CAA protest outside the BBC on 25th February 2025
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BBC appears to admit that licence fee funds went to senior Hamas family

The BBC, engulfed in scandal, has shared an e-mail with staff and released statements regarding the progress of its internal review into the so-called documentary about Gaza.

You can read the full e-mail and statements below.

The BBC’s admission of ‘serious flaws’ is an exercise in damage control. They now admit that licence fee payers’ money was handed to the family of a senior Hamas official. That payment was for the appearance of a boy in the film. Clearly the filmmakers knew who the boy’s family were because they paid them, but rather than the boy’s actual family appearing in the film, audiences were shown a fake family to hide the truth of his real family’s deep involvement with Hamas. The BBC says that they maintained full editorial control and responsibility for the film, so either that is true and the BBC is to blame for this lie and has only come clean because they were caught, or they actually did not have editorial control and are simply conducting damage limitation.

None of this even begins to explain the editorial decisions that are plain for all to see, such as the decision to refer to Hamas terrorists as an ‘army’, or to deliberately mistranslate ‘jihad against the Jews’ as ‘resistance against the Israelis’.

What is most telling of all is that the BBC is behaving as though this is a one-off problem, not a symptom of a wider rot within the organisation. They have paid money to a Hamas official’s family, which could have been discovered using Google, and simply labelled it as a ‘serious mistake’. That is a matter for resignations and police investigation. They are conducting their own internal review just of this programme, but an organisation like the BBC does not end up giving money to a senior Hamas official just by accident: it is part of a pervasive problem of bias enabled by a wilful blindness to its own deep flaws.

The BBC cannot be allowed to mark its own homework on a matter this serious. There must be an independent investigation into bias at the BBC. Pending the outcome of that investigation, the licence fee must be suspended. Hundreds of people are contacting us telling us that they refuse to pay the licence fee until they can be sure that the BBC is trustworthy.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “A national treasure has become a national embarrassment. The BBC has now admitted that licence fee funds were paid to the family of a senior Hamas official. It has not yet been able to rule out that further payments to Hamas were made as it continues to investigate where hundreds of thousands of pounds went. The BBC’s statement is an exercise in desperate damage control, and shows why an internal review is no substitute for an independent investigation into this documentary and the wider bias at the BBC that allowed it to be made and aired. Clearly those responsible must lose their jobs.

“It is unconscionable that the British public should have to pay a licence fee to an organisation that gives that money to proscribed terrorists. It represents a shocking double standard in our law. Pending an independent investigation, the licence fee must be suspended.”

These developments come after:

  • Gary Lineker, Miriam Margolyes and hundreds of others signed a letter criticising the BBC for pulling the so-called documentary;
  • Further revelations have come to light about mistranslations in the film that sanitise the antisemitic vitriol in Gaza;
  • Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Parliament that she has sought assurances from the BBC but was still waiting on the results of the BBC’s internal review;
  • Campaign Against Antisemitism and others have reported the BBC to Counter Terrorism Policing, which is reviewing the case.

BBC e-mail and statements

Yesterday, Deborah Turness the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, shared the following e-mail and statement with staff.

Subject: A message about ‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’

Dear all,

I’m writing in relation to the documentary ‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’.

I’ve been working with a senior team over the past week to investigate the concerns surrounding the programme, and to prepare a report for the BBC Board which met earlier today. I’m sharing below a statement from the BBC and the BBC Board which will go out shortly.

I’d like to acknowledge the impact this episode has had on our reputation, and on the trust that you work hard to earn each and every day.

Since joining BBC News as CEO, my priority has been to drive transparency in our journalism to grow that trust, and these events damage the good work we have been doing together.

It’s important to say here that this is exactly the kind of journalism BBC News should be doing, and that we must continue to do. In turbulent times, we must find a way to go to difficult places to tell important stories. But of course, we have to get it right.

Finally, I would like to recognise that this is a difficult time, particularly for our hard working colleagues in the Current Affairs team, whose journalism is admired across the industry.

The BBC statement below contains information from our initial fact finding work and some details of the actions we are taking.

Thank you for your continued work and dedication.

Deborah Turness
CEO, BBC News and Current Affairs

BBC Statement on “Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone”:

BBC News has conducted an initial review on the programme “Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone”. Today the BBC Board was updated on that work. The review has identified serious flaws in the making of this programme. Some of these were made by the production company, and some by the BBC; all of them are unacceptable. BBC News takes full responsibility for these and the impact that these have had on the Corporation’s reputation. We apologise for this.

Nothing is more important than the trust that audiences have in our journalism. This incident has damaged that trust. While the intent of the documentary was aligned with our purpose – to tell the story of what is happening around the world, even in the most difficult and dangerous places – the processes and execution of this programme fell short of our expectations. Although the programme was made by an independent production company, who were commissioned to deliver a fully compliant documentary, the BBC has ultimate editorial responsibility for this programme as broadcast.

One of the core questions is around the family connections of the young boy who is the narrator of the film. During the production process, the independent production company was asked in writing a number of times by the BBC about any potential connections he and his family might have with Hamas. Since transmission, they have acknowledged that they knew that the boy’s father was a Deputy Agriculture Minister in the Hamas Government; they have also acknowledged that they never told the BBC this fact. It was then the BBC’s own failing that we did not uncover that fact and the documentary was aired.

Hoyo Films have told us that they paid the boy’s mother, via his sister’s bank account, a limited sum of money for the narration. While Hoyo Films have assured us that no payments were made to members of Hamas or its affiliates, either directly, in kind, or as a gift, the BBC is seeking additional assurance around the budget of the programme and will undertake a full audit of expenditure. We are requesting the relevant financial accounts of the production company in order to do that.

Given the BBC’s own failings, the Director-General has asked for complaints on this matter to be expedited to the Editorial Complaints Unit, which is separate from BBC News. Alongside this a full fact-finding review will be undertaken; the Director-General has asked Peter Johnston to lead this work.

Peter Johnston, the Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, is independent of BBC News and reports directly to the Director-General. He will consider all of the complaints and issues that have been raised. He will determine whether any editorial guidelines have been broken; rapidly address the complaints that have been made; and, enable the BBC to determine whether any disciplinary action is warranted in relation to shortcomings in the making of this programme. This will include issues around the use of language, translation and continuity that have also been raised with the BBC.

We have no plans to broadcast the programme again in its current form or return it to iPlayer and will make a further assessment once the work of Peter Johnston is complete.

Statement from the BBC Board:

“The BBC Board met today. The subject matter of the documentary was clearly a legitimate area to explore, but nothing is more important than trust and transparency in our journalism. While the Board appreciates that mistakes can be made, the mistakes here are significant and damaging to the BBC.

“The Board has required the Executive to report back at the earliest opportunity on the outcomes of the work the Director-General has commissioned.”

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“Keyboard warrior” who called to “eradicate every Zionist” sentenced to jail

A man who published antisemitic posts online, including one that called to “eradicate every Zionist,” was sentenced to a twelve months’ imprisonment yesterday in court.

Mohammed Nafees Ahmed, 32, of Tipton, was sentenced at the Old Bailey for eight offences of supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation. The offences related to several posts from his X account, including one that read, “Your fool, long live Palestine long live hamas [sic],” in response to then-Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s condemnation of attacks carried out by the terrorist group in Israel on 7th October 2023

Another post, published only four days after the attacks, read: “Wipe them off the map. Death to Israel and America.” Other posts celebrated Israeli soldiers being killed.

In response to a post by Sir Keir Starmer celebrating Chanukah in December 2023, he wrote, “You Zionist, your time will come,” accompanied by an emoji of a knife.

He also directed posts to other political figures, including President Joe Biden, to whom he wrote “Parish Juda,” and Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Replying to Suella Braverman MP’s criticism of the Rishi Suank’s failure to address skyrocketing antisemitism and extremism in Britain following the attacks, Mr Ahmed wrote: “You still alive you witch.”

According to prosecutor Peter Ratliff, Mr Ahmed had also targeted a Jewish religious leader in his online activity.

It has also been reported that he described a report that described the murder by Hamas terrorists of entire families in their homes as “lies” and “fake news”.

Mr Ahmed, who previously worked as an accountant, was arrested on 20th March this year and charged on 16th September.

He pleaded guilty to the eight terrorist offences in Westminster Magistrates’ Court in October.

His lawyer argued that he admitted that his actions were “misguided and ill-thought-out” and that he described himself as an “idiot”. He also referred to himself as a “keyboard warrior”.

His lawyer also said that Mr Ahmed knew little of Hamas and that his posts came in response to seeing images of injured children in Gaza.

Sentencing, Judge Nigel Lickley KC remarked: “I am satisfied you had terrorist motivations. I am satisfied you knew Hamas was a proscribed organisation despite you saying you were not aware.”

He added, “Your words played a part in a worldwide dialogue at the time. Your behaviour cannot be overlooked,” concluding that Mr Ahmed’s offences were so serious that immediate imprisonment was the only option.
Image credit: Counter Terrorism Policing in the West Midlands

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Antisemitism in Britain, one year on

We are one year on from 7th October.

In that time, we have witnessed regular anti-Israel protests featuring antisemitic rhetoric and chanting and glorification of terror on our streets, encampments on our campuses, intimidation in and around schools, online, in workplaces and even in hospitals, media bias on our televisions and radios and in newspapers, growing sectarianism in our politics, and indifference by our public bodies and criminal justice system.

But what do the British people think, one year on? What do they think of Hamas? What do they think of the Jews?

These are questions we put, through YouGov, to the British public. The results are concerning, but with regard to young people (aged 18-24) the results are positively alarming.

This is what we found.

