and featuring the antisemitic “smirking merchant” graphic, were left on shoppers’ cars.

This comes after two teenagers in nearby Bonita Springs vandalised the home of a rabbi in March. Seventeen-year-old Tucker Bachman and fourteen-year-old Case Leckbee were found guilty of criminal mischief when they defaced Rabbi Mendy Greenberg’s home. The pair were sentenced to community service and a curfew and were obliged to attend a Neighbourhood Accountability Board at which Rabbi Greenberg was present.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Germany’s Jewish cemeteries and memorials attacked at least four times in May

German news outlets have expressed alarm after three Jewish cemeteries were vandalised.

On 23rd May, swastikas were found graffitied on a wall in Altona cemetery, Hamburg, which dates back to 1913.

Earlier in May, alleged perpetrators, who are yet to be identified, knocked down sixteen headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Köthen, south-west of Berlin. One publication, the Jüdische Allgemeine reported that the damage done is estimated at about nearly £8,000.

Police in Cologne are also investigating a suspected arson attack at a Jewish cemetery.

In Dresden, meanwhile, a plaque commemorating Jewish victims of the Holocaust was found to have been desecrated with Nazi symbols.

This comes after the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community published a report on 10th May that stated that 3,027 antisemitic incidents were recorded in Germany in 2021, marking a 28 percent rise since 2020.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Schoolgirls reportedly shout “Hitler, Hitler” at Jewish couple leaving East London hospital

It has been reported that three schoolgirls shouted “Hitler, Hitler” at a Jewish couple leaving a hospital in East London.

The girls, described as being Black and around fourteen years of age, allegedly shouted the comments outside of The City Academy in Hackney. 

The victims, a man and his pregnant wife, were leaving a hospital in Homerton following a maternity appointment.

The incident took place yesterday and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 2275 27/05/22

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have a data-sharing agreement.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Days after French police rush to rule out antisemitic motive in alleged murder of elderly Jew, new information prompts extension of investigation

Following the news that an antisemitic motive had initially been ruled out after yet another elderly French Jew was allegedly thrown out of a window to his death, it was announced today that the investigation has been extended to determine whether or not antisemitism may have played a role. 

Rene Hadjaj, a 90-year-old Jewish man, was allegedly defenestrated from an apartment block on 17th May in Lyon. A 51-year-old neighbour, believed to have known the victim well, was arrested.

Police initially believed that the incident related to an argument between the two and was not connected to the victim’s Jewish identity. They then proceeded to rule out an antisemitic motive, a decision that elicited outrage from parts of the French community.

Today, however, it was announced that the investigation will be extended following new information that was discovered on social media. It is understood that the new information arose from investigations carried out by concerned members of the Jewish community, which is similar to the recent case of Jeremy Cohen, where police also ruled out antisemitism before an investigation by the family of the victim turned up evidence that forced the police to reconsider.

French Jewry has been here before too many times in recent years.

In 2017, Sarah Halimi, a 65-year-old Jewish woman, was murdered by her 27-year-old Muslim neighbour, Kobili Traoré, after he tortured her before pushing her out of a window to her death. Mr Traoré was said to have yelled “Allah Akbar,” “I killed the shaitan,” which is an Arabic word for ‘devil’ or ‘demon’, along with antisemitic vitriol. It took time for the police to recognise the antisemitic motive, but Mr Traoré was deemed unfit to stand trial because he was under the influence of drugs at the time. The judgement was highly controversial and let to protests around the world – including a rally outside the French embassy in London organised by Campaign Against Antisemitism – and a parliamentary inquiry.

In 2018, 85-year-old Mireille Knoll, a Holocaust survivor, was stabbed eleven times during a botched robbery that also saw her body set alight in an effort by the perpetrators to burn her apartment. In this instance, the authorities did accept that there was an antisemitic motive and the perpetrators were jailed.

Then, last month, after the police had judged the death of Jeremy Cohen, a 31-year-old Jewish man who was hit by a tram, to be a traffic accident, his family undertook their own investigation, including leafleting neighbours for information. Footage emerged of a gang of men attacking the visibly Jewish Mr Cohen apparently causing him to flee and resulting in his death, leading to a new investigation.

These are just some of the high-profile recent cases in France, where antisemitism has skyrocketed by 75% in the past year, from already staggeringly high figures.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Police in Piedmont, California, investigate swastika and “Hitler” graffiti at local high school

Police in Piedmont, California, have released a statement saying that the Piedmont High School campus has been graffitied with antisemitic material.

Neither the school nor the police have released pictures of the markings, but the school district said that the school gym was vandalised with a swastika and the word “Hitler”, both written in chalk.

The Piedmont Police Department said that it is working closely with the school to investigate the graffiti.

California’s “terrorising threats” statutes hold that drawing a swastika on private property and various kinds of public places, including schools, is a hate crime that can be punished by a custodial sentence and a fine.

The Piedmont Unified School District Superintendent, Randall Booker, said that “Eliminating antisemitism and its long history of hate and persecution is a collective effort.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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West Ham fan who performed Nazi salutes to Austrian supporters is banned from attending football matches for three years

A West Ham fan who performed Nazi salutes to Austrian supporters during an international game has been banned from attending football matches for three years.

Daniel Garner, 26, performed the antisemitic gestures during a Europa League game between West Ham United and Rapid Vienna at the London Stadium on 30 September.

Appearing at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Mr Garner pleaded guilty to one count of using threatening or abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment or alarm or distress.

In addition to being subjected to a three-year football ban, Mr Garner was also fined £166.

Nosheen Hussain, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Football fans from any country should never have to tolerate abusive behaviour. Daniel Garner’s conduct was insulting and inciteful.

“The prosecution case included CCTV footage which clearly showed Garner making offensive Nazi salutes toward Austrian fans. During police interview [sic] he claimed to be intoxicated – but this is no excuse for such vile behaviour.

“The CPS will always aim to prosecute those who seek to cause harassment.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Another football match, another instance of Nazi salutes. We applaud West Ham and the criminal justice authorities for identifying, prosecuting and sanctioning the culprit. Nazi gestures and antisemitism have no place in the beautiful game, and we call on other clubs to emulate this example of best practice, with fines and bans on all those responsible for injecting racism into sport.”

Last week, two West Ham supporters appeared in court on charges of racially aggravated harassment of a visibly Jewish man on a Ryanair flight last year.

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“Hitler should have killed all you Jews, I will be back”: Elderly Jewish staff member reportedly faces antisemitic abuse in North London kosher supermarket

A man is alleged to have hurled antisemitic abuse at a Jewish member of staff in a kosher supermarket in North London.

The incident unfolded after a man, described as being of Asian descent, attempted to purchase a drink but was unable to do so after his bank card was declined. Upon being informed of this by the member of staff, the man then reportedly opened the drink and placed it back down on the counter, before picking it up again and walking off with the drink. 

The man is also accused of telling the woman: “Hitler should have killed all you Jews. I will be back.”

The victim, reported to be an elderly woman, is said to be in a state of shock.

The incident took place yesterday in the ‘Egg Stores’ supermarket in Stamford Hill and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 8238 25/05

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Graffiti containing antisemitic slurs and references to gas chambers found in Yorktown, New York

Residents of Yorktown, New York, have expressed their concern after graffiti containing antisemitic slurs was found under a bridge.

The graffiti, found under the Northbound Bridge where the Taconic Parkway passes over the Croton Reservoir, is reported to have contained the word “Kike” and references to killing Jews in gas chambers.

