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Is this year shaping up to be any different?

A lot of British Jews and our friends — and those who care about the social fabric in Britain — have been wondering whether 2025 is going to turn the page on more than a year of the worst antisemitism and extremism that our country has seen in living memory.

Over the holiday period and heading into the new year, we at Campaign Against Antisemitism have been just as busy as ever.

Much as we would like to provide reassurance on the direction of travel for antisemitism and the Jewish community over the coming year, it is still too early to tell.

However, among the persistent bad news, there have recently been some positive developments.

Are the Met Police finally changing course?

Our Demonstration and Events Monitoring Unit continues to monitor anti-Israel rallies across the country, and we continue to see antisemitic or terrorist-sympathising signage and rhetoric at these protests, such as a sign at a demonstration in Leeds featuring the inverted red triangle symbol. This symbol has been used by some anti-Israel activists to signal support for proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hamas, inspired by the appearance of the symbol in Hamas propaganda videos to indicate targets for attack.

While we have all become used to such expressions of support for Hamas and the murder of Israeli Jews on our streets, we will continue to call them out and take action, so that our society does not allow this conduct to become normalised.

But down in London, the Met has for once heeded calls by the Jewish community to divert the next big Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) march — which, if it’s anything like previous protests, will also feature plenty of antisemitism — away from local synagogues holding weekly Shabbat morning services.

Naturally, the PSC and its supporters are furious; the very idea of accommodating Jewish concerns – whether or not the organisers consider them to be founded or not – is apparently unacceptable to them.

The Met has stuck to its proverbial guns, however, and imposed restrictions under the Public Order Act, prohibiting the march from assembling near Broadcasting House because of the close proximity of a synagogue that has been significantly affected by the almost-weekly demonstrations.

The Met has finally stood up to the bullies. This is the bare minimum that should be expected, and it is outrageous that it has taken over a year to see this sort of action, in spite of calls by us and others for a change in policing policy. Still, at least it’s a start.

Naturally, the PSC is refusing to comply. So the question is — as ever — how the march will be policed on the day, and how strictly the Met’s conditions will be enforced. Will those who brandish antisemitic signs and chant antisemitic chants be dealt with?

We will be watching.

There have also been arrests here and there, such as an individual who protested a public Menorah lighting by Chabad in Islington, North London during Chanukah.

Good news in the courts

In the courts too, there has been good news.

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

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.

Meanwhile, two individuals convicted of expressing support for Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation, have had their pre-trial appeals dismissed by the Court of Appeals.

The three judges, headed by the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, upheld the convictions delivered by crown courts in two separate cases. In their judgment, the justices underscored that a defendant’s knowledge of whether an organisation is proscribed does not need to be proved by the prosecution to make out an offence under terror legislation.

On the far-right, a Lancashire taxi driver responsible for setting up “Southport Wake Up”, a far-right Telegram channel that was used to instigate and organise the summer riots last year and who has a history of engaging with neo-Nazi ideology, was sentenced to seven and half years’ imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court following a guilty plea to charges of encouraging violent disorder and carrying a knife.

Messages in the Telegram channel that Andrew McIntyre, 39, set up included “support neither brown nor Jew,” while another described Hitler as “the only politician since Roman times to truly care for his people”. In the same message, the user wrote: “The Jewish people fabricated the Holocaust…Today, Jewish media, NGOs, finance, business, entertainment and a huge overrepresentation in government, are doing the same all over Europe. The fight will be long brothers, but we will succeed. Never capitulate.”

Mr McIntyre was found to have sent a message in the channel urging people to target mosques and synagogues and referred to “k*ke ideology”. It was also revealed that days after rioters had attacked hotels housing migrants and asylum seekers, he shared a video of the Christchurch mosque attack in 2019 with the caption: “WHITE LEGEND. F*** ISLAM, F*** JEWS.”

It is vital that all types of extremism are confronted with the same vigour and treatment by our judicial system.

A mixed bag in the media

The BBC has apologised for an atrocious interview with Rabbi Gideon Sylvester. This was one of the starkest examples of anti-Jewish BBC bias that we have ever encountered.

When you invite a Rabbi to discuss Chanukah in wartime, the bare minimum is to ask questions about Chanukah. Instead, Rabbi Sylvester was subjected to an aggressive interrogation about Israel accompanied by images of war before being cut off in mid-sentence, in glaring contrast to the respectful and sympathetic treatment of the Imam and Reverend interviewed earlier in the day. Not a single question about Chanukah or Jewish suffering in the region right now. Absolutely despicable. The only silver lining is that Rabbi Sylvester acquitted himself very well in the circumstances.

