, , , ,

This Rosh Hashanah, write yourself in CAA’s Book of Action

Antisemitism continues to threaten the future of British Jewry. As the shofar sounds this Rosh Hashanah, it calls on us to wake up, reflect and take action.

So for the new year 5786, Campaign Against Antisemitism is inviting you to write yourself into our Book of Action.

As a volunteer-led organisation. there are so many ways that you can get involved in our work.

You can support our Litigation and casework by seeking our advice and support if you’ve faced antisemitic discrimination or answering our witness appeals to help bring perpetrators to justice. If you are a lawyer, please consider joining our legal network and donating your expertise.

If you like our communications work, why not share your experiences of antisemitism and help amplify Jewish voices? If you spot antisemitism in the media, send it to us. We often run campaigns, publish petitions and organise protests, which are easy ways to show your support and help bring about change.

Change also comes about through politics and policymaking. You can introduce us to your MP or local councillor, monitor and report Government action that impacts Jewish life and take part in our polling and surveys.

When it comes to education, we face an almighty struggle, particularly among our nation’s youth. You can bring Campaign Against Antisemitism into your workplace, university society or school for training and workshops. If you are a teacher, you can access resources or arrange impactful school sessions, and if you are a student, consider becoming a Student Ambassador this year.

You can also become a volunteer by applying for a role at antisemitism.org/act/volunteer.

Finally, you can also support Campaign Against Antisemitism with tzedakah (charity) this Rosh Hashanah and help us fight antisemitism in 5786 here.

Why did you march with us?

On Sunday 7th September, 70,000 marched against antisemitism and extremism.

The march did not escape the attention of the President of Israel, who observed on a visit to London last week: “This is the antisemitism that you all marched to protest just this Sunday, proudly declaring ‘Enough is enough!’ We know this comes against the backdrop of a terrible rise in antisemitism that this community has suffered in recent years, facing threats, intimidation and hatred on the streets, in the media, and online. Yet you have stood up bravely, refusing to be silenced.”

Elie spoke to many of those in the crowd to ask them why they felt it was so important to defy the tube strike and attend Britain’s March Against Antisemitism. Watch the full video here.

We are so grateful for the many kind messages and positive feedback that we have received about the march. It is a privilege to empower British Jews and allies to raise their voices and show the authorities the strength of our feeling.

You can access photographs of the march at antisemitism.org/photos.

All of the speeches from the concluding rally at Parliament Square are available to watch here.

One in five British people hold entrenched antisemitic views

Campaign Against Antisemitism commissioned YouGov to survey British adults’ attitudes towards Jews. The findings show that antisemitism has risen to the highest levels on record since we began these surveys.

Here are some key takeaways from the polling:

Entrenched antisemitism

  • An astounding 21% of the British public affirmed four or more antisemitic statements, compared to 16% last year. In 2021, the figure was 11%.
  • In other words, the number of people in Britain holding what we consider to be entrenched antisemitic views has doubled in less than five years to over a fifth of the British population.
  • These are the highest figures since we began these surveys a decade ago.

Young people

  • Almost half (49%) of 18-24-year-olds are uncomfortable spending time with people who openly support Israel; only 18% are comfortable.
  • Only 31% of young voters agree that Israel has a right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people; 20% (one fifth) of them say that it does not.
  • 58% of young people believe that Israel and its supporters are a bad influence on our democracy, compared to 29% of the overall population.
  • Over a quarter (26%) of the British public believes that Israel can get away with anything because its supporters control the media, up considerably from 18% last year. Among young people, the figure skyrockets to 42%.
  • Bearing in mind that the overwhelming majority of British Jews identify as Zionists and with the Jewish state, these attitudes among young Britons have enormous implications for young Jews on campus, on social media and starting out in the workplace.

You can find the full results and methodology here.

The extremely troubling findings received front page coverage in The Sunday Telegraph and were covered in the Daily Mail, Express, Spectator, numerous columns in The Times and elsewhere.

These are the highest antisemitism figures that we have ever recorded, having doubled in less than five years. Our young people are being radicalised into adopting hateful ideologies before our eyes. Britain will lose its soul to extremists unless the silent majority wakes up.

A reward for terrorism

In one of his last acts as Foreign Secretary, David Lammy met with the families of eight British and British-connected hostages.

They asked Mr Lammy whether the UK may recognise a Palestinian state while Hamas continues to hold hostages.

He said yes.

That means that the first thing that a newly-recognised State of Palestine will do is hold Jewish hostages.