The slurs were, however, quickly covered up with black paint by police.

In a statement, Yorktown Town Supervisor Matt Slater said: “We will not let this disgusting and ignorant language define us. Hate has no home here and we will continue to stamp it out whenever it raises its wicked head.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This grotesque graffiti, revelling in the Nazi genocide of millions of Jewish people, is a reminder to us all that antisemitic hatred endures. Everyone has a responsibility to be vigilant and combat anti-Jewish racism whenever it arises. We applaud the police for quickly covering up the inciting language, and trust that they will undertake a thorough investigation to identify the culprits and bring them to justice.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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“Here comes Jew boy…we’re going to make you go extinct”: Goyim Defence League drive around Los Angeles dressed as Nazis

It has been reported that members of an antisemitic hate group dressed in Nazi regalia were seen harassing members of the public throughout Los Angeles this past weekend.

The group was reportedly caught on camera driving in a truck painted with the acronym “GDL”, which stands for Goyim Defence League. 

GDL leader and operator of the video-sharing site Goyim TV, Jon Minadeo II, is reported to have been filmed shouting “Here comes Jew boy” and “We’re going to make you go extinct” whilst dressed as an Orthodox Jew.

Despite Beverly Hills Police being called to the scene of the incident, there were reportedly no citations issued to any of the GDL members.

In addition to the antisemitic remarks and actions of the group, its truck was painted with white supremacist and antisemitic slogans and references to the “Great Replacement Theory”, an antisemitic far-right conspiracy theory that claims that Jews are secretly masterminding an invasion of non-white immigrants to western countries to make white people a minority in order to further their insidious agenda.

The Great Replacement Theory was allegedly a motivating ideological factor behind the killing of ten Black people shopping in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, on 14th May by a self-described “ethno-nationalist eco-fascist national socialist”.

The GDL has been described as an antisemitic hate group whose membership reportedly contains several neo-Nazis and is understood to be led by Jon Minadeo II. The group is divided into regional branches and regularly distributes antisemitic flyers across the United States. Last year, Mr Minadeo II created t-shirts carrying antisemitic slogans such as the Holocaust was “a hoax” and more recently, they hung a banner from a bridge in Austin, Texas that read “Vax the Jews”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Kippah-wearing lawyer abused and spat at in Milan

A Jewish lawyer is reported to have been spat at and abused in the Italian city of Milan by four men of Middle Eastern appearance.

The victim, 30, who was wearing a kippah (skullcap) and did not wish to be named, gave an account of what happened in a private Facebook group.

He claimed that on a street in central Milan in daylight, he was accosted by a man asking if he was Jewish.

“One of the two men shouted ‘Yeudi’, which is what Jews are called in Arabic,” the victim related, adding that he was then “showered” with saliva and verbal abuse.

“They were about to be joined by another two,” he said, “so I ran.”

He said that the four men started to chase him “but soon gave up.”

“People in the street” the victim reported, “pretended not to see.”

According to a recent report, there has been a marked increase in antisemitic incidents in Italy.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents in Italy.

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French communal outrage after another elderly Jew is allegedly thrown out of window to his death by neighbour as police rush to rule out antisemitic motive

The French Jewish community has reacted with a combination of outrage and resignation after yet another elderly French Jew was allegedly thrown out of a window to his death, with the police all too quickly ruling out an antisemitic motive.

Rene Hadjaj, a 90-year-old Jewish man, was allegedly defenestrated from an apartment block last Tuesday in Lyon. A 51-year-old neighbour, believed to have known the victim well, was arrested.

Police believe that the incident related to an argument between the two and was not connected to the victim’s Jewish identity, and have therefore ruled out an antisemitic motive. The decision has elicited outrage from parts of the French community.

It has also provoked a feeling of resignation, as French Jewry has been here before too many times in recent years.

In 2017, Sarah Halimi, a 65-year-old Jewish woman, was murdered by her 27-year-old Muslim neighbour, Kobili Traoré, after he tortured her before pushing her out of a window to her death. Mr Traoré was said to have yelled “Allah Akbar,” “I killed the shaitan,” which is an Arabic word for ‘devil’ or ‘demon’, along with antisemitic vitriol. It took time for the police to recognise the antisemitic motive, but Mr Traoré was deemed unfit to stand trial because he was under the influence of drugs at the time. The judgement was highly controversial and let to protests around the world – including a rally outside the French embassy in London organised by Campaign Against Antisemitism – and a parliamentary inquiry.

In 2018, 85-year-old Mireille Knoll, a Holocaust survivor, was stabbed eleven times during a botched robbery that also saw her body set alight in an effort by the perpetrators to burn her apartment. In this instance, the authorities did accept that there was an antisemitic motive and the perpetrators were jailed.

Then, last month, after the police had judged the death of Jeremy Cohen, a 31-year-old Jewish man who was hit by a tram, to be a traffic accident, his family undertook their own investigation, including leafleting neighbours for information. Footage emerged of a gang of men attacking the visibly Jewish Mr Cohen apparently causing him to flee and resulting in his death, leading to a new investigation.

These are just some of the high-profile recent cases in France, where antisemitism has skyrocketed by 75% in the past year, from already staggeringly high figures.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Alleged attack on visibly Jewish man in Melbourne leaves second Jewish man who came to victim’s aid with severe injuries

Police in Melbourne are investigating an attack on two Jewish people, leaving one with severe injuries.

One victim, Yacov Gozlan, 50, said that he saw a visibly Jewish individual being attacked. Mr Gozlan was leaving a supermarket at the time. He confronted the attacker, who was allegedly holding the victim up against a transit van. 

On being asked, Mr Gozlan confirmed to the attacker that he too was Jewish, before the victim used Mr Gozlan’s intervention to run inside the supermarket. The assault then continued against Mr Gozlan himself, however, and he was allegedly punched and knocked to the ground.

Victoria Police have confirmed that they arrested a 33-year-old man at the scene of the incident. It is understood that he is cooperating, and so far no charges have been filed.

A spokesperson for Victoria Police said that they “understand incidents of antisemitism can leave communities feeling targeted, threatened, and vulnerable. We treat any reports of antisemitism seriously.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Screenshot taken from The Algemeiner

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Police investigation after swastika discovered at Kent State University

A swastika has been discovered painted on the front campus at Kent State University, Ohio. The University has said that it is unclear when the swastika was painted.

Both a campus Jewish organisation and the Portage County NAACP have condemned the graffiti. The University Police have taken the matter under investigation.

The University issued a statement saying that “in the aftermath of the massacre in Buffalo, New York, the graffiti serves as a reminder of the threat of extremism”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Britain’s youngest terrorist sentenced but avoids custody order

A fourteen-year-old from Darlington has been sentenced after pleading guilty to terror charges, which made him the youngest person to be convicted on terror offences.

The schoolboy previously admitted three counts of possessing information useful to a terrorist, specifically manuals for making explosives, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. He was also reportedly active on racist online forums and, according to the prosecution, he regularly used “racist, antisemitic and anti-Islamic language” and made contact with other far-right radicals online.

The boy, who cannot be named, was arrested last year when he was thirteen in an investigation into extreme right-wing terrorism.

He was sentenced at Newton Aycliffe Youth Court by Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring to complete a “high-intensity” referral order for twelve months. The judge believed that a custody order could undo the “rehabilitative” progress that the child, who has learning difficulties, has made.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

Image credit: Google

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“Hope you die in another Holocaust, f***ing Jews”, group of Jews told in Hendon

A group of Jews were told “Hope you die in another Holocaust, f***ing Jews” after leaving a restaurant in Hendon yesterday.