It is yet further evidence that the BBC abandoned the principles of fair journalism a long time ago. The BBC’s quiet apology to the rabbi is only a start. This was a collective effort — producers, editors, anchors, and researchers all demonstrating an unspoken prejudice that this is how Jews or anyone connected with the Jewish state should be treated, in contrast to the respectful treatment of anyone who criticises the Jewish state.

When will our national broadcaster explain to British Jews and the wider public how it is going to address its internal rot?

The apology was an outlier, however.

More typical of the BBC is this headline, which unequivocally declares that journalists in Gaza have been killed by Israel. But buried in the body of the article is the rather significant line: “The BBC has not been able to verify claims made by either side.” So the BBC is effectively reporting something as fact that it itself admits may not be a fact.

Unsurprisingly, this maybe-fact portrays the Jewish state negatively.

Our polling consistently shows that overwhelming proportions of British Jews believe that media bias against Israel fuels antisemitism. Not that the BBC will let that come in the way of bad journalism.

Over on LBC, a summary of Matthew Wright’s line of questioning towards towards his guest, The JC Editor Jake Wallis Simons:

‘You’re a “Jewish man”: tell us the “Jewish figure” for how many children the Jews have killed in Gaza.

‘Now let’s turn to discuss antisemitism in the UK and what we can do about it.’

With interviews like that, it’s a total mystery!

Three retailers take action

Three retailers have taken action following contact from Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Customers had been complaining for days to the local Pret A Manger in St John’s Wood to remove antisemitic graffiti reading “Zionists are child killers” from the public toilet door, but only after we contacted the branch the graffiti was finally removed.

It should have happened faster and should not have required our intervention over and above the dozens of complaints that the branch received, but ultimately the offensive vandalism was rightly addressed.

After being alerted by customers, we also contacted the Camden branch of clothing outlet Urban Outfitters about graffiti reading “F*** Zionism” in one of the changing rooms, following which the graffiti was scribbled out.

These are obviously only two examples of graffiti that we have all seen repeatedly over the past fifteen months. It is appalling that rhetoric of this sort has become so visibly widespread.

Estarli agreed to remove from its social media platforms footage of a BDS Israel boycott sticker displayed on a bicycle in one of its video advertisements after we alerted the e-bike maker to its inclusion.

The retailer wrote to us saying: “We are very sorry if we have caused any offence. We hold no prejudices and when we film with customers we do not know how they have personalised their bikes and we do not stage what they wear or have on their bikes. We were not aware of this sticker when we filmed nor when we made the video. We will now remove it from any content it appears in and we will be more vigilant in the future. Sorry again.”

Leaving aside the role of particular Estarli in this case, the notion that a sticker like this is prevalent enough that it features in apparently randomly filmed scenes underscores just how normalised the anti-Israel rhetoric has become, and thus why it has such an impact on British Jews.

If you become aware of antisemitic graffiti or inflammatory political messages at commercial premises or in promotional material, please e-mail us at [email protected].

World Bowls Tour reverses a terrible decision

At the very end of the year, the World Bowls Tour caved to pressure from the anti-Israel mob, banning competitors from the Jewish state from participating in the Bowls World Indoor Championships.

“Bowls is a sport that unites people,” the organisation declared. Except, apparently, Jews, who were excluded. This decision was a disgrace to international sport. Athletes should be judged by their skill, not their race, ethnicity or nationality. Unfortunately, that principle did not seem to apply to Jewish athletes.

Thankfully, the decision was quickly reversed after an outcry.

World Bowls Tour apologised and arranged for “an increase in the security presence at the event,” thereby apparently making possible a restoration of the invitation to participants from the Jewish state to attend.

While it is shameful that the Israeli athletes had been disinvited in the first place, it was a reassuring end to the matter and a welcome happy note on which to bring 2024 to a close.

It does not take long before a major catastrophe is blamed, somehow, on the Jews.

Naturally, then, the haters sought a way to connect the Los Angeles fires with the Jews or the Jewish state.

Among them is the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese. She also recently posted in support of the conspiracist and disgraced academic David Miller, before (inexplicably, for her) deleting her tweet.

We continue to call for the UN to remove her from her position — and on the UK Government to pressure the UN to do so.

Our hearts go out to those affected by the fires.

It’s a terrible shame that antisemites prefer hate to empathy and will use any opportunity to incite against the Jews.