That Britain would even consider recognising a state that has held and continues to hold Jewish hostages captive for nearly two years flies in the face of everything this country values and holds dear.

This policy sends a message that the UK rewards terrorism and is a chilling signal to Britain’s own Jewish community.

Clearly, the lessons of history have not been learned.

Excrement arrest in Golders Green

After a spate of stomach-churning cases in which faeces were smeared on Jewish nurseries, homes and synagogues over several days in Golders Green, a 37-year-old man from Hendon has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of religiously motivated property damage.

We are pleased that police have taken swift action but this takes place amidst a climate of incitement against Jews in Britain.

Anyone with further information should contact the Metropolitan Police on 101, quoting reference 1071/03SEP.

The authorities must continue to act decisively against Jew-hatred as extremism becomes further embedded in British society.

Any confirmed perpetrator must face the full force of the law for this abhorrent campaign of vandalism.

Also last week around the corner in Temple Fortune, a man stood on a busy street corner yelling “f*** you” at Jewish passersby and shouted a lot about Hitler.

This video captures only a snippet.

From synagogue desecrations to abuse shouted in public, this is the hatred that Jews are facing in Britain today.

Supporters of Palestine Action start to feel abandoned

A day before our march, at least 425 people were arrested at a protest in support of Palestine Action, a proscribed terrorist organisation.

According to the Metropolitan Police, frontline officers were subjected to high levels of abuse, which included “punches, kicks, spitting and objects being thrown, in addition to verbal abuse.”

A key activist group behind the protest is Defend Our Juries. It is extraordinary how many people Defend Our Juries has convinced to show public solidarity with Palestine Action, proscribed under the Terrorism Act, only for those people to discover that being arrested or charged in relation to a terrorism offence can result in serious consequences, such as losing their jobs and being refused entry to some foreign countries.

With more and more figures within Defend Our Juries themselves having been arrested and being barred from communicating on this topic, ordinary activists now feel abandoned, having apparently been led to believe that a terrorism arrest is no big deal and that there would be a support structure in place for them, neither of which has apparently turned out to be the case.

We’ve gotten used to police forces treating activists with kid gloves for the past two years. But the proscription of Palestine Action has forced their hand and they are finally doing the job that they should have done from the start.

If activists go out and show support for a proscribed terrorist organisation, they are playing with fire. That is how it should be.

The Green Party has new leadership

The Green Party has new leaders.

We congratulate Zack Polanski on becoming Leader of the Green Party.

Mr Polanski has previously expressed support for the International Definition of Antisemitism. Yet the Greens remain the only major party not to have adopted it in full, instead relegating it to an “advisory document” alongside other statements.

Over the past few years, every other major political party has adopted the Definition. Meanwhile, British Jews are facing the highest levels of antisemitism in living memory.

Will Mr Polanski now stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and encourage his party to formally adopt the Definition?

Mothin Ali, a member of Leeds City Council, has also been elected as co-Deputy Leader of the Green Party.

On 8th February 2024, a video was published on Cllr Ali’s TikTok account in which he is seen addressing a Jewish university chaplain, who, as an Israeli citizen, had been called up to serve in the war against Hamas following the 7th October attacks.

Shortly after the video was published, it was reported that the chaplain had been forced to go into hiding with his family owing to the volume of death threats and menacing messages that he had received in the wake of the campaign to have him removed from his position.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. You can find more of what has appeared on Cllr Ali’s social media channels here.

It says something serious about the direction of the Green Party that a councillor who recently faced calls to be suspended because of his outrageous conduct has been elected deputy leader. It is as if the EHRC report into antisemitism in our politics never happened.

It is all very well for the Green Party to claim to care about our planet, but there is less and less evidence that they care about the Jews who live on it.

BBC upholds complaint against calling Hamas terrorists

The BBC has upheld a complaint against a presenter who referred to Hamas as “the terror group”, purportedly contrary to the BBC’s editorial policy.

The complaint relates to a segment on the BBC News channel on 15th June.

For the BBC to uphold a complaint against a presenter for daring to call Hamas a ‘terror group’ is nothing short of Orwellian. That is exactly what Hamas is, and it is proscribed as such in the UK. The police arrest counter-protesters for saying it, and now the BBC is penalising a journalist for doing so. When did Britain become a country in which we censor the truth and deny the law of the land?

The BBC has a duty to report accurately. Calling Hamas terrorists is to discharge that duty; doing the opposite is a dereliction. It risks obscuring the truth, misleading audiences and undermining public understanding of terrorism and world events.