Two Caucasian men directed a series of expletive-laden antisemitic insults in the direction of the group as the victims walked up Church Lane yesterday evening.

One of the group told Campaign Against Antisemitism: “What a pitiful way to end our enjoyable evening. The abusers didn’t even appear to be drunk, only hateful. Saddest of all was how unremarkable it felt – a sad reminder of how common this sort of unreported and under-the-radar antisemitism still is in the UK.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.

Image credit: Google

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Maryland Jewish Community Centre evacuated after bomb threat

A bomb threat has forced the evacuation of the Jewish Community Centre in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Though the agency described the threat as “non-credible”, it comes at a time of heightened tensions, as similar threats have been made against Jewish Community Centres in Albany and Long Island, New York.

The Centre’s CEO, Barak Hermann, and Board Chair, Laura Rubenstein, wrote a joint statement to the community, which stated that “This past weekend our country again saw mass threats and killings at a supermarket in upstate New York, a flea market in Texas, and a church in California, to sadly just name a few. These tragic mass killings are rooted in hate and racism and resulted in innocent lives being lost and hurt and families and communities tragically impacted. The threat we and other JCCs have received are full of antisemitic language and causes frustration and anxiety.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on incidents relating to antisemitism throughout the United States.

Image credit: Google

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Teenage trio break into house and graffiti swastika and the word “Jews”

It has been reported that a house in Elstree that is currently undergoing renovation has been broken into and graffitied with a swastika and the word “Jews”.

Apparently, neighbours informed the owner of the property about the presence of a group of teenagers who had broken into the house on Park Crescent. The owner told them to leave and noticed the graffiti once they had left.

Hertfordshire Constabulary say that they have detained and arrested three males, two aged 17 and one 16, on suspicion of racial or religiously aggravated burglary. The suspects have reportedly been released pending further enquiries by the police.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image credit: Google

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Alex Davies convicted of membership of neo-Nazi terrorist group, National Action

Alex Davies, 27, has been convicted today of membership of the neo-Nazi terrorist group, National Action.

Mr Davies, of Swansea, was found guilty by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of being a member of the proscribed group, which he founded in 2013, between 17th December 2016 and 27th September 2017.

National Action was proscribed by the British Government following repeated calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

Following the ban, Mr Davies was involved in the development of a “continuity” organisation, designed to continue the work of the banned group and initially called the Southern Activist Network, later renamed NS131. That group was also banned as an alias of National Action nine months after the proscription of its predecessor organisation.

During the trial, Mr Davies explained his ideology, saying that “If we were to take power, our aim is to have an overwhelmingly white Britain as it more or less has been for centuries. It’s only in the past 50/60/70 years we have had mass immigration. It would be to return to the status quo of before the Second World War.” He was asked if he would repatriate Jewish families with British heritage dating back centuries and replied: “Yes, that’s how repatriation would work.”

The court also heard that he was photographed in 2016 performing a Nazi salute in the Buchenwald death camp execution chamber, and said that he did not believe that the Holocaust occurred. He said that he felt “badly” about the photograph, and, regarding the Holocaust, insisted: “I do not believe there was a systematic extermination of Jews. I can’t be a national socialist if the Holocaust occurred, I cannot support an ideology that supports genocide. I have the same moral compass as anyone else, I believe murder is wrong and I cannot support something that engaged in systematic genocide of people because they are Jewish.”

The jury heard that Mr Davies contacted prospective members on the secure messaging platform Wire, explaining that the group had a “revolutionary Nationalist Socialist ideology”, but needed to “be able to ‘swim’ among the general population without trouble.”

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson told Winchester Crown Court that National Action was banned after it “terrorised” towns including Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Swansea and Darlington, during which its members could be heard “screaming Nazi-era proclamations through megaphones”, including one occasion in York where Mr Davies reportedly spoke in front of a banner that read “Refugees not welcome: Hitler was right.”

Judge Mark Dennis QC anticipated that it was “inevitable” that Mr Davies would be given a custodial sentence at a hearing at the Old Bailey on 7th June.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We commend the jury for convicting this Holocaust-denier and neo-Nazi leader. Alex Davies is the epitome of a youth wasted, devoted as it was to ignorance and malice. Neo-Nazis have no place in British society. The ban on National Action, secured after calls from Campaign Against Antisemitism and others, was the first step, and convictions of its members are the second. We trust that the sentence will be proportionate to the very serious charges on which Mr Davies has been found guilty.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

Image credit: Counter Terrorism Policing

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West Ham fans charged with racially aggravated harassment of visibly Jewish man on Ryanair flight appear in court

Two West Ham supporters appeared in court today charged with racially aggravated harassment of a visibly Jewish man on a Ryanair flight last year.

Lee Carey, 55, and Jak Bruce, 31, who appeared via video link before Judge Loram QC at Chelmsford Crown Court, were arrested in connection with an incident on a flight to Eindhoven in November 2021 in which numerous West Ham supporters were videoed chanting an antisemitic song, apparently at a Hasidic passenger.

The group was filmed to be chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew”, as they flew to a match between their team and KRC Genk in Belgium.

Last week, the defendants sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction under the Civil Aviation Act and therefore could not hear the case. The court has now requested submissions from Ryanair, with hearings scheduled for the coming weeks with a view to holding the trial in February next year.

West Ham confirmed last year that it had banned two supporters for life, although it is not known if those fans are the defendants in this case.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Burnley supporters arrested after appearing to perform Nazi salutes during match with Tottenham Hotspur

Three supporters of Burnley Football Club have been arrested after video footage emerged of them appearing to perform Nazi salutes during the Lancashire club’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur on 15th May.

The video footage appears to show one man in a baseball raising his arm with a flat palm while another mimics someone crying by rubbing his eyes with clenched fists.

Tottenham Hotspur have a reputation for being a “Jewish” club and fans often find themselves the targets of antisemitic abuse by opposing fans, whether or not they are Jewish.

Tottenham Hotspur’s official Twitter confirmed the arrests and stated that the club will be helping the police with their investigation, saying: “The Club can confirm two visiting supporters have been identified and arrested following discriminatory gestures at today’s match. We shall be supporting the police with their investigation.”

In a statement, Burnley said that “This is now a police investigation and, collectively, we will work with Tottenham Hotspur, Met Police and Lancs Police on this matter.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism continues to act against instances of anti-Jewish racism in all sports.

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Teenager allegedly indoctrinated by far-right literature plans bombing of German school, while Jewish cemetery also attacked

German police are investigating two allegedly antisemitic incidents.

A 16-year-old suspect was arrested by federal officers on suspicion of planning to bomb a high school in Essen. When the police raided the teenager’s home, they found explosives and antisemitic, far-right literature.

Police in Cologne, meanwhile, are investigating a suspected arson attack at a Jewish cemetery.

It has been reported that an unidentified person poured a flammable substance around the burial site in the western Cologne suburb of Bocklemünd. The police are investigating whether the incident had antisemitic intent.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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As Black Americans grieve, details emerge of terrorist’s conspiracy-fuelled hatred of Black and Jewish communities

While America mourns for the ten people killed and three injured, eleven of whom were Black, reportedly at the hands of self-described “ethno-nationalist eco-fascist national socialist” Payton Gendron on 14th May, many have turned their attention to the shooter’s 180-page-long manifesto.