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Belfast hospital reportedly fails to remove antisemitic genocidal graffiti after six months

A hospital in Belfast has reportedly failed to remove antisemitic genocidal graffiti from the exterior of its building for an estimated six months.

According to Gavin Robinson, Leader of the Democratic Union Party (DUP), the graffiti remained on the Royal Victoria Hospital in West Belfast five months after an official complaint was made to the Belfast Health Trust.

The graffiti consisted of the phrase: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

The genocidal chant ‘From the River to the Sea’ refers to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and, whether intended or not, is widely understood to represent a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a Palestinian state. It is reasonably interpreted to be a call for the annihilation of half the world’s Jews, who live in Israel.

Mr Robinson said that the vandalism would deter Jewish patients from coming to the hospital, emphasising that the phrase is “viewed by many people as a violent call to erase Israel and its population from existence”.

It is understood that the complaint has since been raised with the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.

When asked by Diane Dodds, a DUP Member of the Legislative Assembly, during a Stormont Health Committee meeting this week why the graffiti had not yet been removed, the interim Head of the Trust, Maureen Edwards, said: “As one of the first trusts of the sanctuary, we take it very seriously. We had extreme difficulty getting anyone to take the graffiti down. We had gone out to lots of contractors who would not do it. It is being dealt with now. We’d gone to local community groups, who had supported us, but we had real difficulty in getting anyone to do it.”

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Hackney Council to remove “resist to exist” intifada graffiti

Hackney Council has confirmed that it will investigate and remove graffiti which contains the text, “exist is to resist” and the word, “intifada”, on the ground near Springfield Park.

The graffiti also includes a masked figure with fire behind them, holding a slingshot.

Intifadas in the past have always been campaigns of terrorist violence, including suicide bombings, which targeted Jews.

A spokesperson for the Council said: “Offensive, intimidating or insulting graffiti has no place in Hackney. We remove tens of thousands of instances of graffiti or fly-posts every year, informed by the Council’s graffiti policy. Graffiti should be reported at hackney.gov.uk/report-a-problem or on the Fix My Street app. The Council’s graffiti team will investigate and remove this instance as soon as possible now that it has been reported to us.”

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UK government rebuked anti-Israel protesters with new laws

This week, James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, announced several proposed amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill, in a clear and targeted rebuke to anti-Israel marchers deliberately causing disruption in London and around the country and outraging the public over behaviour at war memorials and launching fireworks at police.

Mr Cleverly has proposed the following changes to the Criminal Justice Bill:

  • Creating a new offence of desecrating a war memorial punishable by up to three months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to £1,000;
  • Creating a new offence which would make it illegal for someone to have a pyrotechnic article in their possession during a procession or assembly. Offenders could receive a fine of up to £1,000;
  • Providing the police with new powers to arrest protesters wearing face coverings to conceal their identity. Offenders could receive a fine of up to £1,000 and a month in prison;
  • Modifying the reasonable excuse defence that is currently available concerning certain public order offences to prevent a minority of protesters from deliberately causing serious disruption while exploiting defences relating to the right to protest. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit has for months observed protesters causing severe disruption to the public during their weekly anti-Israel demonstrations, including launching fireworks at police officers; desecrating war memorials; and preventing members of the public from travelling.

A further effect of these weekly protests is that a staggering 90% of British Jews say that they would avoid travelling to a city centre if a major anti-Israel demonstration was taking place there.

With protesters using rhetoric like, “Zionists are like Nazis, and if that’s antisemitic then f*** it. I don’t care” in last week’s protests, that sentiment is not surprising.

You can watch interviews, captured by our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit and Communications team, here.

For months now, we have been asking for tougher restrictions to be placed on these protests, which have made our urban centres no-go zones for Jews. While the police have failed the Jewish community and law-abiding Londoners, the Government, to its credit, is listening.

These new laws will help address the mob mentality that we have observed in these protests. There is no justification for such scenes, and now, there will be no legal defence.

The people of this country expect the lawlessness on our streets to be brought firmly under control, and with these changes there are now even fewer excuses for police inaction.

The Prime Minister recently explained how the weekly protests prompted the Government to act.

What is happening on British campuses?

In the past week, Jewish students at Birmingham had to face signs reading “Zionists off our campus”.

Our most recent polling shows that only 6% of Jews do not consider themselves to be Zionists. The University of Birmingham claims that it offers a “welcoming and supportive environment”. It doesn’t look that way.