Views on Hamas

  • Almost one in ten – 9% – of young Britons (18-24 year olds) have a favourable view of Hamas, compared to 3% of the general British public. More than two thirds (68%) of the British public has an unfavourable view of Hamas, as do 50% of young Britons.
  • More than one eighth of young Britons (13%) do not believe that reports that Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis in the attacks on 7th October 2023 are broadly true, compared to 7% of the wider British public. Just over half (55%) of the British public think that those reports are broadly true, compared to 39% of 18-24 year olds.
  • An astounding 16% of young British adults believe that the attacks carried out by Hamas on 7th October 2023 were justified, compared to 7% of the wider British public. This figure rises to 28% among people identifying as “very left-wing”.
  • More than one eighth of British 18-24 year olds (13%) believe that the British Government is wrong to classify Hamas as a terrorist group, compared to 7% of the British public and an astonishing 31% among the “very left-wing”.
  • Reassuringly, over half (59%) of the British public would be less likely to visit a city centre if they knew a large pro-Palestinian march was due to happen. This is firmly where the centre-ground of British politics lies: with 66% among respondents identifying as being in the political centre saying so, 78% among slightly right-of-centre, and 48% among slightly left-of-centre.

Antisemitic attitudes

  • One third (33%) of the British public believes that Israel treats the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews, which is antisemitic according to the International Definition of Antisemitism. This is the highest figure that we have recorded in our polling. Even more worryingly, the figure for this question rises to a shocking 48% – nearly half – of 18-24 year olds. More than two-thirds (68%) of those who identify as “very left-wing” hold the same view. Among 2024 Labour voters, the figure is 45%, compared to 36% for Lib Dems voters, 22% of Conservative voters, and 18% of Reform voters.
  • Almost one in five (18%) British people believe that Israel can get away with anything because its supporters control the media, a figure that rises to a shocking 33% – one third – among 18-24s.
  • Almost one quarter (23%) of 18-24s do not believe that Israel is right to defend itself against those who want to destroy it, compared to 7% across the whole population. This number rises to one third (33%) among the far-left.
  • Nearly one fifth (18%) of young people do not believe that Israel has a right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people. Overall among the British public, the figure is 8%. Interestingly, among 2024 Lib Dem voters, it is one in ten, which is higher than other mainstream political parties.
  • Almost one-fifth (19%) of the British public is not comfortable spending time with people who openly support Israel. Among young people, it is 41%, nearly double the 21% figure recorded in December 2023.
  • Almost a quarter (22%) of the general population think that Israel and its supporters are a bad influence on our democracy. Among young people, the figure is a staggering 43%. A quarter (25%) of 2024 Labour voters believe this as well, as do 22% of Lib Dem voters, 17% of Reform voters and 10% of Conservative voters.
  • One in ten people in Britain believe that compared to other groups, Jewish people have too much power in the media. Among 18-24 year olds, this rises to 16%.
  • One in ten young people believe that Jewish people talk about the Holocaust just to further their political agenda. Among the general public, the figure is 7%.
  • Nearly one-tenth (9%) of British young adults do not believe that Jewish people can be trusted just as much as other British people in business, which is almost double the 4% of the general British public.

The YouGov survey was designed in collaboration with Campaign Against Antisemitism and used the peer-reviewed Generalised Antisemitism Scale. The full results and methodology can be read here.

We provided an exclusive briefing on the polling results to MPs and the findings have been covered widely in the media.

Extremism is becoming normalised in our country, and as ever Jews are the canaries in the coal mine. We have been marking one year since the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, but here in Britain we need to turn our attention to the home front, where British society is changing before our eyes.

Most alarming of all, our young people are becoming radicalised at a far greater rate than the rest of the population, sympathising with terrorists and espousing extreme anti-Jewish racism.

If the authorities continue to let radicalism run rampant on campuses and on social media, it will not be long before we are looking over our shoulders at generation hate.

This is National Hate Crime Awareness Week, but are the police aware?

The intensifying antisemitic attitudes among segments of the British public are manifesting in hate crimes.

New Home Office statistics show that attacks against Jews between spring 2023 and the following year more than doubled, and our analysis of the numbers shows that Jewish people are considerably more likely to be the victims of hate crime than any other faith group per capita.

This was after the Met Police disclosed that hate crimes against Jews in the capital over the past eleven months have increased fourfold.

This is National Hate Crime Awareness Week. But all the statistics and record-keeping notwithstanding, are the police really aware?

Are they really aware that perpetrators need to be identified, arrested and prosecuted? Are they really aware of the effect of failing to do that? Are they really aware of the impact that all of this antisemitism, one year on, is having on ordinary British Jews?

To give voice to that anguish, we invited three Jews living in Britain who had never met before to talk to one another, in front of a camera, about how they are really feeling, one year on. The full video can be watched here.

Police don’t know Hizballah are proscribed terrorists

One thing that some police officers do not appear to be aware of is that Hizballah is a proscribed terrorist organisation under UK law.

We have released new, jaw-dropping footage showing a concerned member of the public approaching two Metropolitan Police officers at a vigil for Hizballah’s leader. The vigil took place in broad daylight in Trafalgar Square.

In this footage, taken on 28th September, the officers appear not to know that Hizballah is a proscribed terrorist organisation and demonstrate no concern about the event. When the member of the public tells the officers that Hizballah is proscribed under British law, one of the officers responds: “Your opinion is your opinion.”

The Head of MI5 has warned about the risk that Iran and its proxies pose to the UK, yet here was a vigil for an Iranian-backed proscribed terrorist group leader on our streets. When someone tried to point out to police officers that Hizballah is a terrorist organisation, he was gaslit, told that this was merely his ‘opinion’.

It is hard to watch the lack of training of Met officers on display here without despairing. For Britain’s Jews, acutely aware of Hizballah’s antisemitic genocidal intentions and record, it is terrifying. How are our officers supposed to protect us when they don’t even understand the law? We will be writing to the Metropolitan Police Service.

The Met are not the only ones.

Last week, we also called out the BBC for failing to describe Hamas and Hizballah as terrorists on BBC Newsround, a news programme for younger viewers. When the BBC fails to call these groups what they are, they are not being ‘impartial’: they are being inaccurate.

If you believe that our broadcasters should call terrorists what they are, please sign the petition.

The fight goes on

With antisemitism still at record-levels amid growing radicalisation and sectarianism in British society, we are continuing to ensure that these issues remain in the news and on the public agenda.

This week, we published the 100th episode of our podcast, Podcast Against Antisemitism, the world’s only podcast dedicated to discussion of antisemitism. For this anniversary episode, we interviewed our Chief Executive, for his take on the last year and our plans going forward.

We also continue to lead the debate on this issue within the Jewish community. Last week, for example, our Chief Executive, Gideon Falter, joined the President of the Board of Deputies, Phil Rosenberg, for a conversation moderated by journalist Nicole Lampert on the state of antisemitism today.

We wish our Jewish supporters a joyous Sukkot and a meaningful Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

This Shemini Atzeret, our thoughts are also with those who were murdered on 7th October 2023, which fell on this festival last year. May their memory be a blessing.

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Today, we remember.

Today is the first anniversary of 7th October 2023, a day that traumatised the Jewish people and will live in infamy.

On this day, the Jewish people suffered the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, murdering some 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostage.

We remember the victims who brutally lost their lives that day, some of whom lived their final moments in agony. We also remember the brave acts of heroism from those who made it their mission to help and rescue others nearby, even if it cost them their life.

May their memory be a blessing.

Through the testimonies of courageous survivors, we are still piecing together the horrific events of that day.

We continue to fight for the release of the over 100 hostages who still remain in captivity. They and their loved ones are in our thoughts. The Jewish people is incomplete without them.

We were proud to partner with organisations across the Jewish community in support of the commemorative event in Hyde Park yesterday, and to host a stall to speak to members of the community.

London supports the hostages

As we know, one year ago today, Hamas terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took over 250 hostage. More than 100 hostages are still being held captive.

We recently went out in London to offer pedestrians yellow ribbon pins in support of the hostages still held by Hamas. Watch what happened here.

Last week, we invited people to print off “Bring Them Home” posters and place them in their windows to show solidarity with the hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on 7th October.

Thank you to everyone who has sent us photographs of your posters so far. To take part, just e-mail your picture to [email protected].

Learn more about 7th October and the hostages

Over the past year, we have released a number of episodes of our podcast addressing the events of 7th October and its impact on survivors and the families of hostages.

On this day of commemoration, you may be particularly interested in our interviews with:

  • Natalie Sanandaji, a survivor of the Supernova Sukkot Gathering music festival, where some 365 people were murdered by Hamas.
  • Elad Poterman, a survivor, along with his wife Maria and baby daughter, of the Kibbutz Nahal Oz massacre.
  • Eylon Keshet, a cousin of Yarden Bibas who, along with baby Kfir, his five-year-old brother Ariel, and their mother Shiri, were kidnapped and taken as hostages to Gaza by Hamas.
  • Dr Einat Wilf, a former Member of Knesset and leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy and education.

Antisemitism at its highest levels

It has been reported that, over the past eleven months, there were more reported abuses of Jews than Muslims in London, for the first time.

For years, Jewish people have been by far the biggest victims of hate crime per capita – as we have previously highlighted in national billboard campaigns – but now, notwithstanding our relatively minuscule numbers, Jews are also the biggest victims in absolute terms.

This is an indictment of where our society is at, with rising levels of antisemitism and radicalisation, particularly among British youth – a trend that our national polling, released today, demonstrates. The polling has already been covered in the national press.

The antisemitic hate crime figures – which show that hate crime against Jews has increased fourfold – cannot come as a surprise to many people, particularly given that there is antisemitic rhetoric and chanting on our streets week after week. Indeed, this past Saturday, an anti-Israel demonstration was held in London marking one year since the Hamas invasion. As always, our Demonstration and Events Monitoring team was present and documented what took place.

Nearly one year on, the streets of London are filled with the same calls for intifada and grotesque Holocaust inversion. But now, support for Hizballah is on display too. This is the result of inaction from those in power who failed to forcefully clamp down on support for terror over an entire year.

Among the photographs and footage captured by our volunteers this past weekend was a man holding a pro-Hamas sign and declaring his “love for October”. The Times and The Telegraph picked up the story, and the Metropolitan Police then put out a witness appeal.