The document details the alleged Buffalo supermarket killer’s interest in what is known as the “Great Replacement Theory”. This antisemitic far-right conspiracy theory claims that Jews are the secret masterminds behind a planned “invasion” of non-white immigrants into western countries with the aim of making white people a minority to further an insidious, but largely unclear, agenda.

The theory’s origins are said to date back to early-20th century France, but it was formalised and popularised more recently, by the writer Renaud Camus in his 2011 essay “Le Grand Remplacement” (“The Great Replacement”).

Over time, the theory was adopted by white supremacists who professed hatred for Jews and other non-whites, with one prominent example including those behind the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The theory has also influenced terrorist murderers like neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Breivik, Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooter Robert Bowers, and Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant, from whose manifesto the alleged Buffalo shooter’s writings are reported to have borrowed heavily.

One Twitter user stated that Mr Gendron’s manifesto included a “scientific”-style chart distinguishing between different types of supposedly Jewish faces based on animals and mythical creatures, including hawks, trolls, goblins, demons, “nightmare” creatures and rats. It is illustrated with famous faces, including former Labour Party MP Luciana Berger, actor Ron Perlman, billionaire financier and activist George Soros, and philosopher Max Horkheimer, whose writings often feature in far-right conspiracy theories about “cultural Marxism”.

The gunman apparently explained that, although the primary problem in the United States is supposed Jewish influence, he chose to attack immigrants and Black people to stop them from having any more impact on the country.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Licoricia of Winchester statue apparently vandalised

A statue of the thirteenth-century Jewish businesswoman, Licoricia of Winchester, appears to have been vandalised.

The statue, a to-scale depiction of Licoricia and her son, Asher, which was unveiled at the Winchester Discovery Centre in February this year, appears to have been attacked. Photographs show that the varnish around Asher’s eye, nose and mouth have been peeled.

It is not currently clear how the damage was caused, with some sources suggesting that the surface may have been damaged by a fizzy drink, while others fear that it may be some other corrosive substance.

Licoricia of Winchester was a Jewish businesswoman and community leader who has been described as “the most important Jewish woman in medieval England”. She married her second husband, David of Oxford, known as the richest Jewish person in England at the time, in 1242, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London for surety when he died two years later. She spent the next three decades financing figures throughout southern England. She is also said to have had a close relationship with King Henry III. 

She was found murdered in 1277 in her house in Winchester’s Jewry Street in 1277, thirteen years before King Edward I expelled the Jews from England.

Three men were arrested for Licoricia’s murder, but none of them were convicted, and the murder went unsolved.

Tony Stoller, a trustee of the Licoricia of Winchester Appeal, said: “There is indeed some minor damage to the statue, although there is no reason to think it is targeted vandalism. We’re examining how best it can be repaired, which ought to be straightforward. There is no suggestion whatever that it may be the result of any antisemitic action.”

The story of Licoricia of Winchester was covered in episode 14 of Podcast Against Antisemitism.

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CAA reports to police Newham councillor alleged to have posted horrific article arguing “The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews…just as we would be today”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has reported to the police a Newham councillor alleged to have posted a horrific article arguing that “The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews…just as we would be today.”

We have also reported the councillor to Newham Council.

Belgica Guaña is alleged to have posted the article, titled “The Holocaust Hoax and the Jewish Promotion of Perversity”, on Facebook in 2016, two years before she became a councillor in Newham in London, where she was re-elected last week.

The article says that “The so-called ‘Holocaust’ is propaganda in an ongoing war between the Jews and those with the courage to stand up to them – a war that began with the National Socialists coming to power in Germany in the 1930s and continues to this very day. The Jews do not have the means or the numbers to defeat Europeans with the force of arms so they have to rely mainly on infiltration, subversion, and economic and psychological warfare, with the Holocaust hoax being the best example of the latter. 

“The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews (which is all that was actually happening), just as we would be today. Hitler and the National Socialists freed Germany from the death grip of the Jews and gave it back to the German people.”

The essay also argues that Jews use pornography to control western societies by way of the “Holocaust hoax”, and pushes the “white genocide” conspiracy theory, as well as claiming that teenage diarist Anne Frank, murdered by the Nazis at Bergen-Belsen, was a “bisexual degenerate” whose popular diary is an “obvious fraud…laced with pornographic and sexually subversive messages”.

In May 2016, Cllr Guaña reportedly shared a post that said that “The Nazi holocaust [sic] was a crime against humanity, and the Israeli Genocide against Palestinians can not be ignored or denied,” and in December 2017, Cllr Guaña is said to have shared a video of the United Nations General Assembly, writing: “If you can have a minute of silence for the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust. So how much time should I ask for the more than 50 years of invasion and oppression of the Palestinian people?” Both posts are further breaches of the International Definition of Antisemitism. Other inflammatory material is also alleged to have been posted by Cllr Guaña, both before and during her term in office.

The allegation that Cllr Guaña posted the article was made in the JC, based on research by Labour Against Antisemitism. Cllr Guaña was suspended by the Labour Party on the eve of the local elections last week, reportedly a week after Labour Against Antisemitism submitted its complaint to the Party but, notably, immediately after the allegations were published in the JC.

The Labour group at Newham Council has repeatedly been the subject of controversy in relation to antisemitism allegations. In 2020, a leaked report reportedly detailed a complaint by the Council’s only Jewish member about a “culture of accepted antisemitism”, and then last year the Chair of Labour in Newham was reportedly to be investigated over alleged antisemitism, just days after his deputy was suspended over alleged antisemitic social media activity.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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“Never in my life has anything like this happened to me”: Israeli tourists on a trip to Jordan prevented from entering the country after border officials disrespect their tefillin

It has been reported that a group of Israeli tourists attempting to visit Jordan were prevented from entering the country because the border guards found Jewish religious items in their baggage.

During a security check at the border, the group of seven men, part of a larger group of approximately forty insurance agents on a two-day trip to Jordan, were apparently asked to open their suitcases. When they did so, officials found their tefillin (phylacteries) before taking their passports and taking them into another room.

The border guards reportedly said that the group were not allowed to take their tefillin sets into Jordan because they were religious signs and the Jews could be victimised for wearing them.

Tense negotiations followed for two hours, in which the border guards allegedly refused to grasp the significance of the items.

After this, the tourists decided not to join the rest of the larger group and returned to Israel.

Amit, one of the group, said: “Never in my life has anything like this happened to me anywhere I have travelled around the world. It’s bizarre to do something like that to you because of your beliefs. I have been putting on tefillin since by bar mitzvah, for 28 years every morning. If they were doing it to a Christian or a Muslim person, then I’m sure there would have been a whole story and a mess over it.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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West Mercia police won’t investigate Nick Griffin over tweet showing grotesque Jewish spider urging forward horde of zombies to destroy civilisation as it is not “racially offensive language”

West Mercia Police have declined our request to investigate the former leader of the BNP after assessing that his tweet suggesting a giant grotesque spider with a star of David on its head urging forward a horde of barbarians – whom he appeared to say should “burn in hell” – to destroy civilisation did not qualify as “racially offensive language”.

Nick Griffin posted the tweet on 6th December 2021 before deleting it. In it, he wrote: “If anyone had told me 5 years ago that I’d post this, I’d have said they’d gone mad. But now the world has gone mad (thanks to its current masters) so this is where I have to stand. All other differences must be left aside until the #GreenResetters burn in hell.”

The text accompanied an image of a giant grotesque spider with a star of David on its head urging forward a horde of zombies waving flags and banners in favour of LGBT rights, Black Lives Matter, feminism and equality – essentially representing different minority groups apparently under the influence of the Jews – against a Saracen and Christian crusader, presumably representing Western and Islamic civilisations. The clear message is that Christianity and Islam must unite to repel Jewish subversion of civilisation.