At the University of Leeds, the synagogue and Hillel Jewish student centre was vandalised with graffiti reading “IDF off campus” and “Free Palestine”, and there are reports that the Jewish chaplain has received death threats.

Less than a day later, students on the same campus voiced support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen at an anti-Israel protest. The motto of the Houthis is: “Allah is the greatest, death to America, death to Israel, a curse upon the Jews, victory to Islam.”

When support for an organisation that openly parades its antisemitism goes unchallenged on a university campus, what message is this sending to its Jewish students? What message does it send when they chant “There are many, many more of us than you”?

This is not some sort of social justice movement. It is an attempt by thugs to intimidate Jews and drive them out of our universities. The reaction of the universities must be swift and severe.

What does the David Miller judgment mean?

The Bristol Employment Tribunal has published its judgment in the case of the University of Bristol’s termination of Prof. David Miller.

David Miller, a disgraced academic obsessed with anti-Jewish conspiracy theories, was fired by the University of Bristol in 2021 following a Jewish communal outcry and one month after Campaign Against Antisemitism commenced a lawsuit on behalf of students against the institution.

Prof. Miller has a long record of inflammatory statements about the Jewish community. He now regularly appears on the Iranian state propaganda channel, Press TV.

Prof. Miller later sued the University, and the Bristol Employment Tribunal has now handed down its judgment.

Until this case, the exact reasons for Prof. Miller’s sacking by the University of Bristol were kept from the public. It is now clear that, despite its adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism, Bristol’s failure to recognise that Prof. Miller’s comments constituted antisemitism, as well as its failure to consider some of his most egregious comments, opened the way for this judgment.

But even so, the tribunal found that Prof. Miller’s misconduct was “extraordinary and ill-judged” and deserving of disciplinary action, albeit that it did not warrant dismissal. He was found to be “culpable and blameworthy”, and, if he had been fired for the right reasons, the result at the tribunal may have been different.

Importantly, the tribunal drastically slashed Prof. Miller’s compensation, including due to his behaviour since being dismissed, which the tribunal found led to a ‘realistic chance that the claimant would have been dismissed’ anyway.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is deeply concerned by the way in which the University of Bristol has handled this matter over the course of years. We hope and expect that Bristol will appeal this decision. We are considering the matter with our lawyers.

To understand better what this judgment does and does not mean, watch this explainer here.

In the wake of the judgment, Kemi Badenoch, the Trade Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, told the House of Commons: “It is important to underline that this ruling does not change the fact that, while academics have the right to express views, they cannot behave in a way that amounts to harassment of Jewish students. Disguising this as discourse about Israel would be no more lawful than any other form of antisemitism.”

British universities cannot become places where students or academics attempt to intimidate Jews and drive them off campus. We will continue to do whatever it takes to stop that from happening and hold the thugs accountable.

If you are a student, academic, member of staff or chaplain at a university — or you know somebody who is and needs assistance — please contact us at [email protected].

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Hundred Handers far-right leader found guilty of racial hatred

The leader of a far-right group behind numerous stickering campaigns had been found guilty of racial hatred.

Sam Melia, 34, of Pudsey in West Yorkshire, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court of intending to stir up racial hatred through the distribution of the stickers and encouraging racially aggravated criminal damage.

Mr Melia, a professional sign-maker, was unmasked in 2020 as the leader of Hundred Handers, an anonymous network of activists who have carried out far-right stickering campaigns across the country and worldwide.

The stickers, which feature far-right slogans and imagery and antisemitic tropes, were seen in cities in Britain, Europe, the United States and Australia. 

It was discovered that Mr Melia set up a Telegram group, which had over 3,500 subscribers, for Hundred Handers, where members could download stickers for printing.

The stickers featured text such as “there is a war on whites,” “they seek conquest, not asylum” and “intolerance is a virtue” alongside the group’s logo.

Police arrested Mr Melia in Farsley, Leeds in April 2021. Upon his arrest, stickers bearing nationalist text were discovered in his wallet.

At his home, police found a poster of Adolf Hitler, an emblem of an eagle with a swastika and a copy of a book by Sir Oswald Mosley, who was the founder of the British Union of Fascists. 

Police also discovered digital archives of over 200 Hundred Handers stickers and evidence of the stickers being posted around the UK. They also found evidence that he encouraged members of the Telegram group to place stickers in public areas and proof that he carried out similar activities.

Mr Melia was also found to have told others to use anonymous e-mail providers and a VPN for any communication relating to Hundred Handers’ activities. 