If you have any information, please e-mail us at [email protected] or contact the Metropolitan Police directly.

Join us to discuss the state of antisemitism today

From arson attacks to chants calling for intifada, to the harassment of Jewish students on campus, British Jews have been facing torrents of abuse. For the past year, our community has felt uncertain not just about safety, but our place in Britain.

One year on from 7th October, we invite you to join communal leaders for an important conversation as they discuss the current state of Jewry in Britain and what the future holds.

Hosted by journalist Nicole Lampert, the event will feature Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, and Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

This event will take place on Wednesday 9th October at 19:00 in North London. Booking is essential. The location will be announced to ticketholders on the day.

We are one year on from what was only the beginning of a heart-wrenching period for the Jewish people and our friends and allies.

Israel’s entry into a multi-front war, continuing efforts to free the hostages and a worldwide surge in antisemitism unprecedented in recent times have deprived us of an opportunity to properly mourn and process what happened that day.

This anniversary is one such opportunity, imperfect though it may be. In the meantime, we will continue to do whatever we can to defend British Jews.

We wish those fasting this weekend an easy and meaningful Yom Kippur.

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The wheels of justice turn slowly. CAA is here to give them a push.

We would like to update you on a number of cases that we have working on.

You may recall this video that was posted back in March and circulated on TikTok. It threatened violence against a named individual, saying that he was being hunted to “dish out the justice” and that once found, they would “drag him away from his family in front of his family”.

We reported the individual to counterterrorism police and commenced a private prosecution. We can now confirm that the CPS has taken up the case and the individual in the video has been charged with communications and terrorism offences and is awaiting trial.

In another case, last October, a social media user published these posts in the wake of a terrorist rocket that fell short and killed people in a Gaza hospital. The explosion was blamed by the BBC and other media outlets on Israel, fuelling antisemitic rhetoric like this. Apologies from the media, even after the damage was done, were few and far between.

One of the posts showed images of long knives. The posts threatened that “There won’t be a f***ing Jew walking the streets of London if this carries on!”

We argued that there is a direct link between inflammatory, unverified, incorrect reporting on Israel and this kind of reaction. We reported the case to the police and, after a considerable period of inaction by the police, we can now confirm that the individual has been charged.

The LGBTQ+ nightclub Adonis announced in its Instagram bio that “definitely no f***ing Zionists” were welcome at its club nights. The promoters also claimed that “Zionism has no place in queer spaces”. After an outcry, the bio was amended to read “no genocidal maniacs plz xx.”

We consider that Adonis’ ban on “Zionists” entering its events may breach criminal, equality, and licensing laws. We wrote to the co-Directors of DL Food and Drink Limited, the company that holds the licence for the premises, The Cause, that hosts Adonis at Silver Building in the Docklands. The company has now announced that Adonis’ event on 7th September will not take place on its premises.

Whilst Adonis sought to backtrack on its inflammatory online comments, the harm has already been done and our lawyers are examining various potential courses of action closely.

There have been several instances of Jewish people being actively or implicitly excluded from LGBTQ+ spaces and parades, and we will always act to ensure that all spaces — especially those that pride themselves on their “inclusivity” — understand that ostracising Jews carries consequences.

In addition, we continue to write to venues alerting them to Reginald D. Hunter’s recent conduct at the Edinburgh Fringe and his social media activity since then, and we are pleased to report that several have already cancelled his bookings. We are continuing to work with the victims and our lawyers are examining legal options.

These are only a selection of the cases that we are working on, and they represent only a fraction of the matters that we have reported to the police. These prosecutions are likely to take months, if not years, but we will see them through to the end.

Doing our part to help the hostages

We were delighted by the news today that one of the hostages, Qaid Farhan Al-Kadi, has been rescued from Gaza.

In just over a week’s time, 7th September 2024 will mark eleven months since Hamas abducted 251 Israelis and other nationals from Israel and took them into captivity in Gaza.

Of those 251 hostages, 117 have been returned alive, and 30 bodies have been repatriated. Over 100 still remain, including four who have been held by Hamas since before October 2023.

In a month’s time, on 7th October 2024, we will be marking the one-year anniversary of the massacre perpetrated by Hamas. We must do whatever we can to ensure that no hostage is still in captivity by that date.

That is why we are launching a campaign encouraging everyone to write to their MP to educate our Parliamentarians — including the hundreds of new MPs — about this issue and put the hostages back on the agenda.

You can write in two easy steps.

First, download this Word document, which contains a draft letter that you are welcome to use or amend as you please before sending either as a hard-copy letter, or as an e-mail attachment, or simply as text in the body of an e-mail. Remember to add your MP’s name and your name and postcode so that they know that you are a constituent and that they should respond.

Second, find out who your MP is and how to contact them, by clicking here.

If you get particularly supportive or hostile responses, you are welcome to share them with us by forwarding them to [email protected].

For those interested, we recently interviewed Eylon Keshet, a relative of the Bibas family, for our podcast. It has been over ten months since Hamas terrorists kidnapped Yarden and Shiri Bibas and their children, baby Kfir and Ariel. You can listen here.

Book now to hear Stories from Students

Since 7th October, Jewish student life on campus has been turned on its head.

CAA has therefore brought together current students and recent graduates from universities across the country to share their stories and answer questions from prospective students and their parents, as well as current students and other interested members of the Jewish community.

This event, taking place at 18:30 on Thursday 5th September in North London, is an important opportunity to hear directly from Jewish students.

It is also a chance for us to come together to show our support and solidarity with those who faced this new generation of hate head-on.

Booking is essential.

British Jews, how are you?

Do want to say your piece on antisemitism in Britain for one of our videos? If British Jews do not speak out about how we are feeling right now, we are less likely to get the action from the authorities that we need.

If you want to speak to camera or would like more information, please e-mail us now at [email protected] with the subject: “British Jews”.

Are you a medical professional, or a recent patient?

We are collecting testimonies on antisemitism in the medical field.

We are interested to hear from doctors and other medical practitioners, staff, patients and anyone else who has encountered antisemitism in medicine over the past year.

If you have been affected, please e-mail us confidentially at [email protected] with the subject: “Medical”.

Become a CAA Student Ambassador!

Are you a student at university in 2024-2025, or do you know somebody who is? CAA’s Student Ambassador programme is an exciting opportunity to work with us in a prestigious year-long initiative.

Student Ambassadors will work closely with our Education Officer and wider team to help us to expose and challenge the rising tide of antisemitism overwhelming UK university campuses.

The contributions of our students is more important now than ever before to the fight against antisemitism.

For further information and details about the programme please visit antisemitism.org/become-a-student-ambassador.

We are grateful to all of you who have answered our invitation to speak on camera about antisemitism or our call for evidence of antisemitism in the medical profession, or applied to become a Student Ambassador or have RSVPed to our Stories from Students event. It is only with the active help of the Jewish community and our allies that we can continue to raise awareness of antisemitism, confront it and deliver justice.

All of the legal cases that we are working on are likely to take months, if not years, before they reach an outcome. But, no matter how slowly the wheels of justice turn, CAA will be there to give them a push.

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UN says UNRWA has fired nine employees over involvement in Hamas attack on 7th October

The United Nations has announced that nine employees of the controversial UN agency, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), have been fired over alleged involvement in the Hamas terror attack in Israel on 7th October 2023.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said that “the evidence was sufficient” regarding the nine individuals “to conclude that they may have been involved” in the 7th October attacks.

The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services commissioned an investigation into nineteen UNRWA employees who were allegedly involved in the massacre, when Hamas terrorists and other Gazan terror groups rampaged across southern Israel, murdering some 1,200 people and abducting some 250 hostages.

The UN investigation connected nine employees to the terrorist attacks. In nine other cases, the agency found the evidence to be “insufficient” to “support” the employee’s involvement.

All nine dismissed staff members were understood to be men.

Mr Haq said that “any participation in the attacks” was a “tremendous betrayal of the sort of work that we are supposed to be doing on behalf of the Palestinian people”.

In March, Israel claimed that 450 of UNRWA’s 14,000 personnel in Gaza were members of terrorist groups. Many countries, including the UK, paused funding to UNRWA amid allegations that the agency aided Hamas terrorists.
UNRWA employs 30,000 staff members across the Middle East.

Israel has been aware for several years that Hamas uses UNRWA facilities in Gaza – including its schools – to store weapons, and as bases to run terrorist operations against Israel. The Israeli military claims that in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Hamas terrorists were found in UNRWA’s central logistics compound alongside UN vehicles. A group of 3,000 teachers working in Gaza for UNRWA even praised the 7th October Hamas attack. UNRWA-operated schools in Gaza have also been accused of teaching children antisemitism and hatred of Israel.

In June, more than 100 Israeli victims of the 7th October terrorist attacks sued UNRWA, alleging that the agency “knowingly provided material support to Hamas in Gaza.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism worldwide.

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Anjem Choudary sentenced to life in prison with minimum term of 28 years

Anjem Choudary, one of Britain’s leading Islamists, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years after he was found guilty of directing terror group Al-Muhajiroun and encouraging support for it through online meetings.

He was arrested and charged with three terrorism offences last year: directing a terrorist organisation, being a member of a proscribed organisation, and addressing meetings to encourage support for a proscribed organisation. He was recently convicted and a sentence has now been handed down at Woolwich Crown Court.

Mr Choudary, born in the UK and of Pakistani descent, failed his first-year medical exams at the University of Southampton due to his party lifestyle, but eventually graduated in law, later becoming Chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers. He became radicalised in the 1990s, launching al-Muhajiroun in the UK – later banned under terror laws – in 1996 with Syrian-born Islamist, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed.

The Jihadist group became linked to international terrorism, antisemitism and homophobia as it sought a world subject to Sharia law, and praised the 9/11 highjackers. The group disbanded in 2004 following its proscription but is believed to have continued to operate under different aliases. According to The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Choudary was involved in recruiting Muslims to undergo weapons training in the UK in order to fight for Osama Bin Laden’s International Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, and in 2010 he was linked to those involved in an al Qaeda plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange.