The tweet from the notorious figure was originally reported to Gloucestershire Police and then transferred to West Mercia Police, which declined to investigate, logging the case merely as a “hate incident” rather than a crime, despite the explanations that we provided for the numerous antisemitic tropes in the image, ranging from Jewish power to parasiticism and Jewish inhumanity to the corrupting influence of the Jews.

Nevertheless, the police force appears consistently to have looked only at the text of the tweet, explaining that “for an offence to be made out under section 127(a) of the 2003 [Communications] Act the accused must intend for the words to be grossly offensive to whom they relate or must be aware that they may be taken as such. The post was not considered grossly offensive, although it was not pleasant, and would shock and offend, however, there was no use of racially offensive language in the post and it was not directed at one particular group or person.” The police repeatedly failed to address the image in their assessments. Had they done so, they would surely have found that the provisions of the act were made out.

We are considering further legal options.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The notion that a giant grotesque spider with a star of David on its head urging forward a horde of liberal zombies and minority groups to destroy civilisation did not qualify as ‘racially offensive language’, and the claim that the tweet ‘was not directed at one particular group or person’ are plainly absurd. Rather than double down on their errors, West Mercia Police should have engaged with our analysis properly. Had they done so, they would have concluded that this tweet from a prominent and notorious racist merited investigation. It is left to us to explore other legal options.”

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Sussex woman finds swastika carved into tree

A member of the public in Heathfield, Sussex, has approached Campaign Against Antisemitism after her reports of a swastika carved onto a tree only a few metres from her house have allegedly gone unanswered.

The incident, which occurred in a quiet residential area, was reported to Sussex Police on 14th October 2021, but no suspects have yet been found.

If you have any more information, please contact Sussex Police using crime reference number 11401310.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Portland-based journalist arrested in connection with synagogue vandalism, as reported by his own publication

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a series of incidents of vandalism at synagogues in Portland, Oregon, including the arson attack and vandalism of Congregation Beth Israel.

Michael Bivins, who is said to have worked as a reporter on political extremism for liberal publications including a local weekly independent newspaper, has been charged with one count of arson and three counts of criminal mischief.

The charges relate to one incident in which a rock was thrown through a window at Congregation Shir Tikvah on 30th April and a fire and graffiti at Congregation Beth Israel on May 2nd and 4th, in which the words “Die Juden” (either “the Jews” in German, or “die Jews” in a combination of English and German) were found spray-painted on an outside wall.

It has been reported that the source of information about Mr Bivins’s arrest was the Willamette Week, the same weekly independent newspaper where he has published many of his articles about the treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters and counter-protesters and radical left-wing and right-wing groups by police in Portland.

Mr Bivins was arrested after entering a local television station and asking to speak to a reporter there.

Congregation Beth Israel Rabbi Michael Cahana said that these incidents emphasise how important it is for members of the public and the press to report even apparently minor incidents, writing in a letter to synagogue members that “This series of events, which has shaken our community, is an important reminder that even incidents which seem random and unrelated or too minor to bother with should be properly reported. We are all responsible for one another.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Labour candidate for Camden council reveals she was subjected to “levels of antisemitism I’ve never had before” during recent local election campaign

It has been reported that a Jewish candidate standing for the Labour Party in the London Borough of Camden was the target of antisemitic intimidation in the run-up to the recent local elections.

Izzy Lenga, who successfully stood for Labour in Camden’s South Hampstead ward, has revealed that she faced “levels of antisemitism I’ve never had before” after she was made the target of a poster campaign that called for people to not vote for her because she supported “apartheid”.

The harassment campaign is reported to have been based on accounts on anti-Israel websites like The Electronic Intifada dating back to 2014 about how Ms Lenga, a well-known young activist and leader in the Jewish community, once took part in a basic training course in Israel organised by the IDF. Ms Lenga also took part in the BBC Panorama documentary about antisemitism in the Labour Party during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

Posters publicising this information were plastered on walls and bus stops throughout the South Hampstead Ward in the weeks leading up to the election on 5th May.

The police do not believe that the people responsible for the 2014 articles had any role in the poster campaign, and have arrested a suspect believed to have been involved in the making or distributing of the posters because they apparently repeatedly misspelt the word “apartheid” in the same way each time.

A Metropolitan Police statement said: “We can confirm that a 39-year-old man was arrested on Friday, 29th April on suspicion of a Section 19 offence under the Public Order Act 1986. He was taken to a north London police station and was subsequently released on bail to return on a date in mid-June. Enquiries are ongoing. The arrest relates to two incidents where offensive materials were distributed in the South Hampstead area.”

Cllr Lenga was nevertheless elected as a councillor with the second highest vote in the South Hampstead ward.

Upon being elected, Cllr Lenga tweeted: “I’ve not spoken about it too much, but it’s been a really rough few months. I’ve faced levels of antisemitism I’ve never had before, and am eternally grateful for all those who’ve offered support.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Jewish home has phone line cut twice, allegedly by neighbour who referred to “those bloody Jews”

A Jewish home in Stamford Hill has had its phone line cut twice, allegedly by a neighbour reported to have referred to “those bloody Jews”.

The victim was reportedly threatened by her neighbour on Firsby Road that her internet would be cut off. The neighbour is reported to have referred also to “bad Jews”.

A BT Openreach engineer came to fix the victim’s internet after the first time that it was cut, and the neighbour reportedly came out to cut it a second time while the engineer was still in attendance.

The victim is suffering from complications from COVID-19 and needs the internet to update the clinic on a regular basis.

The incident was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CRIS 4611794/22.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

image credit: Google

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Jewish family left in shock after man knocks on front door screaming “Get out of the country F**** Jews, you have taken my house!”

A Jewish family has been left in shock after a man knocked on the front door of their home screaming “Get out of the country F**** Jews, you have taken my house!”

The assailant was described as a Caucasian male.

The incident took place on Darenth Road in Stamford Hill on 31st March 2021 and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD6798 31/04/21

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image credit: Google

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Nazi flags flown outside Disney World

Video footage uploaded to Twitter shows people flying Nazi flags outside of Disney World in Florida.

The clip, uploaded on Saturday by StopAntisemitism.org, garnered the attention of thousands online, in addition to that of Jewish groups and institutions.

In a statement, the Florida Holocaust Museum said: “It’s a sad day for humanity when even Disney World – the ‘happiest place on earth’ – is not immune to blatant antisemitism.

“Displays of Nazi imagery are repugnant, and this demonstration was clearly meant to offend and provoke. No family should be confronted with threatening symbols of hate, least of all on vacation.”

In January, the National Socialist Movement chanted “The Jew is the devil!” “Jews rape children and drink their blood” and “Jews brought slaves here” at a rally in Florida.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Leaked recording shows “alt-right” YouTuber saying he wishes someone would “press the button to wipe Jews off the face of the earth”

A leaked audio recording of a well-known YouTuber reported to have a large following on the far-right appears to show him saying that he would like someone to “press the button to wipe Jews off the face of the earth.”

Paul Joseph Watson runs the Prison Planet YouTube channel, which has 1.9 million subscribers, and is a former editor of Infowars, a website owned by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Mr Watson is a well-known voice in the controversial “alt-right” movement in which inflammatory conspiracy theories commonly circulate.