After police searched his home, the defendant and his wife discussed the raid online, which attracted almost 3,000 viewers and raised nearly £1,500 in one hour. 

During the hearing, Mr Melia argued that, while his stickers could be offensive to some, any offence caused would be a “subjective reaction”.

When Mr Melia raised the issue of free speech, prosecutor Tom Storey dismissed the notion and stated that the case against the defendant was not to “punish someone for their political views.”

Mr Storey reminded the court that the charges brought against Mr Melia were based on his actions stirring up racial hatred.

In court, Mr Melia was joined by his wife, Laura Tyrie, who also goes by “Laura Towler” and is reportedly the Deputy Leader of Patriotic Alternative (PA). Ms Tyrie, who was in the public gallery, sat with Mark Collett, the leader of PA.

Mr Melia is also a regional organiser for PA, a UK-based group headed by the former leader of the youth wing of the BNP, Mr Collett. Mr Collett is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, is regularly heard as a guest on the radio show of the former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard, David Duke, and has described the Holocaust as “an instrument of white guilt”.

PA is known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” homeschool curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through live-streaming events on YouTube, according to The Times.

Mr Melia is due to be sentenced in March later this year. 

This is the second conviction of a PA member. Last year, Kristofer Thomas Kearney, who said that Adolf Hitler did “nothing wrong” was jailed.

Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Melia was perfectly aware that the stickers he published on his Telegram channel were being downloaded and then stuck up in public places around the country. He also knew full well the impact these racially inflammatory stickers were having, and by attempting to remain anonymous, sought to protect himself and others from investigation.

“He was very deliberate in the manner he wanted to spread his messages of racial hatred, and online messages recovered made it clear that he knew these stickers were being displayed in public and causing damage to public property. It is illegal to publish such material intending to stir up racial hatred towards others, and the CPS will not hesitate to bring prosecutions against those who break the law in this way.”

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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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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“Yids” graffitied on pub ahead of Tottenham Hotspur match

Graffiti that read “yids” was discovered on Saturday ahead of a match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. 

The graffiti, which consisted of the words “yids” and “THFC”, was found on the Two Brewers pub in Holloway, a pub that is located near Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Both phrases were written twice on the windows and doors of the pub. “THFC” likely refers to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. 

The graffiti, which was photographed and reported by users on social media, was removed ahead of the scheduled London derby match between the two clubs the following day. 

Tottenham Hotspur has long been associated with the Jewish community, and its fans are consequently often targeted by antisemitic abuse.

Last month, the Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, Daniel Levy, faced antisemitic abuse online, including being called a “fat bald Jew”, over the impending transfer of player Harry Kane. 

In March, an Everton fan was sentenced over antisemitic insults at a football match against Tottenham Hotspur. One of the phrases that the defendant used was “dirty Jews, dirty Yids”.

In 2022, Tottenham Hotspur announced that it was to reassess the use of the word “Yid” after holding focus groups on the matter. After conducting the first stage of its consultation with supporters in 2019, the Club found that 94% of the 23,000 respondents acknowledged that the word could be considered a racist term against a Jewish person.

In 2020, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to the Oxford English Dictionary to have the word “Yiddo” edited to include the controversy over the use of the term and its pejorative connotation when used by supporters of football clubs.

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

Image credit: Jewish News

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Former RAF cadet and “Hitler’s strongest soldier” admits to far-right graffiti

A former RAF (Royal Air Force) cadet admitted in court on Friday that he was responsible for far-right graffiti.

An unnamed seventeen-year-old boy appeared in court at the Old Bailey and admitted two separate acts of vandalism in 2022 on a Windrush memorial in Port Talbot. The graffiti consisted of a swastika, text that read, “Nazi zone” and “1488”, and a racial slur. 

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

The Court heard about the teenager’s troubling history of engagement with far-right ideology, which included: Being banned from Instagram for posting Nazi content; owning a copy of Mein Kampf, which was bought for him by his mother; and having an internet history of extreme far-right material. 

According to the prosecution, police also found knives, a gasmask, a KKK flag, a swastika flag and an air rifle among the defendant’s possessions. 

A video was shown in Court where the teenager posed with the air rifle and called himself, “Hitler’s strongest soldier”. Another video showed him wearing a swastika necklace and talking about “white power”.

It was also found that the defendant wrote “check my art out” on Telegram after the mural was vandalised. 