The broadcaster has referred to other organisations as terrorists in the past, so why the double standard?

Hamas committed the worst antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust and still holds hostages in Gaza: what more does it need to do to Jews for the BBC to acknowledge that it is a terrorist group?

Why did Gary Lineker win?

Gary Lineker has won the best TV presenter prize at the National Television Awards, which are selected by the public.

Did he win last week despite posting something antisemitic this year, or because of it?

Unfortunately, in contemporary Britain the answer really isn’t clear.

This is how you send a message

You may remember when, a few weeks ago, two Israeli women were brought on stage at a Coldplay concert before thousands as frontman Chris Martin awkwardly told them: “I am treating you as equal humans on Earth, regardless of where you come from or don’t come from. Although it’s controversial, maybe, I also want to welcome people in the audience from Palestine.”

He was happy to welcome the two Coldplay fans from the world’s only Jewish state, who were simply there to enjoy the show like everyone else, but not as Israelis: only as human beings.

Well, at a recent Coldplay concert, one fan decided to attend and send a message.

Proudly wearing one of our t-shirts, he came to say unequivocally, in no uncertain terms, that he loves his Jewish friends.

Farhad is not Jewish, and he understands just how powerful his voice is in combatting antisemitism.

Thank you, Farhad.

If you want to purchase one of our shirts, head over to antisemitism.org/shop.

We are recruiting!

We are looking for a Communications and Research Officer, early in their career, to join our team and help us raise awareness of the reality and impact of antisemitism.

For more information, please visit antisemitism.org/jobs.

The past year has been challenging for British Jews, and the hatred and extremism that the Jewish community has faced is now impacting wider society.

With the Jewish New Year upon us, we rededicate ourselves to the righteous and patriotic fight against antisemitism and the effort to protect and restore the imperilled values that made Britain great.

We wish all of those celebrating a happy Rosh Hashanah. May the new year bring better tidings for us all.

, , , , , ,

Victory: Palestine Action to be proscribed

On Friday morning, activists from Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the sabotage of two RAF planes at a base in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.

Footage published on the group’s X account appears to show someone spraying an aircraft with red paint. According to Palestine Action, two activists “repurposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyagers and caused further damage using crowbars”.

By the end of the day – and a little over a week since Campaign Against Antisemitism provided her with a detailed dossier making the case for a ban of Palestine Action under existing laws – the Home Secretary announced that she would be proscribing the group.

Breaking into an RAF base to vandalise aircraft demonstrates Palestine Action’s real hatred for this country. This was an attack on Britain and the heroes who protect us daily, and jeopardises our nation’s security.

The vandalism at Brize Norton was reportedly the fourth attack by the group on key UK defence assets, and comes after a litany of attacks on branches of Barclays Bank, premises used by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit, museums and numerous Jewish institutions, businesses and charities.

Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.

We are pleased that the Home Secretary has listened to our representations over the last week.

The announcement by Yvette Cooper has been met with fury by Palestine activists, who appear to have gone on a new spree of criminal vandalism in London over the weekend ahead of a demonstration this afternoon against their proscription.

In advance of a protest by Palestine Action against the planned proscription this afternoon, the Met Police released a statement outlining conditions imposed on the demonstration outside Parliament under the Public Order Act. Remarkably, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley also announced that he was “shocked and frustrated” by the demonstration, which itself was shocking, given that it has been his persistent failure to robustly address anti-Israel protests that has allowed this climate of extremism to take hold.

Sir Mark needs to take his head out of the sand and look around. If he does, he may finally see what the rest of the country has seen for over a year and a half: extremists taking over our streets.

It is clear that the authorities will need to be ready to enforce the law as the ban takes effect.

After all, when a group of radicals takes to the streets to defend a soon-to-be proscribed terrorist group and protest against those who risk their lives to keep our streets safe, it is a frighteningly clear indication that something has gone very wrong in this country.

Frontline police officers’ struggle at times to contain the baying mob of Palestine Action supporters at the protest demonstrates exactly why our calls for the Government to ban this group were needed.

After she bans Palestine Action, we urge the Home Secretary to urgently turn her attention to proscribing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ansar Allah (the Houthis).

This country needs to clamp down on the domestic and foreign terrorists running amok on our soil.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has no place in Britain

Right now, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is operating freely in the UK. It is planning terrorist attacks and grooming young followers.

This madness can end with a stroke of Yvette Cooper’s pen.