Mr Watson’s alleged comments were apparently secretly recorded during a private conversation, and they come in the context of other racist and homophobic slurs. The recording appears to show that Mr Watson says he is sick of “media f***** activists” sticking signs “up in my face trying to get me to join the gay f***** Palestinian cause. I don’t give a shit about Israel and Palestine. I care about white people. Not sand n***** Jew P*** f***** c***s.”

Mr Watson’s output rarely contains such explicit racism, and he is known to have appeared on platforms with former members of the youth conservative movement Turning Point USA, Candace Owens, various figures associated with former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, figures associated with the Brexit Party, and he has reportedly interacted with billionaire Elon Musk on Twitter.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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Swastika and pro-Nazi tags found on wall at Paris kindergarten

A swastika and antisemitic tags were discovered on the walls of a kindergarten in the Paris suburb of Courbevoie.

The city of Paris filed a formal police complaint following the spray-painting of the Nazi symbol and message supporting Nazism on the walls of the La Marelle nursery school.

In a tweet, Aurélie Taquillain, Municipal Councillor and Regional Councillor for Ile-de-France, said that she was “shocked” by the symbol and pro-Nazi tags and “strongly condemned” the incident.

She continued: “The values of the Republic are stronger than all these stains and provocations,” adding that “together in Courbevoie as everywhere in France” we will remain “mobilised” against hate.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Mexican couple celebrates Nazi-themed wedding on anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s nuptials

A couple from Mexico have reportedly celebrated their wedding by hosting a Nazi-themed ceremony on the anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s marriage to Eva Braun.

The nuptials took place in the east-central state of Tlaxcala, 73 miles east of the capital, Mexico City, on 29th April, the 77th anniversary of Hitler’s wedding.

Photos appeared to show the groom dressed as a Nazi SS officer, while the bride is seen perched on top of a Volkswagen Beetle. The choice of car is symbolic: the Volkswagen Beetle was designed and developed by the Nazi state in the 1930s as the “People’s Car” – the Nazis used the epithet Volks– (People’s) for many of their consumer products. The couple chose to emphasise the significance of this choice by having the car painted in camouflage colouring, covered in a Nazi flag, and given a fake license plates with the insignia of the SS, the Nazi paramilitary organisation headed by Heinrich Himmler.

Mexican media sources have also claimed that the couple named their children after well-known Nazis. Their son Reinhard is allegedly named after the Deputy Protector of Bohemia and Moravia and one of the architects of the Holocaust, Reinhard Heydrich. Their daughter, Hanna, is apparently named after a Hitler-admirer and pilot of the same name, believed to be one of the last people to see the dictator alive.

The groom is reported to have said that “I understand that for many people, Hitler represents genocide, racism and violence. People, on the other hand, make judgements without having all of the facts. Hitler was a vegetarian who rescued his country from famine and returned to his people the lands lost during World War I. His friends and family adored him. We were led to believe that Hitler was a racist, but he came to greet Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Swastika vandalism reported in same spot in Hull as a few months ago

Swastika vandalism has been reported near Hull just a few months after similar imagery was discovered at the same place.

In the early afternoon of 5th May, a member of the Jewish community found two large swastika drawings in red biro pen on a fence on Kingston Road in Willerby, by Hull. One of the city’s synagogues is also in Willerby.

Sexually obscene drawings were also produced alongside the swastikas.

The vandalism is believed to have been carried out earlier on the day that it was discovered, and it has been reported to the police.

One member of the community concealed the swastikas with paper appended to the fence by drawing pins, but later that afternoon the papers were discovered to have been ripped off to reveal one of the swastikas anew, and the papers had been stamped on.

Members of the community were distressed by the incident, which comes just six months since the carving of a swastika and an illustration of a gas chamber were discovered at the same location on the busy road.

It is understood that Humberside Police closed their investigation of the last incident, allegedly explaining that it was not a proportionate use of police resources to investigate “scratchings on a fence”, according to the community member who reported it.

We are grateful to the member of the public who brought this latest incident to our attention.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or e-mail us at [email protected].

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Man jailed after carving swastika into walls of Westfield shopping centre with a knife and racially abusing and threatening police officers

A man has been jailed after carving swastika into walls of Westfield shopping centre in Stratford with a knife and racially abusing and threatening police officers.

Andy Koseda, 54, of no fixed address, was arrested on 15th February after police were called to the Westfield shopping centre in Newham, where Mr Koseda had been carving swastikas into a wall using a knife. When police officers tried to arrest him, he reportedly racially abused them and threatened them with the knife.

He was charged with threatening a person with a knife in a public place, racially aggravated harassment, criminal damage, possession of a knife and using threatening words to cause harassment.

He pleaded guilty to all counts at an earlier hearing before being sentenced on 5th May at Snaresbrook Crown Court to two and a half years in prison.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image credit: Metropolitan Police

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Sixteen-year old boy who said “I am a domestic terror threat. I will bomb a synagogue,” and appeared to begin trying to do so, outrageously avoids custodial sentence

A sixteen-year-old boy who allegedly wrote on Twitter, “I am a domestic terror threat. I will bomb a synagogue,” and appeared to begin trying to realise this ambition has outrageously avoided a custodial sentence.

Liverpool Youth Court heard that the boy, who has autism and cannot be named for legal reasons, searched Google for his nearest synagogue, downloaded instructions for making bombs and was pictured wearing a mask with swastikas on and making a white power salute and Nazi salute.

It is understood that the boy became radicalised after he began playing the free online video game Fortnite, which allows participants to contact other players in virtual “hangouts”.

Gerard Pitt, defending, said that the boy had become part of a hangout oriented towards far-right politics, and then went on to write a number of antisemitic, racist and anti-LGBT posts on social media, as well as some that promoted the “incel” subculture.

Mr Pitt told the court that the boy possessed a “very large library” of far-right content, but has since moved away from these views.

Sentencing, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said: “Virtually every minority group that exists you had something derogatory to say about. I have been doing this job as a judge for twelve years and I have been involved in the criminal justice system for 23 years and this is some of the most appalling behaviour by a young person I have seen in terms of the comments you made, the views you expressed. They are, and should rightly be, abhorred by everyone.”

He added: “It is the scale, scope and nature of your hatred for fellow men and women. In fact my heart sank when I read the case papers for the first time.”

However, Mr Goldspring reportedly opined that it would be inappropriate to impose a custodial punishment and that this could jeopardise the positive rehabilitative steps that the boy has apparently made. Consequently, the boy was given only a twelve-month referral order. Mr Goldspring said: “I’m of the view, albeit I struggled greatly with making the decision, that a non-custodial sentence would be in the public interest.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are seeing more and more youngsters being groomed and recruited by the far-right, which is immensely troubling. Video games are one of the most attractive mediums for extremist propagandising, and parents, teachers and the authorities ignore them at our peril. The Chief Magistrate, who even admitted that this is one of the most appalling cases in his entire career, is absolutely wrong not to impose a custodial sentence. He may, astoundingly, believe that it is not in the public interest to incarcerate someone who declared his intention to bomb a synagogue and may have sought ways to do so, but the Jewish community would beg to differ. It is not for nought that synagogues in the UK require security guards and other special safety measures. This sentence is grossly insufficient and must be enhanced.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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New hearing scheduled after Abdullah Qureshi resists CPS’s reinstatement of racially/religiously aggravated element of the assault charges

Abdullah Qureshi, who last month pleaded guilty to numerous assault charges, has today resisted the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) reinstatement of the racially/religiously aggravated element of those charges.