The Court heard that the defendant was referred to the Government’s Prevent programme last year by his RAF cadet group. He was later expelled from the group when he shared an image of himself with a swastika on his chest with other cadets. 

Lucy Jones, prosecuting, also presented content from the defendant’s diary, which included an entry that expressed desire for a “race war”. 

Another entry included a to-do list that detailed items such as “burn a building down, maybe bomb it”, “kill someone”, “join a Nazi militia”, “get a gun or make one” and “get buff as hell”.

The teenager previously pled guilty to two charges of possessing a terrorist document, three charges of distributing a terrorist document and three charges of criminal damage in June. 

The defendant is due to be sentenced in September and will remain on unconditional bail until then. 

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 graffiti discovered in Maryland

Antisemitic vandalism has been found in North Bethesda, Maryland. 

The graffiti, which was discovered on Sunday, reportedly consists of a swastika and text that reads, “Club Aryan Excellent”. 

The vandalism has since been covered up. 

The incident is being investigated by the Montgomery County Police Department.

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

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Man arrested in connection with vandalism in Kent Jewish cemetery 

A man has been arrested in connection with vandalism of a cemetery at a Jewish cemetery in Kent. 

The suspect, a 41-year-old man, was arrested in relation to alleged criminal damage to the cemetery adjacent to Chatham Memorial Synagogue, in Rochester, Kent. 

Headstones in the cemetery were found knocked over and smashed earlier this month. 

Kent Police have confirmed that an investigation is still ongoing and encourage anyone with further information relating to the incident to contact them. 

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is not the first time that Chatham Memorial Synagogue has been attacked. It is a sober reminder that we are in a time when Jews, including their institutions, are five times likelier to be targeted in a hate crime. We commend the police for acting swiftly and making an arrest, and expect that any perpetrators will be punished to the full extent of the law. If anyone has any information about the attack, please urgently contact us or the police.”

If you have any more information, please contact Kent Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 46/152042/23, or Campaign Against Antisemitism at [email protected] or on 0330 822 0321.

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

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CAA seeking witnesses in connection with Kent Jewish cemetery vandalism

A Jewish cemetery in Kent was discovered to have been vandalised. 

Several headstones at the cemetery adjacent to Chatham Memorial Synagogue in Rochester were found last week to have been smashed and knocked over. 

Dr Dalia Halpern-Matthews, a Trustee of the synagogue, said: “We shouldn’t be having to put up with the mass destruction of something that should be sacred,

“The cemetery is very special obviously in terms of every individual grave, but when you consider that it is the only shul [synagogue] with a cemetery attached in the country, it is a very significant shul. It has been Grade II listed for many years.”

This is not the first time that the synagogue has been the target of such attacks. According to Dr Halpern-Matthews, the cemetery itself has been attacked five times over the past ten years.

Last year, an attack on the cemetery is understood to have cost the synagogue £19,000 in repairs. 

Other attacks on the synagogue have included graffiti that reportedly depicted “genitalia” with “something about ‘f***ing religion’”. On another occasion, faeces was found smeared onto the building. 

Incidents such as these have reportedly left some of the synagogue’s congregants fearful of attending services in person.

The most recent incident has been reported to Kent Police and is under investigation. 

In a statement, Kent Police said: “At around 12pm on Friday 18th August 2023 Kent Police received a third-party report of criminal damage at a synagogue in Rochester. Officers have since spoken to representatives of the synagogue and this incident is being treated as a hate crime. Enquiries to locate those responsible for the damage are ongoing.”

If you have any more information, please contact Kent Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 46/152042/23, or Campaign Against Antisemitism at [email protected] or on 0330 822 0321.

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

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Illinois teenagers charged in connection to antisemitic graffiti

Two teenagers in Illinois have been charged in connection with antisemitic graffiti.

The charges relate to graffiti that was discovered on the premises of several businesses in the Round Lake area, north of Chicago. The graffiti was said to consist of hate speech as well as a number of swastikas.

David Dolan, 18, and Anthony Shields, 19, were located and charged by police on Tuesday after a local Walmart was discovered vandalised the same day. 

Police reportedly found spray paint in their possession that matched the graffiti on the Walmart. During the investigation, the suspects allegedly took responsibility for the other reported incidents of vandalism.

Both suspects have been charged with one felony count of Class 3 hate crime, four counts of Class 4 hate crime and one misdemeanour count of criminal defacement of property. 

Additionally, Mr Dolan has been charged with one misdemeanour count of criminal trespassing to property. 