Mr Choudary praised the murderer of drummer Lee Rigby in 2013, in response to which comments then-Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Let’s be clear about Anjem Choudary: he does have absolutely despicable and appalling views, an absolutely classic case of that poisonous narrative of extremism and violence that we need to confront and defeat.”

In 2016, Mr Choudary was convicted of supporting the Islamic State in connection with speeches posted on YouTube. He was jailed for five years and six months. At the time he was jailed, he had reportedly been linked to fifteen terror plots dating back approximately twenty years, and had connections to hundreds of British jihadists who had travelled to Syria to fight.

He was released from Belmarsh prison after serving half of his sentence, although he remained subject to some 25 licence conditions.

In 2021, he was reported to have suggested that the MP Sir David Amess may have been murdered because of his “rumoured pro-Israel views”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer has consistently showed that large majorities of British Jews consider the threat from Islamists to be very serious.

Image credit: Metropolitan Police Service

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Anjem Choudary found guilty of terror offences

Anjem Choudary, one of Britain’s leading Islamists, has been found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of directing terror group Al-Muhajiroun and encouraging support for it through online meetings.

He had been arrested and charged with three terrorism offences last year: directing a terrorist organisation, being a member of a proscribed organisation, and addressing meetings to encourage support for a proscribed organisation.

Mr Choudary, born in the UK and of Pakistani descent, failed his first-year medical exams at the University of Southampton due to his party lifestyle, but eventually graduated in law, later becoming Chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers. He became radicalised in the 1990s, launching al-Muhajiroun in the UK – later banned under terror laws – in 1996 with Syrian-born Islamist, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed.

The Jihadist group became linked to international terrorism, antisemitism and homophobia as it sought a world subject to Sharia law, and praised the 9/11 highjackers. The group disbanded in 2004 following its proscription but is believed to have continued to operate under different aliases. According to The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Choudary was involved in recruiting Muslims to undergo weapons training in the UK in order to fight for Osama Bin Laden’s International Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, and in 2010 he was linked to those involved in an al Qaeda plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange.

Mr Choudary praised the murderers of Drummer Lee Rigby in 2013, in response to which comments then-Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Let’s be clear about Anjem Choudary: he does have absolutely despicable and appalling views, an absolutely classic case of that poisonous narrative of extremism and violence that we need to confront and defeat.”

In 2016, Mr Choudary was convicted of supporting the Islamic State in connection with speeches posted on YouTube. He was jailed for five years and six months. At the time he was jailed, he had reportedly been linked to fifteen terror plots dating back approximately twenty years, and had connections to hundreds of British jihadists who had travelled to Syria to fight.

He was released from Belmarsh prison after serving half of his sentence, although he remained subject to some 25 licence conditions.

In 2021, he was reported to have suggested that the MP Sir David Amess may have been murdered because of his “rumoured pro-Israel views”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer has consistently showed that large majorities of British Jews consider the threat from Islamists to be very serious.

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Judge given formal warning after CAA complaint in relation to appearance of bias after his lenient sentence for Hamas paraglider protesters

Heba Alhayek, 29, Pauline Ankunda, 26, and Noimutu Taiwo, 27, were given twelve-month conditional discharges at Westminster Magistrates’ Court earlier this year after being convicted of terrorism offences.

During a demonstration in London shortly after the 7th October attack, when Hamas murdered over 1,200 Israelis and took some 250 people hostage, Ms Alhayek and Ms Ankunda attached images of paragliders to their backs; Ms Taiwo attached such an image to the handle of a placard.

They were arrested and charged with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are supporters of the proscribed antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisation, Hamas.

Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram reportedly said: “Seven days earlier, Hamas went into Israel with what was described by the media as paragliders. A reasonable person would have seen and read that. I do not find a reasonable person would interpret the image merely as a symbol of freedom. You’ve not hidden the fact you were carrying these images. You crossed the line, but it would have been fair to say that emotions ran very high on this issue. Your lesson has been well learnt. I do not find you were seeking to show any support for Hamas.” He concluded that he had “decided not to punish” the trio.

Campaign Against Antisemitism revealed that Judge Ikram’s social media activity may suggest bias. Specifically, the judge ‘liked’ a post that stated: “Free Free Palestine. To the Israeli terrorist both in the United Kingdom, the United States and of course Israel, you can run, you can bomb but you cannot hide – justice will be coming for you.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted a complaint to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO), and it is understood that Judge Ikram also referred himself to the body as well. The complaint has been upheld and the JCIO has published a statement.

Judge Ikram was found to have breached Social Media Guidance for the judiciary by identifying himself as a judge on LinkedIn, but it was accepted that he had ‘liked’ the post inadvertently and that there were no other inappropriate posts or engagement. 

He reportedly described the contents of the post as “repulsive”, and told investigators that he had closed his LinkedIn account to mitigate the impact of his action. He said that it was an account that “he had primarily used for his work as a Diversity and Community Relations judge”.

The act was found to have amounted to misconduct and the nominated judge recommended a sanction of formal advice. However, Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk and Lady Chief Justice Dame Sue Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill “were not satisfied that a sanction of formal advice was sufficient” and increased the sanction to a formal warning because “the judge’s actions caused significant reputational damage to the judiciary”.

Judge Ikram sits on the judicial appointments committee and is a Diversity and Community Relations judge.

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It is time for Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to go

Last Saturday, our Chief Executive went to synagogue and then went for a walkabout in London with a few others.

Just over six months ago, as law-abiding Londoners, that would not have been a problem. Supposedly it still isn’t.

They were openly Jewish but had no badges or placards, were not shouting anything, did not say or do anything political and did not seek to engage with any protesters or join any counter-protest.

They sought to walk through London, wherever they wanted, as Jews.

But they were not able to.

We then announced that, this coming Saturday 27th April, we will be going for a walk through London, openly as Jews and allies, wherever we want. There is more information on the walk below.

In response to our video recounting the incident on 13th April and announcing that we will go for another walk on 27th April, the Metropolitan Police Service released a statement.

The Met Police’s response included an offer to “meet and discuss with anyone who wishes to organise a march or protest ahead of 27th April”.

That is kind of them, but they are missing the point.

We have no intention of starting or joining any protest or counter-protest. Being Jewish in London is not a ‘cause’ that we should need to ‘march’ for. It is a right.

The Met released a number of statements, including one in which an Assistant Commissioner, one of the most senior officers on the force, appeared to double down on the suggestion that an “openly Jewish” person present near these marches could be “provocative”. The statement was an appalling example of victim-blaming, and the Met withdrew the statement and apologised.

The story has received national media coverage, including three front pages this weekend and another three on Monday morning. Campaign Against Antisemitism spokespeople have also featured numerous times across BBC television and radio, ITV, Sky News, LBC and more.

There was also a full interview in The Sunday Times, and on Sunday evening, Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Chief Executive held a one-hour phone-in with Rachel Johnson on LBC, explaining how these marches and the failed policing around them is affecting the Jewish community.

The incident on 13th April and the back-and-forth with the Met just confirm what we know: that it is dangerous to be a Jew in London when these marches are taking place, and the blame for that lies squarely with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley.

What happened last weekend was the inevitable conclusion of six months of inertia and contextualising crimes away by a Met that has curtailed the rights of law-abiding Londoners in order to appease mobs rife with anti-Jewish racists and terrorist sympathisers.

It has been six months of this now, and enough is enough. Britain is a country of tolerance and decency. Jewish people and other law-abiding Londoners should not be intimidated against walking the streets of the cities we live in.

That is why it is time for Sir Mark Rowley to go.

Sir Mark has the distinction of presiding over the worst surge in antisemitic criminality in our capital city since records began. We are in a time when 90% of British Jews say that they would avoid the centre of town when an anti-Israel protest is taking place. Those protests have made our city centres into no-go zones for Jews every weekend for six months now, and as the recent incident showed, that no-go zone is enforced by the Met.

Please join the thousands who have already signed the petition calling on Sir Mark to go.

Walk with us

On Saturday 27th April — the next major anti-Israel march — we are asking you, Jewish or not, to stand up for the tolerance and decency of which this country is so rightly proud, simply by going for a walk.

For those who want to walk together on the 27th, we will suggest a time and location where people can meet, which we will post on our social media accounts on the 26th.

If you would like to be notified of the suggested meeting place and time by e-mail instead, please sign up.

For those who wish to walk with us, please note that we have no intention of starting or joining any protest or counter-protest. We will not have placards or flags, we will not be chanting, we will not be wearing stickers. Those are not things one does when one goes for a walk.

We are not looking for a confrontation. We will simply be walking around our capital city as Jews and law-abiding Londoners, wherever we want. It is our right.

Time to finally proscribe the IRGC and the Houthis

Last weekend, the Islamic Republic of Iran flaunted its true colours and escalated its war against Israel with an unprecedented direct attack in its latest attempt to extinguish the Jewish state.

This is an antisemitic theocracy that means harm to Jews worldwide, Britain and its interests and the West. It is finally time to clamp down on Iran, its proxies and its supporters in the UK.

We have again called on the Home Secretary and the British Government to swiftly proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Houthis — as well as all of the terrorist groups in Gaza that were actively involved in the Hamas-led 7th October attack — and clamp down on the documented threats that they pose to our national security and empower the police to arrest those praising attacks on British shipping every week on our streets.

It makes no sense for Britain to engage this foe abroad while giving its supporters free rein here at home. For months, Britain has been generous with protesters in our own country who support our enemies. The time has come to take the gloves off.

Campaign Against Antisemitism funds successful appeal for Iranian activist’s right to call Hamas terrorists

A judge has rejected an attempt by the Metropolitan Police to prevent Iranian dissident Niyak Ghorbani from attending anti-Israel protests to display his sign calling Hamas terrorists.