On 7th April, Abdullah Qureshi, 28, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates’ Court to one count of assault by beating and one count of grievous bodily harm with intent. The charges related to a series of assaults on 18th August 2021 in Stamford Hill in which five religious Jews in the North London neighbourhood were violently attacked.

Campaign Against Antisemitism revealed last month that the CPS had dropped the racially/religiously aggravated element of those charges as part of a plea deal with Mr Qureshi. After we, Shomrim, CST and other communal organisations made representations to the CPS, it agreed to reinstate the aggravated elements, and Mr Qureshi appeared in court today to face those reinstated charges.

Explaining the reinstatement at court today, the prosecutor said that these are “serious allegations” and that “the file was reviewed again and a decision was made to proceed with the offences.” However, counsel for Mr Qureshi argued that this submission should not be accepted, describing it as “ridiculous” and an “abuse of process”.

The CPS has been instructed to provide its reasons in writing, with an opportunity for the defence to respond in writing, followed by a hearing in June.

Mr Qureshi has pleaded guilty to the assault charges, and is merely resisting the allegation that the assaults were religiously or racially motivated.

In one incident at 18:41 on the day of the attacks last August, an Orthodox Jewish man was struck in the face with what appeared to be a bottle. In another at 19:10, a child was slapped on the back of the head, and in yet another at 20:30, a 64-year-old victim was struck and left unconscious on the ground, suffering facial injuries and a broken ankle. Two further incidents were also alleged.

The incidents received significant media attention at the time, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, condemned “this appalling attack,” adding: “Let me be clear, racist abuse and hate crime, including antisemitism, have absolutely no place in our city.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Portland, Oregon sees arson attack and antisemitic graffiti

A synagogue in Portland, Oregon has reportedly been subject to an arson attack and vandalised.

Community leaders at Congregation Beth Israel on Northwest Flanders Street say that the synagogue, which was built in 1859, shows the remains of a fire that had been set in front of the building and graffiti containing an antisemitic message had been spraypainted on the building’s exterior wall.

Rabbi Michael Cahana said that this is not the first incident of this kind to have happened at Congregation Beth Israel, but nothing to date has been as brazen as this.

Rabbi Cahana said: “The message I’m giving to my community is that I don’t want anyone sitting in fear. We don’t believe that this is part of a larger threat, there haven’t been other antisemitic incidents reported around town.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Jewish children aged eight and eleven physically assaulted by teenagers in Stamford Hill

Jewish children were physically assaulted by teenagers in Stamford Hill, it has been reported.

The two children, aged eight and eleven, were reportedly standing outside of Sainsbury’s in Stamford Hill when they were approached by a teenager who punched one of the children on the arm before laughing and walking over to his friends, saying: “This was a good one, I will do it again.”

The incident occurred on Friday 29th April at 15:45 and was reported on Sunday by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 7763 30/04/22

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image credit: Google

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“I can’t stand this f****** community”: Jewish man reportedly verbally abused whilst exiting synagogue in Stamford Hill

A Jewish man was verbally abused whilst exiting a synagogue in Stamford Hill, North London, it has been reported.

The suspect, believed to be a man of black ethnicity wearing a dark puffer jacket, white trainers, dark baseball cap and dark trousers, allegedly yelled “I can’t stand this f****** community” to the Jewish man as he left the building.

The incident occurred on Sunday at 11:00 on Lampard Grove and was reported on the same day by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 3004 01/05/22

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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Jewish sisters reportedly threatened with a knife by gang of five teenagers in East London

Two Jewish sisters aged twelve and thirteen years old were reportedly threatened with a knife by a gang of five teenagers.

It is understood that the teenagers, comprised of four girls and one boy, were aged fourteen and fifteen years old. The group’s members are believed to be of white and black ethnicity and were wearing a blue school uniform. 

One of the female suspects allegedly approached the sisters before revealing a silver knife and holding it to the twelve-year-old’s face. 

The two sisters reportedly managed to run away from the situation.

The incident occurred on Thursday 28th April on Mount Pleasant Lane in Clapton, East London, and was reported the following day by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 3014/29APR22.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image credit: Google

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CPS reinstates racially/religiously aggravated element of assault charges against Abdullah Qureshi in face of communal outrage, after CAA revealed antisemitic element had been dropped

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has reinstated the racially/religiously aggravated element of the assault charges against Abdullah Qureshi, after Campaign Against Antisemitism revealed earlier this month that the antisemitic element had been dropped and we and other communal organisations made representations to the CPS.

On 7th April, Abdullah Qureshi, 28, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates’ Court to one count of assault by beating and one count of grievous bodily harm with intent. The charges related to a series of assaults on 18th August in Stamford Hill in which five religious Jews in the North London neighbourhood were violently attacked.

In one incident at 18:41, an Orthodox Jewish man was struck in the face with what appeared to be a bottle. In another at 19:10, a child was slapped on the back of the head, and in yet another at 20:30, a 64-year-old victim was struck and left unconscious on the ground, suffering facial injuries and a broken ankle. Two further incidents were also alleged.

The incidents received significant media attention at the time, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, condemned “this appalling attack,” adding: “Let me be clear, racist abuse and hate crime, including antisemitism, have absolutely no place in our city.”

However, we reported that the CPS had dropped the religiously/racially-aggravated element of the charges, despite Mr Quershi having attacked only visibly Jewish people — including a child and a 64-year-old man — that day in one of Britain’s most diverse neighbourhoods. So the charges to which he pleaded guilty did not include the antisemitic aggravating element.

Following this revelation, Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, continued to support the victims and made representations to the CPS, as did we, the CST and other Jewish and local groups.

Today, the CPS has reinstated the religiously/racially-aggravated element of all of the charges in the face of unified communal outrage.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “In a violent spree, Abdullah Qureshi attacked innocent Jews as he came across them in the street, from a young child to an elderly man. We applaud the Shomrim for reporting these incidents and the police for identifying the perpetrator. We welcome the CPS’s decision to reinstate the aggravating element to the charges, but it must be said that it is disappointing that it took sustained outrage from the Jewish community to bring this about. Polling shows that a majority of British Jews do not believe that the CPS does enough to protect them. The CPS must recognise that its choices have a serious impact on the Jewish community and it must strive to do better.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

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“Finally we are again in our natural position of dominance over the Jews”: senior north Italy policeman accused of posting antisemitic comment on Facebook

A senior policeman in Italy’s northern province of Monza and Brianza allegedly posted a message on Facebook saying: “Finally we are again in our natural position of dominance over the Jews.”

The alleged comment by Massimo Vergani, Deputy Police Commander of Seregno, was a reference to the victory of Inter-Milan over AC Milan in a 19th April football match. He attempted to excuse and justify his comments by claiming that he was “only using the language of Ultras groups.”

Mr Vergani has reportedly previously described a tie between Inter-Milan and Fiorentina the previous month as a “gift to the Jews.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Court hears that alleged member of proscribed National Action group helped form “continuity” organisation with a “revolutionary Nationalist Socialist ideology”

A court has heard that an alleged member of a neo-Nazi terror organisation tried to recruit members for an offshoot group.

Alex Davies, 27, from Swansea, was allegedly a member of National Action between 17th December 2016 and 27th September 2017, which he denies.

National Action was proscribed by the British Government following repeated calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

The court heard that, in January 2017, Mr Davies was allegedly involved in the development of a “continuity” organisation, designed to continue the work of the banned group and initially called the Southern Activist Network, later renamed NS131. That group was also banned nine months after the proscription of National Action.