As our Chief Executive, Gideon Falter, explained in an op-ed for The Telegraph, “Two governments have failed to act. This one still can. Both Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Foreign Secretary David Lammy promised before the last election to ban the IRGC.

“They must now honour that promise.”

Why is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard a threat to Britain in 2025?

  • Officially a branch of Iran’s Armed Forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operates as a parallel paramilitary force answering directly to the regime. But it’s more than an Iranian military force — it’s a global terror actor involved in plots, threats, and surveillance on British soil.
  • It was founded by Ayatollah Khomeini after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the theocracy and advance its interests. The Iranian Government has a long and appalling record of promoting antisemitic propaganda, including Holocaust-denial, and funding and orchestrating violence against Jews. The IRGC is a principal instrument of the regime for these antisemitic and violent policies.
  • In 2023, the UK Government sanctioned IRGC figures. Why? They plotted to kill or kidnap people in Britain, including dissidents, journalists, and activists. These weren’t idle threats. British intelligence confirmed over fifteen credible threats to kill or kidnap UK-based individuals by Iran since 2022. The IRGC infiltrated Europe, surveilling targets and attempting assassinations.
  • It is not just in Europe. One shocking case was the abduction in the UAE of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan. It is believed that he was surveilled at his kosher grocery shop and murdered by terrorists linked to Iran.
  • There are examples of support for the IRGC in Britain, particularly following the US assassination of Qasem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC’s elite al-Quds Force and, it is believed, the second most powerful man in Iran. We have also observed IRGC flags at demonstrations in London. There have also been instances of IRGC figures trying to radicalise students in the UK and there are multiple cases of foiled abduction and murder plots by IRGC agents in Britain.
  • The IRGC is an indispensable backer of Shia militias in Yemen and Iraq as well as the proscribed terrorist groups Hizballah, Hamas, the Houthis and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Hizballah and Hamas pose direct threats to the UK by conducting intelligence operations, targeting Jewish communities, and supporting terrorism globally. The UK fully banned Hizballah in 2019 and Hamas in 2021, but both groups remain active, backed by Iran’s resources and intent on destabilising the West.
  • Despite the Labour Party stating that, if elected, they would ban the IRGC, this has not happened a year after the Party came to power. Today, the IRGC is not yet proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK, even though it clearly fits the criteria.
  • The US, Israel, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain already proscribe the IRGC. Why haven’t we? The UK must act. The IRGC is here in Britain and a threat to our security.

You can add your voice to the calls to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps by signing the petition.

With conflict raging between Iran and Israel, demonstrators took to the streets of London over the weekend in support of the antisemitic Islamic Republic.

As our Demonstration and Events Monitoring Unit documented, protesters held aloft signs displaying an image of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and urging onlookers to “choose the right side of history.”

Ayatollah Khamenei — and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which he controls — could not be further from the “right side of history”.

The signs were embossed with the logo of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, a controversial charity best known for Al Quds Day events, which in the past have featured IHRC-badged placards that read “We are all Hizballah”.

The IRGC is not just a threat to Britain’s Jews, but to Britain itself. It must be proscribed.

This Government previously promised to proscribe the IRGC. It must now keep its word.

Fun at the Maccabi Fun Run!

Yesterday, we attended the Maccabi GB Community Fun Run.

Thousands turned out to run, cheer and raise money for great causes.

We spoke with runners at this most energetic day of the Jewish community calendar, to find out: What keeps Britain’s Jewish community running, literally and figuratively?

A big thank you to everyone running for Campaign Against Antisemitism and to all of our brilliant volunteers who were present.

SRA confirms investigation into Hamas’s lawyer

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed an investigation into one of the lawyers acting on behalf of Hamas in its application to get de-proscribed in the UK, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

We submitted a complaint to the SRA regarding the conduct of Fahad Ansari after our Online Monitoring and Investigations Unit uncovered a plethora of posts from his X account.

Mr Ansari is the Director and Principal Solicitor at Riverway Law, the law firm representing the terrorist group Hamas in a desperate bid to get the group de-proscribed in the UK. The application is being made to the Home Secretary.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has made a submission to the Home Secretary challenging the application for de-proscription.

According to posts on Mr Ansari’s social media accounts, he seems to find a bulldozer breaching the border fence between Gaza and Israel on 7th October to be “one of the most iconic, hopeful images of our time”, hails Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin as a “hero”, and, referring to “the heroic Palestinian resistance”, hopes that “every one of their bullets hit their targets”.