Chief Wayne Wilde of Round Lake Beach Police said: “Hate speech like what was displayed Tuesday has no place in Round Lake Beach. These offenders will be charged to the fullest extent possible for what they did.”

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

Image credit: Lake County Sheriff’s Office

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Virginia teenager arrested in connection with antisemitic flyers 

A teenager from Virginia has been arrested in connection to antisemitic flyers in Fairfax County.

It is believed that the suspect was captured on a homeowner’s camera while in the act of flyering. The footage was shared with police.

The flyers contain rhetoric that ties Jews with immigration and makes reference to the “GDL”. 

The GDL, or Goyim Defence League, has been described as an antisemitic hate group whose membership reportedly contains several neo-Nazis and is understood to be led by Jon Minadeo II. The group is divided into regional branches and regularly distributes antisemitic flyers across the United States. 

Other flyers feature well-known Jewish figures with Stars of David next to their photos. 

The suspect was arrested after police saw him in a Target store, where its staff claimed that he was attempting to shoplift. Police reportedly found that the teenager was allegedly in the process of attempting to shoplift glue, sandwich bags and a staple gun. 

The store is reportedly near a Jewish community that was targeted with the flyers. 

The suspect has been charged with petty larceny and is being held at a juvenile detention centre. 

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

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Antisemitic vandalism found at Winnipeg underpass 

Antisemitic vandalism has been discovered at an underpass in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The graffiti appears to be have been spray-painted and includes text such as “Hail Hitler [sic]” and “KKKanada”. 

The vandalism was reported and has subsequently been removed by the City of Winnipeg. 

Of the vandalism, Marvin Rotrand, National Director of B’nai Brith Canada, said that he was not surprised due to the frequency of such messages in Canada. He also said of the impact of the graffiti that it is “meant to hurt, and it does”. 

Earlier this year, antisemitic graffiti was reported at a primary school in Peterborough, Ontario.

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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Antisemitic graffiti discovered in Derbyshire

Antisemitic graffiti has been found in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. 

The vandalism was discovered on a sign on Inkersall Green Road, Inkersall, on Sunday. 

The identifiably Jewish member of the public who reported the incident to the police has previously spoken about his experiences of antisemitism in Chesterfield. On one occasion, he reported seeing swastika graffiti and, on another, he said that a young man approached him shouting, “Hitler”.

Of the graffiti in Inkersall, he said: “It’s not the only incident and now I have been diagnosed with PTSD after an incident involving verbal abuse in February. It all is really having an impact on my health and making me ill.

“I saw the Star of David graffiti first time last year and I felt a little bit shaken, but it didn’t really get to me [sic]. The fact that it’s been happening consistently is what really concerns me. I started to wonder if I belong here.”

Derbyshire Constabulary has confirmed that it is investigating the incident. It has advised that anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area between 12:00 and 13:30 on 13th August should contact the police on 101 or via social media and quote the crime reference number: 23*501421.

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

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New York synagogue vandalised with antisemitic graffiti

A synagogue in the Upper East Side of New York City has been the target of antisemitic graffiti. 

The graffiti was discovered on Congregation Kehilath Jeshuran’s display board outside the synagogue.  

Footage shows a young man passing the building, opening what appears to be a marker pen, and writing on the board on Saturday.

Rabbi Chaim Stenmetz, the Senior Rabbi at the synagogue, said: “Every incident of antisemitism is very significant…we very often see that small incidents escalate into something much larger.”

The incident has been reported to the authorities and is under investigation. 

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

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Holocaust history book box destroyed in suspected arson attack in Berlin

Police in Berlin are investigating a suspected arson attack on a Holocaust street library box.

The library, which is part of a larger communal library project called “Bücherboxx”, is located near the Track 17 memorial at Grunewald train station. 

The memorial commemorates the thousands of Jews who were deported from the station to concentration camps during the Holocaust. 

The Bücherboxx at the memorial contains a volume of books that relate to Holocaust history; members of the public are encouraged to borrow and read the material.

According to German media, witnesses saw a man enter the library and deposit a book before setting it on fire. An antisemitic note was also reportedly discovered at the site.

Last week, it was announced that German authorities were investigating the possibility of an antisemitic motive after an Israeli man was attacked by three men in Berlin. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism in Germany, which have increased considerably. 

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Four Florida teenagers arrested in relation to antisemitic vandalism

Four teenagers in Pensacola, Florida, have been arrested following a series of antisemitic vandalism in the city. 