Mr Davies allegedly contacted prospective members on the secure messaging platform Wire, explaining that the group had a “revolutionary Nationalist Socialist ideology”, but needed to “be able to ‘swim’ among the general population without trouble.”

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson told Winchester Crown Court that National Action was banned after it “terrorised” towns including Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Swansea and Darlington, during which its members could be heard “screaming Nazi-era proclamations through megaphones”, including one occasion in York where Mr Davies allegedly spoke in front of a banner that read “Refugees not welcome: Hitler was right.”

Mr Jameson explained to the court that the National Action’s symbol was “a direct nod” to that of the Nazi paramilitary Sturmabteilung (SA) wing, and “advocated the same Nazi aims and ideals” including the ethnic cleansing of anyone who did not belong to the Nazi conception of “Aryans”, primarily meaning Jews. It also allegedly had “paramilitary aspirations”.

Mr Jameson said that “For the defendant and his cohorts, the work of Adolf Hitler was, and remains, unfinished. The ‘Final Solution to the Jewish question’, to use Hitler’s words, remains to be answered by complete eradication.”

The trial continues.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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Gang attacks Jewish homes in Stamford Hill, kicking front doors

A gang has allegedly been targeting the homes of Jewish residents of Stamford Hill by kicking their doors.

Residents of Hillside Road are said to have initially thought that the disturbances were caused by burglars until they realised that the attackers were only targeting Jewish homes.

Hate crime officers at the Metropolitan Police are now investigating the incidents after they were reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 6992 20/04/22.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image credit: Google

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Jewish children attacked in Markfield Park in Stamford Hill

A gang of three teenagers allegedly attacked Jewish children playing in Markfield Park in Stamford Hill.

An eleven-year-old boy had his side-locks pulled in one of several incidents in the park. The alleged assailants were a mix of men and women and the women appeared to be dressed in religious Muslim attire.

The incidents were reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD2810015/22.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Image credit: Google

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Football fan fined and facing possible ban after performing Nazi salute towards Tottenham Hotspur supporters

A football fan has been fined and faces a ban after he was seen allegedly performing a Nazi salute, a court has heard.

Newcastle United fan Shay Asher, 24, admitted the racially aggravated offence of causing harassment during the team’s match against Tottenham Hotspur at Newcastle’s home ground, St James’s Park, in October 2021.

Though Mr Asher initially denied the offence, claiming that he was waving to someone, Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard that he performed a Nazi salute with his finger over his mouth to make a moustache, and was overheard saying that he wanted to fight Tottenham fans.

The court heard that when the former Royal Engineer was confronted by one of the stadium’s stewards, “his face dropped and he quickly ran off towards the exit.”

Mr Asher was fined £200, with £85 costs and a £34 surcharge and has been told to stay away from sporting venues in England and Wales as part of his bail conditions. Northumbria Police will reportedly apply for a football banning order.

Campaign Against Antisemitism continues to act against instances of anti-Jewish racism in all sports.

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Audit finds dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents in Canada

Canada has seen record levels of antisemitic incidents in 2021 according to an audit by Jewish advocacy group B’Nai Brith.

The analysis found that there were 2,799 antisemitic hate crimes that year, including assaults, synagogue vandalism, and swastika graffiti in schools. 

This marks a seven percent increase from 2020, though incidents involving violence saw a 700 percent increase, up from nine in 2020 to 75 in 2021. 

The report found this was consistent with the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the genocidal antisemitic terror group Hamas in May last year.

There has been a Jewish presence in Canada that dates back to the establishment of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749. According to data collected by Statistics Canada and the United Jewish Federations of Canada in 2011, the country had 391,665 Jews, making up 1.2 percent of the total population.

The audit also noted that there has been a “surge” in such incidents taking place on university campuses, which have become “significant breeding grounds for antisemitism.”

B’nai Brith’s Senior Legal Counsel, David Martas, said that “If you are Jewish, you are more likely to be a victim of a hate crime by far than if you are a member of another minority.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Dutch Easter carollers continue to sing antisemitic song despite outcry from the Jewish community

Easter carol singers in the Dutch city of Ootmarsum have faced criticism for the alleged antisemitic content of one of their songs.

Ootmarsum, about 80 miles east of Amsterdam, has hosted the traditional carolling procession – known to locals as vlöggeln – since at least 1840. It consists of dozens of Catholic men singing as they walk a particular route through the city several times a day on the first and second days of Easter.

They sing a song entitled “Christ Resurrected” and its lyrics, which are printed and handed around to onlookers, excoriate “the Jews who with their false council sacrificed Jesus on the cross”.

It is not only the content of the song that has drawn protests from the Jewish community, but the connotations of how it is organised.

Eight lead singers dressed in raincoats, known as the Poaskerls, lead the carolling. They must be single Catholic men who have no intention of getting married in the next four years. The point is a rite of passage: the eight Poaskerls accept that they are no longer youths and become adults. The oldest of them smokes a cigar. He is the treasurer of the group and given the nickname of the “Judas”.

The accusation of “Deicide” – the belief that the Jews are collectively responsible for the death of Jesus Christ – is part of the classic repertoire of antisemitism, and has led to innumerable acts of violence against and mendacious claims about Jews for centuries. Since 1965, however, the Catholic Church asserted, though “the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ”, Jews cannot be held collectively responsible for this, then or now.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Rutgers University and local police investigate two separate incidents of antisemitic harrassment of Jewish fraternity

Rutgers University and local police are investigating a series of antisemitic incidents involving a fraternity at the University.

Members of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity were commemorating Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, in their annual 24-hour-long event, which involved reading the names of people who were murdered during the Holocaust, when they were reportedly pelted with eggs.

This closely follows a separate apparently antisemitic incident that took place a few days before, when several cars full of people carrying and waving Palestinian flags stopped outside the fraternity’s residence on Sicard Street, shouting antisemitic remarks, spitting, and throwing things at the house.

The latter incident apparently took place after a local chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine held a “Defend Al-Aqsa, Defend Palestine” rally. The perpetrators are reported to have called fraternity members “baby killers” and “terrorists”.

Rutgers University-New Brunswick Chancellor-Provost, Francine Conway, sent a letter to Rutgers students and faculty about the incident, saying: “Initial representations regarding the incident are disturbing. We understand and are sensitive to the concerns of those who were targeted, and stand by our Jewish students, faculty and staff. Harassment based on religious belief, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or for any reason, is antithetical to our values at Rutgers University.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Paris Court of Appeal reduces fine for Dieudonné over videos

A sentence imposed on Dieudonné over videos that he released in 2020 has been reduced by the Paris Court of Appeal to a fine roughly equivalent to £75. However, the Appeal Court upheld a fine of 10,000 euros (£80,000) in another case against him.

Dieudonné, whose real name is Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala, is a French comedian and political activist who has been convicted for hate speech and advocating terrorism, among other offences, in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

At his trial in May 2021, Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala, 56, was found guilty of antisemitic insults, incitement to hatred and a crime against humanity. He claimed that the videos in question were fake, created through a sophisticated digital technique.

The original custodial sentence of four months’ imprisonment plus a fine was reduced to a fine of 100 euros. However, the Court of Appeal upheld a fine of 10,000 euros plus 3,000 euros in damages against Dieudonné for a video released in September 2020 defaming anti-racism delegate Frédéric Potier, who is involved in the fight against antisemitism and LGBT hatred.

In the summer of 2020, in a move to combat hateful content, Dieudonné was banned from major online platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

In May 2021, he was also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, only one of which must be served, plus a further fine of 200,000 euros for a string of financial crimes, including tax fraud and money laundering.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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.