Under draconian bail conditions imposed by the police, Mr Ghorbani, who has been arrested and de-arrested several times, would have been prohibited from approaching any demonstrations relating to Israel and Gaza in London.

However, following a successful appeal that was funded by Campaign Against Antisemitism, the court has rejected the Met’s conditions, ruling that they were neither proportionate nor necessary.

All Mr Ghorbani wants to do is point out to anti-Israel marchers that Hamas is a terrorist organisation under UK law.

If only the police were half as concerned with the marchers as with people like Mr Ghorbani. How did British policing get so topsy-turvy?

You may recall that we created t-shirts and hoodies emblazoned with the same message, which we have made available for sale. Many of you have already bought them, wearing them to protests and posting pictures on social media.

These achievements are only possible thanks to our dedicated staff, extraordinary volunteers and your support. Thank you to all of you who support our work.

Passover, which begins this Monday evening, is also known as the Festival of Spring. It is a time of birth and rebirth — of the Jewish people, of the nature all around us — and a time of optimism.

This is not an easy time to celebrate or be optimistic, as hostages remain in captivity, uncertainties abound in the Middle East, antisemitism surges around the world, including here at home in the UK, and policing in London is in shambles.

But let us choose, at this time of rebirth, to remake the environment that we live in. We will start with something simple. We will start with a walk.

Wishing those celebrating a happy Passover!

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Social media activity of Judge in paraglider case suggests possible bias

The social media activity of the judge in case of three women who displayed images of a paraglider in an anti-Israel protest may suggests possible bias.

Heba Alhayek, 29, Pauline Ankunda, 26, and Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, were given twelve-month conditional discharges at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday after being convicted of terrorism offences.

Ms Alhayek and Ms Ankunda attached images of paragliders to their backs; Ms Olayinka attached such an image to the handle of a placard.

They were arrested and charged with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are supporters of the proscribed antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisation, Hamas.

Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram reportedly said that there was nothing to suggest the group were supporters of Hamas, but, he added, “seven days earlier, Hamas went into Israel with what was described by the media as paragliders. A reasonable person would have seen and read that. I do not find a reasonable person would interpret the image merely as a symbol of freedom. You’ve not hidden the fact you were carrying these images. You crossed the line, but it would have been fair to say that emotions ran very high on this issue. Your lesson has been well learnt. I do not find you were seeking to show any support for Hamas.” He concluded that he had “decided not to punish” the trio.

Campaign Against Antisemitism can reveal that Judge Ikram’s social media activity may suggest bias (see picture below), and we are exploring legal options.

We are also looking at submitting a complaint to the Bar Standards Board in relation to barrister and political candidate Sham Uddin, over his social media output.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram’s social media activity suggests to us that there may be grounds to set aside his ruling in the case in which he decided ‘not to punish’ three women found guilty of terrorism offences, on the basis of actual or apparent bias. We are sharing our findings with the Crown Prosecution Service, which may wish to appeal the verdict, and we are considering various legal options. We are also submitting a complaint to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office.”

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Three women who displayed paraglider images at anti-Israel protest have been convicted of terrorism offences

Heba Alhayek, 29, Pauline Ankunda, 26, and Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, have been given twelve-month conditional discharges at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today after being convicted of terrorism offences.

Ms Alhayek and Ms Ankunda attached images of paragliders to their backs; Ms Olayinka attached such an image to the handle of a placard.

They were arrested and charged with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are supporters of the proscribed antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisation, Hamas.

Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram reportedly said that there was nothing to suggest the group were supporters of Hamas, but, he added, “seven days earlier, Hamas went into Israel with what was described by the media as paragliders. A reasonable person would have seen and read that. I do not find a reasonable person would interpret the image merely as a symbol of freedom. You’ve not hidden the fact you were carrying these images. You crossed the line, but it would have been fair to say that emotions ran very high on this issue. Your lesson has been well learnt. I do not find you were seeking to show any support for Hamas.” He concluded that he had “decided not to punish” the trio.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is right that these three women, who displayed an image of a paraglider – a symbol that immediately came to be associated with the Hamas attack of 7th October – at an anti-Israel protest, have been convicted of terrorism offences. What is inexplicable is that Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram has seen fit ‘not to punish’ them. The court has thereby sent the worst possible signal to the Jewish community at a time of surging antisemitism and glorification of terror, and we fully expect the CPS to now bring an appeal against this unduly lenient sentence.”

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How do we remember the Holocaust?

This week we approach Holocaust Memorial Day, which marks the Allied liberation of Auschwitz and commemorates the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. But how should we remember the Holocaust – the event for which the term “genocide” was coined?

From graffiti in Glasgow to a library in Tower Hamlets, we are all seeing comparisons of Israel to Nazis everywhere, in a clear breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. At yesterday’s weekly anti-Israel protest, leaflets were distributed in London purporting to explain the “Zionist Holocaust, backed by the West, aping Hitler.” Across the channel in the Hague, the Jewish state is being accused of implementing a genocide.

The brutality of the antisemitic genocidal terror group Hamas has quickly been forgotten, and reminders of its barbarism – such as pictures of baby Kfir, who this past week turned one year old in Hamas’s clutches – are torn from walls.

Evidently, the enemies of the Jewish people view the Holocaust and its legacy very differently from the rest of us. This week will be an opportunity to ask ourselves why we continue to remember the Holocaust, and what lessons it is supposed to teach.

If you are organising or attending a Holocaust Memorial Day event, make sure that the right lessons are being taught. If they are not, please let us know.

Manchester marches against antisemitism

Weekly anti-Israel rallies featuring antisemitic rhetoric and genocidal chanting have made our urban centres no-go zones for Jews. It is intolerable.

Today, Campaign Against Antisemitism was proud to join Jews and allies in Manchester to march against antisemitism!

“Filthy animals and Zionist control”

Our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit, together with our communications team, went out to a recent anti-Israel rally and asked protesters why they were demonstrating.

​Their repugnant responses were so voluminous that we couldn’t fit them all into one video. Here is Part One:

You can also watch Part Two and Part Three.

Are the police doing enough?

Sir Mark Rowley, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, appeared on LBC to defend policing of the weekly anti-Israel protests. Challenged by a caller, he claimed: “We’re determined to do everything we can do within the law to create the frameworks around protest to make sure that we balance the rights of protesters with not having the centre of London as a place where people such as yourself are afraid to come into.”

Given that our polling shows that 90% of British Jews say that they would avoid travelling to a city centre if a major anti-Israel demonstration was taking place there, we question Sir Mark’s satisfaction that the right “balance” has been struck.

Pressed on whether his officers are being robust enough with demonstrators who hold antisemitic signs and presented with the claim that, when protestors shout the genocidal chant “From the River to the Sea”, his officers just stand and watch, he insisted: “That’s not true.”

​You can judge for yourself here.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been at the forefront of holding the Met to account, and we will continue to do so in the weeks to come.

Proscription of Hizb ut-Tahrir

While the Met Police may not be listening, the Government showed that it is. This week, Home Secretary James Cleverly announced that the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir is to be proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000.

When we discovered that Hizb ut-Tahrir had appeared to praise the Hamas attack of 7th October, we wrote to the Met to prevent the group from holding its demonstrations on the streets of London. The Met took no action and the rallies went ahead, in which there were calls for the armies of Muhammed to wage Jihad. Still, the Met refused to take action, making excuses to defend this rhetoric instead.

We therefore wrote to the Home Secretary calling for the controversial Islamist group to be proscribed.

​We commend the Home Secretary for this significant announcement. for which we have called over the past few weeks and with which, according to our polling, 90% of British Jews agree.

It is absolutely the right step, and shows that the Government is listening. The Met should take note.

This week, as we approach Holocaust Memorial Day, we must ensure that the right lessons are being learned. We owe it to the past, and we owe it to the present and the future.

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It Is Time For Our Voice To Be Heard. Please Join Us.

It is time for our voice to be heard. Please join us.

Week after week, London has become a no-go zone for Jews. But not only London. Rallies featuring antisemitic rhetoric have been held throughout the country over the past weeks, and this weekend the demonstrators doubled down on that strategy, launching micro rallies across the UK.

As you know, the police have refused to heed our calls to impose conditions on these weekly marches or ban them altogether, notwithstanding their obvious inability to police demonstrations that feature criminality on such a scale.

Our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit has helped to document and expose, week after the week, the hatred and glorification of terrorism at these rallies, including among the rank and file protesters.

Still, we believe that much of our country is with us, and next weekend it is time for us — the Jewish community and its allies — to finally have our voice heard.

That is why we are marching together in solidarity against antisemitism on Sunday 26th November, at 13:30 in central London.

Thousands of you have signed up already for updates about the route. If you have not yet done so, please register.

Among those friends backing the march are the stalwart allies of the Jewish community behind the October Declaration. We are proud to have friends like these, who are not afraid to call out antisemitism, speak up for the truth and love our country. You can read more about them, and sign the October Declaration on their website.

Meanwhile, this week has seen protests in London that target the MPs who make our laws. On Wednesday, Parliament was surrounded. Yesterday, they took the fight to MPs’ offices. Rule of law or mob rule? Watch and decide.

The hostages

Antisemitism in the UK is of course bound up with Hamas’ war on Israel, and we have been at the forefront of raising awareness in the UK about the plight of the Hamas’ hostages since the start of the war. You may recall that, last month, while failing to take action against demonstrators, the police nonetheless insisted on shutting down our van displaying the images of child hostages. Since then, we struggled to find other billboard van companies willing to work with us, for fear of police action.

So we bought our own van.

Thanks to generous donors, the images of the children are now back on our streets.

Although the police, along with demonstrators who hate to be reminded of the antisemitic evil of Hamas, have again attempted to shut the van down, this time we refused to acquiesce in the trampling of our rights, and we continued on our way. We will remember the hostages, and we will not be silenced. #BringThemHome

Broadcasters must call Hamas terrorists

We have all been appalled by the BBC’s refusal to call Hamas “terrorists”. And the BBC is not alone among broadcasters in, deliberately or otherwise, sanitising the terror group by having described Hamas’ murderous members by other descriptors, such as “militants”.