Another post read: “At this point, Israel could literally set up gas chambers for Palestinians during Ramadan and the genocide enablers in the Western media will be shouting ‘What about Hamas?’ and crying antisemitism if anyone draws a comparison with the Holocaust. Make no mistake, if these people were alive in the 40s, they would have sided with the Nazis.”

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

Another post read, “Long live the Palestinian resistance,” and “Victory to the intifada.” Intifadas in the past have always been campaigns of terrorist violence, including suicide bombings.

Over the past week, we marked World Refugee Day, remembering those who were driven from their homes by antisemites.

Over the centuries, some countries took them in; others refused. Often, those who took them in would themselves later force them to flee once again.

Whether through proscriptions, private prosecutions, protests or other means, we will continue to fight to maintain Britain as a hospitable and safe place for Jewish people to live.

, ,

Palestine Action claims sabotage of RAF planes

Palestine Action has claimed the sabotage of two RAF planes at a base in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.

Footage that was published on the group’s X account this morning appears to show someone spraying an aircraft with red paint.

According to Palestine Action, two activists “repurposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyagers and caused further damage using crowbars”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently wrote to the Home Secretary, calling for the proscription of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 and providing her with a detailed dossier on the group. We continue to reiterate that call.

Palestine Action is a UK-based activist group which was formed in 2020. It has gained attention for what the organisation describes as “direct action” against companies and institutions which it considers to be linked to the Israeli Government, ranging from defence contractors to the BBC. The organisation is known for confrontational and criminal tactics, including damage to property, vandalism and the occupation of corporate or public facilities. Their most notable targets include Elbit Systems, an Israel-based defence contractor with subsidiary facilities throughout the United Kingdom. Since the 7th October 2023 terrorist attacks by Hamas and the subsequent war between Hamas and Israel, Palestine Action has increasingly been targeting cultural and educational sites.

The group’s methods often involve the destruction of property, disruption of business operations, and threats to public safety. Palestine Action revels in these activities and writes extensively about them on its website. The organisation has also published a handbook named “The Underground Manual”, which includes instructions on everything from forming “cells”, to how to “pick a target”, and how to commit criminal damage in the most harmful way. The handbook includes instructions on what to wear, how to use a burner phone, and which tools to use to cause the greatest damage.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The Home Secretary needs to ban Palestine Action urgently. They have graduated from vandalising Israel-linked companies to Jewish businesses and charities to now putting Royal Air Force planes out of action. Breaking into an RAF base to vandalise aircraft demonstrates Palestine Action’s real hatred for this country. This is an attack on Britain and the heroes who protect us daily, and jeopardises our nation’s security.

“Why are those who clearly have nothing but contempt for this country allowed to run amok? We have already provided the Home Secretary with a detailed dossier of evidence showing that the group’s activities fall, in our view, squarely within the definition of a terrorist organisation, and that Palestine Action should be proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. There must be no further delay in banning this group. They must be outlawed now.”

, ,

Witness appeal: Theft of mezuzah in Golders Green caught on camera

Footage caught on a door-cam appears to show a man removing a mezuzah from a home in Golders Green in North London yesterday and walking away.

A mezuzah is a decorative case containing a prayer traditionally fixed to a Jewish home.

We are calling for witnesses to contact Shomrim North West London, the neighbourhood patrol group that retrieved the footage, which you can watch here.

If anyone has information, please contact Shomrim on 0300 9991234 quoting ref NW683-20/05/25.

A spokesperson for Shomrim North West London said: “The religious Jewish community have traditionally borne a lot of the brunt of antisemitic attacks because they are most visibly Jewish. This has a profound impact on our quality of life. This person is caught on camera. He must be identified. We urge anyone with information to come forward.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This sort of cowardly and costly vandalism targeting Jewish homes sends the message that British Jews aren’t safe, even in places where they think they are. We join Shomrim North West London in calling for information about the person captured in this video so that appropriate action can be taken. If this were your home, you would hope that others would help you get justice too.”

, , , , , , , ,

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.

, ,

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.”

, ,

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.”

, , , , ,

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].

, ,

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.

, , , , , , ,

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.

, ,

“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

, , ,

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.

, ,

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.

, , ,

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.

, , ,

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.

, ,

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

, ,

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.

, ,

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.

, , ,

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.

, ,

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.

, ,

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. 

, ,

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

, ,

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

, , ,

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

, , ,

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

, ,

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.

, ,

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.

, ,

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

, , ,

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

, ,

“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.

, ,

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

We are seeking to recruit a General Counsel to join our London office

Join the fight

Subscribe
Volunteer
Donate

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.