The arrests relate to multiple incidents, including a number of antisemitic graffiti and a brick that was thrown through a window of a Chabad centre. The brick was found with swastikas, “WLM [White Lives Matter] ” and “No Jews” scrawled onto it. 

Among those who were arrested were: Kessler Alexander Ferry, eighteen, who was charged with one count of a felony of criminal mischief enhanced to a hate crime; a seventeen-year-old, who was charged with seven counts of felony criminal mischief enhanced to a hate crime, one count of misdemeanour criminal mischief and one count of felony trespassing in a construction zone; a sixteen-year-old, who was charged with four counts of felony criminal mischief enhanced to a hate crime and one count of trespassing in a construction zone; and a fifteen-year-old, who was charged with seven counts of felony criminal mischief enhanced to a hate crime, one count of misdemeanour criminal mischief and one count of felony trespassing in a construction zone.

Of the charges, Chief Eric Randall of the Pensacola Police Department said: “We hope that these arrests can bring comfort and closure not only to those in our Jewish community, but to all citizens of this great city.”

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

Image credit: Google

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Hikers discover antisemitic graffiti in Colorado Springs

Hikers have discovered antisemitic graffiti at High Chaparral Open Space, in Colorado Springs. 

The graffiti can be seen on rocks as well as on some of the signage at the hiking spot.

The vandalism consists of a number of spray-painted swastikas and a drawing of Adolf Hitler.

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

Image credit: Google

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Antisemitic graffiti discovered in San Francisco school 

Antisemitic graffiti has been discovered at Commodore Sloat Elementary School in San Francisco. 

Over twenty pieces of vandalism were found on the school’s playground as well as on playground equipment and a library book exchange. 

One of the markings depicted a crossed-out Star of David with text underneath it that read: “f*** Jews.”

The incidents are being investigated by the local authorities. 

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

Image credit: Google

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Swastikas found in Nassau school playground

Antisemitic graffiti has been discovered on playground equipment at Chatterton School in Nassau County.

The vandalism consists of two swastikas, which appear to have been spray-painted onto the equipment. 

The vandalism was reported to the local authorities and is under investigation. 

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

Image credit: Google

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Swastikas spray-painted on cars in Orange County

Cars in Orange County have been discovered to have swastikas spray-painted on them. 

The cars that were targeted are located near an apartment complex in Costa Mesa. 

A photo of one of the cars, a silver Mercedes Benz with three visible swastikas, has been circulating on social media. 

The incidents are being investigated by the local authorities. 

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

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Antisemitic graffiti discovered in Ontario park

Antisemitic graffiti has been discovered at Richard B. Harrison Park, in London, Ontario. 

The graffiti, which also featured and anti-LGBTQ+ language, was found scrawled onto playground equipment. It included several swastikas and the phrases: “Heil Hitler”; “No to lgbtq, yes to fascism [sic]”; and “I hate lgbtq”. 

The vandalism was reported to the local authorities and is under investigation. 

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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Swastikas discovered at New York playground

Three swastikas have reportedly been discovered at a playground in Nassau County. 

The swastikas were found carved into the playground equipment at the Andrew J. Parise Cedarhurst Park. 

The vandalism is currently under investigation by local law enforcement. 

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

Image credit: Google

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Antisemitic and homophobic vandalism discovered at Michigan University fraternity houses

Antisemitic and homophobic vandalism has been discovered at two fraternity houses at the University of Michigan. 

The vandalism includes a swastika at one of the locations. The remaining content of the vandalism has not been reported but has been described as “vile”. 

The incidents have been reported to local law enforcement and are currently under investigation. 

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

Image credit: Google

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“Seig Heil” swastika graffiti found in children’s park in Nottingham

Graffiti bearing a swastika and the words “Seig Heil [sic]” has been found in a children’s park in Nottingham. 

The incident was first posted by Nottingham Chabad’s Twitter account.

Lillian Greenwood, the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Nottingham South, condemned the vandalism as “dreadful” and “not something I would ever expect to encounter in our city.”

Last week, we reported that graffiti containing swastikas and messages in support of Hitler, as well as anti-Muslim rhetoric, have been scrawled across vehicles in Finsbury Park.

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Antisemitic graffiti discovered at playground in New Jersey

Antisemitic graffiti has been discovered at Town Hall Park in Warren, New Jersey. 

According to reports, residents of the town discovered two separate scrawlings, including a swastika on playground equipment at the park.  

The graffiti has been removed since being reported to the local authorities. 

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

Image credit: Leanna Wellerding

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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.