This weekend we are, therefore, launching a Parliamentary Petition calling for terrorism legislation to be amended to require all broadcasters regulated by Ofcom to describe all terrorist organisations proscribed in the UK and their operatives as “terrorists” and not by any other descriptor, which does not make their terrorist nature clear.

Unlike other petitions, if 10,000 people sign a Parliamentary Petition, the Government will issue a response, and if 100,000 people sign it, the topic will be considered for debate in Parliament. Please help us to right this wrong and urge lawmakers to act to ensure that television and radio audiences get the real facts in the news that they consume.

After suffering through weeks of hateful demonstrations that have taken over our capital and other cites across the country, it is time for our voice to be heard. Next weekend, please join us.



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CAA is mobilising, and the fightback has begun

As we continue to process the news in Israel and pray for the swift rescue of the hostages, antisemitism is surging in the UK.

On our streets, on campuses and online, in our workplaces, schools and even in the playground, we are seeing the glorification of terrorism and antisemitic hate, and on our television screens our national broadcaster cannot bring itself to call terror by its name.

At Campaign Against Antisemitism, we have been mobilising. The fightback has begun.

The volunteers of our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit have gathered evidence from the demonstrations this weekend and over the past week. We have also heard from you in unprecedented numbers, receiving a constant flow of messages and tips. Our staff and volunteers have worked around the clock to monitor, document and process evidence, and we have referred a multitude of individuals and organisations to the police and regulatory authorities, and we continue to do so at a rapid pace. If they fail to act, we will hold them to account.

If you have information that you would like to share with us, please e-mail [email protected].

We have written to the BBC about its refusal to describe Hamas as “terrorists”, called for Ofcom to intervene, and led the national media campaign to pressure the broadcaster to call terror by its name. We have also requested that the Culture, Media and Sport Committee hold an urgent hearing, are promoting a petition and are co-sponsoring a rally on Monday evening outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House in London. To join the tens of thousands who have already signed the petition, please sign here.

We have also written to the FA and Premier League to express our disgust at the decision not to illuminate Wembley Stadium and to prohibit the waving of Israeli flags at matches this weekend.

We have launched a billboard campaign around London featuring the faces of infants and children taken hostage by Hamas, as part of a campaign to ensure that the public does not so quickly forget not only those murdered by the terrorists but also those still in their clutches.

It is a frightening prospect, but the same ideology that brought about the horrors in the south of Israel is present in the UK. Our fight here is part of the same war that our brethren are fighting in Israel: it is simply another front. We need the resources to fight back.

On top of it all, our regular work continues. In the past few days, for example, we secured the extradition of a fugitive French Holocaust-denier back to France, where he will now face the justice that he has evaded for too long.

As a volunteer-led organisation, our priority is manpower. This week, we have mobilised a huge number of new volunteers, to ensure that everybody who can play a part has the opportunity to do so. Thank you to the many of you who have stepped forward. To join them, please visit antisemitism.org/mobilise.

Still, we are a charity, and the surge in demand for our services means that we must raise funds to meet it. We must also prepare for what may come next: while the support from the Government and the authorities and the support that we are seeing for Israel and the Jewish community is welcome, history shows that it may be transient. We must have the resources in place now to ensure that their words translate into action over the weeks and months ahead.

To that end, we are launching an urgent crowdfunding appeal this week. We recognise that we are not the only worthy cause asking for your help at this time, and any support that you can contribute will go directly to the fight against those who mean harm to our people. To make a donation now, please visit antisemitism.org/donate.

This is the worst situation faced by Jews worldwide since 2014, when we were founded. As an organisation and as a community, we are incomparably better placed to wage it. But we need your help to do so.

Those who glorify terrorism and delight in the massacre of Jews, and those who use the events still unfolding as cover for antisemitic acts should be under no misapprehension: we will pursue justice against you.

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BBC Arabic article links “fanatical Jews” of ancient Israel to 9/11 terrorists while playing down Islamism

A BBC Arabic article has linked “fanatical Jews” to the 9/11 terrorists while appearing to play down Islamism.

The Arabic-language article on the Corporation’s website purports to recount the “story of suicide attackers throughout history”, claiming that the tactic originated with a Jewish group fighting the Roman occupation of ancient Israel, and tracing the history through the Middle Ages, Japanese Kamikaze pilots and into the current era of Islamist terrorism and 9/11.

The article reads: “It is believed that the first suicide attacks…were by a group of Jewish fanatics who spread fear…during the Roman occupation.”

It goes on to suggest that, since the end of WWII, suicide attacks were “almost” non-existent until Israel’s incursion into southern Lebanon in 1982, for which no context is provided.

While ancient Jews are described as “fanatics”, the word “terrorist” appears nowhere in relation to modern Islamist and Arab terror organisations. Indeed, other than the ancient Jews who targeted the Roman military, no other faction is censured in the article at all, even though some limited their attacks to combatants while others specifically target civilians.

The history is also dubious, with the mass Jewish suicide at Masada somehow presented as an example of the use of suicide attacks.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Of all the suicide attackers over the past two millennia, the only ones described by BBC Arabic as ‘fanatics’ are the Jewish assassins of ancient Judea who attacked the occupying Roman military. All others appear to escape any form of censure, including the modern Islamist terror groups. Moreover, this latest incarnation of Middle Eastern suicide attack is still blamed on the Jews, with the article alleging that the suicide strategy was only adopted because of Israel’s incursion into Lebanon.”

According to the JC, BBC Arabic has issued more than 130 corrections following complaints of bias and inaccuracy in reports about Israel and Jewish affairs since the beginning of 2021 — an average of more than one every week.

A spokesperson for BBC Arabic said that it “offers independent and impartial news and information. As with all content produced by the BBC, their output is subject to the BBC’s rigorous Editorial Guidelines. We reject any notion that there are wider issues with the service’s 24-hour, multi-platform output.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].

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Teenager who promoted antisemitic views convicted of terror offences 

A teenager from Swindon who promoted antisemitic and racist views has been convicted of terror offences. 

Yesterday, after a two-week trial, Malakai Wheeler, 18, was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of six offences relating to the possession and dissemination of terrorist material.

Mr Wheeler was arrested in 2021 following an investigation, which was conducted by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, into users in a Telegram group whom police suspected to be sharing extreme far-right content. 

Following his arrest, police found the Terrorist Handbook in Mr Wheeler’s bedroom. The Terrorist Handbook is a publication which instructs readers on how to make bombs and other explosives. 

Mr Wheeler was found to be frequently sharing material in the chat, including antisemitic content and instructions on how to make explosives. 

The defendant said in court that he had downloaded the explosives instructions as they would be useful should there be a case of “social disorder”. 

He added: “Weapons could be useful if there was a serious emergency. Covid showed things could come out of the blue. It could be an economic problem or a foreign invasion, things can just pop out of nowhere.”

Mr Wheeler told the court that he downloaded material with the intent to make an archive if the documents were deleted from Telegram. He also said that he had obtained videos, which show people being murdered, from ISIS out of “morbid curiosity”. 

The court heard that the defendant was interested in Nazism and anti-Zionism. Mr Wheeler also told the court that he had a swastika as part of his profile picture on Telegram and admitted to being in a photograph whilst doing a Nazi salute in a skull mask. 

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “Although only sixteen at the time of his arrest, Wheeler was deeply entrenched in a Telegram chat group committed to extreme right-wing ideology. He was not simply curious, or a passive observer within the group. He clearly shared the same mindset as other members and was very active when it came to promoting racist and antisemitic views and propaganda. It is important young people recognise the potential impact of their online activity, before they cross a line into criminality, or engage in harmful or dangerous behaviours.”

Mr Wheeler remains in custody until his sentencing in November.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Contrary to his assertions, Mr Wheeler’s obsession with violence went far beyond ‘morbid curiosity’. His anticipation of ‘social chaos’ is indicative of the very real threat that is posed by the far-right. Cases such as these shed light on the kind of rhetoric that is utilised to recruit young people and mobilise them against the Jewish community. We hope that Mr Wheeler’s sentencing will reflect the serious danger that he poses to society.”

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

Image credit: Wiltshire Police

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Former prison officer who shared neo-Nazi rap songs sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment 

A former prison officer who shared neo-Nazi rap songs was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment on Thursday. 

Ashley Podsiad-Sharp, 42, from Barnsley, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on the charge of being in possession of material likely to be of use to a terrorist contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000. 

Mr Podsiad-Sharp formerly worked as a prison officer at a men’s prison in Armley, Leeds. 

The material in question was the White Resistance Manual. According to law enforcement authorities in California, the White Resistance Manual is “basically a guerrilla warfare manual instructing people on different types of weapons, on creating weapons, on police investigations, basically how to conduct covert urban operations.”

The manual states: “No longer will we allow the Jews to live like parasites upon the body of our race. No longer will we tolerate any Jewish influence in our political system, our legal system or our mass-media.” 

Following an investigation into Mr Podsiad-Sharp’s online activity, he was arrested by Counter Terrorism Policing North East with the assistance of South Yorkshire Police, in May 2022.

In May, he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court where he faced accusations of running an online fitness club in which he promoted terrorism through the use of neo-Nazi rap music.

Said to be the founder of the White Stag Athletic Club, Mr Podsiad-Sharp described the club as “nationalist boy scouts for grown-ups”, which he said was “something beautiful, a brotherhood among a lot of men who have none — white working-class men”. As part of the process for new recruits for the club, members were asked if they were of Jewish or Muslim heritage, mixed race or LGBTQ+. 

Judge Richardson said during Mr Podsiad-Sharp’s sentencing: “The simple fact of the matter is you created a cauldron of self-absorbed neo-Nazism masquerading as a low grade all-male sports club. This sought to camouflage your real purpose to incite violence against those you hated with a vengeance. Those individuals were inadequate, ill-educated, unsuccessful, and dangerous. The terrorist manual was an integral part of this scheme. Sooner or later that violence would have eventuated.”

“You place Hitler and his henchmen as idols in your life,” Judge Richardson later added.

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 North East

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Weston-super-Mare man faces terrorism charges linked to extreme right-wing ideology

A man from Weston-super-Mare is facing terrorism charges which police have said are linked to extreme right-wing ideology.

Gabrielle Budasz, 23 of Drove Road, appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday where he was charged with collection of information containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 (1)(b) of the Terrorism Act 2000 and dissemination of terrorist publications to encourage people to engage in terrorism, or provide information that could be useful to terrorists, contrary to Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Mr Budasz is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 1st September.

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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Teenager accused of conducting research into Hove synagogue denies possessing an article for terrorist purposes

A teenager who allegedly conducted online research into the Hove Hebrew Congregation synagogue has pleaded not guilty to the charge of possessing an article for terrorist purposes.

Mason Reynolds, eighteen from Brighton, has been charged with eleven terrorism offences comprising five counts of collecting information which could be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, five counts of dissemination of terrorist publications, and one count of possessing an article for the purpose of terrorism.

Mr Reynolds, appearing at the Old Bailey earlier today via video link, denied the charge of possessing a “note detailing a plan to attack a synagogue” between 7th May and 27th June.

Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, presiding, set a provisional trial at Winchester Crown Court for 10th April 2024.

A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing Southeast said the charges against Reynolds were linked to an “extreme right-wing ideology.” 

In a statement, the CST said: “The threat of terrorism faced by Jewish communities is the reason why security remains an essential part of Jewish communal life. 

“We have been working closely with counter-terrorism police, Hove Hebrew Congregation and Sussex Jewish Representative Council to ensure appropriate measures are in place.” 

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Terror suspects’ phone had a photos of Mumbai Chabad centre 

Police in India have found photos of a Chabad centre in Mumbai on a phone that allegedly belongs to two terror suspects. 

The suspects, Mohammed Imran, 23, and Mohammed Yunus Saki, 24, were arrested on 18th July in relation to a planned attack in another location. 

They are believed to be members of Al-Sufa, an Islamist terror group. The group is reportedly being investigated by the Maharashtra State Anti-Terrorism Squad for potential links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). 

Earlier this year, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to all MPs calling on them to back the Government’s reported proposal to proscribe IRGC under the Terrorism Act 2000.

We have provided the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, and the Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat, and all MPs with a dossier on the IRGC, detailing its horrendous record of antisemitism and violence against Jewish people.

Following the arrests of Mr Imran and Mr Saki, police found drone equipment and explosives among the suspects’ possessions. 

The Centre was previously the target of an attack in 2008, which left eight people dead. The attack was part of a series of attacks that were orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist group based in Pakistan. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism worldwide.

Image credit: Google

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Man who shared “White Resistance Manual” pleads guilty to terror charges 

A man accused of sharing terror documents online pleaded guilty to terror charges at the Old Bailey on Friday. 

Alfie Stevens, 24 from Surrey Quays, pleaded guilty to three charges of dissemination of a terrorist document. 

Mr Stevens was alleged to have sent the material to two groups called “Band of Brothers” and “White Race Camp” on 27th January 2021. It is understood that one document, named “How To Start And Train A Militia Unit”, was sent to both groups and that another document, entitled the “White Resistance Manual”, was sent to one of the groups. 

According to a prosecutor in California, the White Resistance Manual is “basically a guerrilla warfare manual instructing people on different types of weapons, on creating weapons, on police investigations, basically how to conduct covert urban operations.”

The manual states: “No longer will we allow the Jews to live like parasites upon the body of our race. No longer will we tolerate any Jewish influence in our political system, our legal system or our mass-media.” 

Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, presiding, granted Mr Stevens continued unconditional bail. 

The defendant is due to be sentenced on 13th October whilst a psychological and pre-sentence report is being prepared. 

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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British Islamist Anjem Choudary charged with terrorism offences

Anjem Choudary, one of Britain’s leading Islamists, has been charged with three terrorism offences.

The news comes after he was arrested last week.

He has been charged with directing a terrorist organisation, being a member of a proscribed organisation, and addressing meetings to encourage support for a proscribed organisation.

Anjem Choudary, born in the UK and of Pakistani descent, failed his first-year medical exams at the University of Southampton due to his party lifestyle, but eventually graduated in law, later becoming Chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers. He became radicalised in the 1990s, launching al-Muhajiroun in the UK – later banned under terror laws – in 1996 with Syrian-born Islamist, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed.

The Jihadist group became linked to international terrorism, antisemitism and homophobia as it sought a world subject to Sharia law, and praised the 9/11 highjackers. The group disbanded in 2004 following its proscription but is believed to have continued to operate under different aliases. According to The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Choudary was involved in recruiting Muslims to undergo weapons training in the UK in order to fight for Osama Bin Laden’s International Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, and in 2010 he was linked to those involved in an al Qaeda plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange.

Mr Choudary praised the murderers of Drummer Lee Rigby in 2013, in response to which comments then-Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Let’s be clear about Anjem Choudary: he does have absolutely despicable and appalling views, an absolutely classic case of that poisonous narrative of extremism and violence that we need to confront and defeat.”

In 2016, Mr Choudary was convicted of supporting the Islamic State in connection with speeches posted on YouTube. He was jailed for five years and six months. At the time he was jailed, he had reportedly been linked to fifteen terror plots dating back approximately twenty years, and had connections to hundreds of British jihadists who had travelled to Syria to fight.

He was released from Belmarsh prison after serving half of his sentence, although he remained subject to some 25 licence conditions.

In 2021, he was reported to have suggested that the MP Sir David Amess may have been murdered because of his “rumoured pro-Israel views”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2021 showed that almost eight in ten British Jews consider the threat from Islamists to be very serious.

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Anjem Choudary, one of Britain’s leading Islamists, has been arrested on terrorism charges

One of Britain’s leading Islamists has been arrested on terrorism charges.

Anjem Choudary, born in the UK and of Pakistani descent, failed his first-year medical exams at the University of Southampton due to his party lifestyle, but eventually graduated in law, later becoming Chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers. He became radicalised in the 1990s, launching al-Muhajiroun in the UK – later banned under terror laws – in 1996 with Syrian-born Islamist, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed.

The Jihadist group became linked to international terrorism, antisemitism and homophobia as it sought a world subject to Sharia law, and praised the 9/11 highjackers. The group disbanded in 2004 following its proscription but is believed to have continued to operate under different aliases. According to The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Choudary was involved in recruiting Muslims to undergo weapons training in the UK in order to fight for Osama Bin Laden’s International Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, and in 2010 he was linked to those involved in an al Qaeda plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange.

Mr Choudary praised the murderers of Drummer Lee Rigby in 2013, in response to which comments then-Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Let’s be clear about Anjem Choudary: he does have absolutely despicable and appalling views, an absolutely classic case of that poisonous narrative of extremism and violence that we need to confront and defeat.”

In 2016, Mr Choudary was convicted of supporting the Islamic State in connection with speeches posted on YouTube. He was jailed for five years and six months. At the time he was jailed, he had reportedly been linked to fifteen terror plots dating back approximately twenty years, and had connections to hundreds of British jihadists who had travelled to Syria to fight.

He was released from Belmarsh prison after serving half of his sentence, although he remained subject to some 25 licence conditions.

In 2021, he was reported to have suggested that the MP Sir David Amess may have been murdered because of his ‘rumoured pro-Israel views’.

Now, he has reportedly again been arrested in connection with terrorism.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “Counter-terrorism detectives have arrested two men as part of an investigation into suspected terrorism offences. The officers arrested a 56-year-old man from east London in the area at approximately 05.40am. They arrested a 28-year-old Canadian national at Heathrow airport at approximately 12.35pm after he arrived on a flight from Canada. Both were arrested on suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The men are currently being held under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 at a west London police station. Police searches of three addresses in east London are ongoing.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2021 showed that almost eight in ten British Jews consider the threat from Islamists to be very serious.

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CAA commends Labour’s commitment to proscribe IRGC

The Shadow Home Secretary has announced that a Labour Government would apply a full ban to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an antisemitic Islamist terrorist group.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has previously written to all MPs calling on them to back the Government’s reported proposal, as yet unimplemented, to proscribe the IRGC under the Terrorism Act 2000. We have provided Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, and all MPs, with a dossier on the IRGC, detailing its horrendous record of antisemitism and violence against Jewish people.

Now, Yvette Cooper has confirmed that a Labour Government would amend existing terror legislation to “ban hostile state-sponsored organisations who are undermining our national security” as she warned that the UK faces “continued challenges from Islamist and far right extremists, radicalised online, in prison or in the community.”

She argued that, “Instead of trying and failing to use counter terror legislation to proscribe groups like Wagner or IRGC, we’ll introduce a bespoke proscribing mechanism to address state sponsored threats.” She also noted “the persecution of Iranian journalists by the IRGC – including fifteen threats to kidnap or kill on British soil.”

Her speech at the Royal United Services Institute think tank yesterday came after the Government applied an enhanced sanctions regime on Iran but failed to ban the IRGC.

Ms Cooper also observed that “we can’t tackle online radicalisation without stronger action from social media companies,” in an apparent reference to the Government’s Online Safety Bill.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We commend Yvette Cooper for committing a Labour Government to do what this Government has declined to do so far, namely proscribe the antisemitic Islamist IRGC. However, the ban cannot wait for a general election, and we continue to urge the Government to proscribe the state-sponsored terror group now.”

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Hitler-admiring student who planned explosion is jailed for four years

A man has been sentenced to four years in prison, with an extended licence of one year, after being found guilty of preparing to commit acts of terrorism.

Luke Skelton, nineteen from Washington, was convicted at Teesside Crown Court in May. The jury’s decision came after a previous panel failed to reach a decision.

The court heard that Mr Skelton absorbed far-right ideology whilst researching bomb-making. The student, between the dates of October 2020 and October 2021, carried out a “hostile reconnaissance” of Forth Banks police station in Newcastle, in which he would take photographs and conduct searches for CCTV cameras, whilst he was a student at Gateshead College.

Nicholas De La Poer KC, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Skelton had professed an admiration for Adolf Hitler and Oswald Mosley, and that searches for neo-Nazi content were discovered on his devices. The prosecution said that Mr Skelton posted antisemitic, Islamophobic, homophobic, and other racist and sexist comments online. 

Judge Paul Watson KC, the recorder of Middlesbrough, stated that Mr Skelton was “a committed and active rightwing extremist” who was believed in white supremacy and promoting racial hatred. 

Mr Skelton, who was said to be obsessed with nazism, “made heroes out of those who carry out atrocities in the name of fascism and other extreme rightwing ideologies”.

Judge Watson KC said: “Your fantasy was to turn back the pages of history books to times when such xenophobic and hateful views were tolerated and even admired…Your objective was to cause explosions to provoke what you saw as a coming race war…This was no spur of the moment or impulsive conduct.”

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 North East

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First alleged neo-Nazi placed under Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act

A man in his twenties known only as LXB, who has become the first alleged neo-Nazi to be placed under special government measures, has pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of the act.

According to the Home Office, the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIM) Act “protects the public from individuals who pose a real terrorist threat, but whom we cannot prosecute or, in the case of foreign nationals, deport.”

Those placed under the measures are provided with legal anonymity and referred to using a cipher. The individuals may be required to wear an electronic tag or relocate to different parts of the country. They might also face bans or limitations on who they can meet, where they may travel, and internet usage.

Details of those placed under the TPIM Act are reportedly only ever divulged when they appear in court over breaches or for High Court reviews of the measures.

LXB is the 29th person to be placed under the act, with the 28 others all being reported for Islamist-related terrorism. 

The man appeared at the Old Bailey via video link on Friday where he pleaded guilty to two breaches of the TPIM Act by having a video camera and memory card without prior approval from the Home Office.

LXB has had “serious previous convictions”, according to Kate Wilkinson, prosecuting.

He is due to be sentenced in August.

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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Neo-Nazi podcasters who encouraged listeners to commit violence convicted of terror offences

Two neo-Nazi podcast hosts who made antisemitic statements and encouraged their listeners to commit acts of violence during episodes of their programme have been convicted of terror offences. 

Christopher Gibbons, 38, and Tyrone Pattern-Walsh, 34, were found guilty of encouraging acts of terrorism on Friday at Kingston Crown Court. 

They were both arrested on 18th May 2021 and then charged on 21st August the same year, after they were identified as the hosts of the neo-Nazi podcast. 

On the podcast, “Black Wolf Radio”, Mr Gibbons described Archie, the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as an “abomination that should be put down.” 

The pair recorded 21 episodes, during which they were found to have produced antisemitic, homophobic, misogynistic and Islamophobic content. 

Among the content were descriptions of the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing as “sluts” and praise for the Christchurch mosque shooter, Brenton Tarrant.

Following their arrests, Mr Gibbons was found to have an online library titled “The Radicalisation Library”, which contained over 500 pieces of extreme right-wing material. 

Anne Whyte QC, prosecuting, said of the defendants: “[They] are men who hold extreme right-wing views. They are dedicated and unapologetic white supremacists. They thought that if they used the format of a radio show, as good as in plain sight, they could pass off their venture as the legitimate exercise of their freedom of speech. 

“In fact what they were doing was using language designed to encourage others to commit acts of extreme right wing terrorism against the sections of society that these defendants hated.”

Of the conviction, Commander Dominic Murphy, who works for the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism command, said: “Gibbons and Patten-Walsh thought that the fact they were airing their hateful views and advocating terrorist acts in plain sight, on a radio and podcast platform, somehow gave them some legitimacy and meant they wouldn’t face any consequences.

“They were wrong, and both our investigation and a jury has found that they sought to encourage terrorism in how they expressed their abhorrent extreme right-wing views.”

Both Mr Gibbons and Mr Pattern-Walsh are due to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on 26th September. 

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

Image credit: Metropolitan Police 

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Teenager who allegedly conducted research into Hove synagogue charged with eleven terrorism offences

A teenager who allegedly conducted online research into the Hove Hebrew Congregation synagogue has been charged with eleven terrorism offences.

Mason Reynolds, eighteen from Brighton, has been charged with five counts of collecting information which could be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, five counts of dissemination of terrorist publications, and one count of possessing an article for the purpose of terrorism.

Mr Reynolds is due to appear at the Old Bailey next week.

A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing Southeast said the charges against Reynolds were linked to an “extreme right-wing ideology.” 

In a statement, the CST said: “After his arrest this week, we were informed by the police that the defendant had allegedly conducted online research into Hove Hebrew Congregation (Holland Road Synagogue). The defendant has been remanded in custody and at this stage, there is no indication that anybody else was involved. The threat of terrorism faced by Jewish communities is the reason why security remains an essential part of Jewish communal life. 

“We have been working closely with counter-terrorism police, Hove Hebrew Congregation and Sussex Jewish Representative Council to ensure appropriate measures are in place.” 

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Ottawa man faces terror charges with alleged links to neo-Nazi group

A man in Ottawa has been charged in relation to terrorism and hate propaganda following allegations of links to the neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division. 

Patrick Gordon Macdonald, 26, faces three charges, namely participating in activity of a terrorist group, facilitating terrorist activity, and commission of offence for a terrorist group.

Mr Macdonald is alleged to have created videos that were intended to recruit new members for the organisation and encourage acts of terrorism.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said: “The case is the first in Canada in which an individual advocating a violent far-right ideology has been charged with both terrorism and hate propaganda.”

The Canadian Public Safety Department listed the Atomwaffen Division as a terrorist group in 2021. 

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

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.

In 2021, the UK proscribed Atomwaffen Division as a terrorist organisation.

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

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Fascist group discovered discussing lone-wolf attacks

The New British Union, a self-described fascist organisation, has been discovered discussing the employment of lone-wolf attacks in a secret meeting. 

Parts of the meeting, which was held in the Lake District, were captured on video by a reporter for The Mail on Sunday, who described some attendees as wearing Nazi SS uniforms and noted that some members present were as young as sixteen.

During the meeting, the group’s Deputy Leader, Clive Jones, can be seen on film appearing to talk to other attendees, saying: “Are you familiar with lone wolf? I just wondered, if anything, even with just this number here, if we went that way. We could cause, we could change a few things.”

It is understood that Mr Jones said that individuals could be given a copy of The Anarchist Cookbook, the infamous 1971 publication that details how to make explosives, to use in their lone-wolf action.

The New British Union uses the same symbol as its predecessor, the British Union of Fascists, a 1930s group led by Oswald Mosley that infamously clashed with Jews and anti-fascist campaigners at Cable Street in East London.

The group is known for its efforts to recruit children and previously tweeted an advert for “8-16 year olds”. 

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

Image credit: Joe Mulhall

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Teenager who plotted to carry out Jihadist attacks sentenced in court 

A teenager has been sentenced following his guilty plea to terror charges.

Matthew King, 19, from Wickford in Essex, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to a life-sentence with a minimum of six years imprisonment. Before his arrest, Mr King engaged in a number of conversations online with a seventeen-year-old known to the Court as “Miss A”. 

Mr King’s arrest came following an intervention from his mother, who reported him to Prevent, the Government’s counter-terrorism agency. She had become increasingly concerned after he had told her that he wanted to move to Syria with Miss A, whom he had claimed was a doctor or a junior doctor. 

After his arrest, a police officer overheard Mr King on the phone with his mother, saying: “When I get out they will be controlling me, they probably won’t let me have a driving licence because I’ll probably run people over.”

In his conversations with Miss A, with whom Mr King is believed to have had an online romantic relationship, he reportedly said: “I guess Jihadi love is powerful. I just want to kill people.” The two had also discussed plans to target marines and a voice message to Miss A was found in which Mr King described his plans to force two marines to rape each other. 

Investigations into his online activity also uncovered searches for ISIS tactical knife training videos and videos made by Mr King of uniformed police officers. One video showed four officers outside of Stratford Magistrates’ Court, of which he uploaded a photo on Snapchat with the caption, “Target Acquired”. 

In his sentencing, Judge Mark Lucraft KC remarked: “In my judgement you are someone where there is a significant risk to members of the public or serious harm.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2021 showed that almost eight in ten British Jews consider the threat from Islamists to be very serious.

Image credit: Metropolitan Police

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Man who said minorities “should be shot” jailed for over eight years

A far-right individual has been sentenced to eight years and six months imprisonment for terrorism offences.

Vaughn Dolphin, 20, who filmed himself accidentally blowing up his kitchen while attempting to mix explosives, was sentenced in Birmingham Crown Court after being convicted of possession of terrorist documents; disseminating terrorist publications; possession of explosive substances; and possession of a firearm. 

Mr Dolphin, arrested on 27th June 2022 by Counter Terrorism Police, had previously said that “minorities should be shot”. Upon his arrest, he said, “I’m not a terrorist, okay, I have an interest in chemicals and military memorabilia, that’s all.” 

At his home, police found terrorist materials including step-by-step instructions on how to make a shotgun and recipes for homemade explosives. A Totenkopf (death’s skull) – a symbol closely associated with the SS that is sometimes adopted by neo-Nazis – was also found attached to his shed wall.

Police also discovered that he had been in communication with extremists online before his arrest and found that he had a folder on his Telegram account labelled, “right wing”, that contained multiple channels, including one called, “Hitler group”. 

Mr Dolphin was also discovered to have shared a video of Payton Gendron, the Buffalo supermarket killer who described himself as an “ethno-nationalist eco-fascist national socialist” who live-streamed his attack that left ten people dead and three injured. The Judge described the video posted by Mr Dolphin as “a horrific recording of multiple murders.”

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

Image credit: West Midlands Police

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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.