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Man who owned Hitler portrait and called for extermination of Jews is jailed

A man who called for the extermination of Jewish people and whose house was adorned with Nazi paraphernalia, including a portrait of Adolf Hitler, has been jailed.

Samuel Doyle, 40, had also called for the extermination of the LGBTQ+ community online, and had Nazi flags and fridge magnets and fascist and racist manifestos and books, as well as the Hitler portrait, at his home in Glossop, Derbyshire.

Mr Doyle was arrested in February 2022 after his online activity was uncovered. He was charged and later pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing or publishing written material to stir up racial hatred.

He was jailed for three years at Manchester Crown Court.

DI Chris Brett, of Counter Terrorism Policing East Midlands, said: “Freedom of speech is an important part of our shared British values – and something that is enshrined in law. However, those freedoms are not without limit and it is clear that the views Samuel Doyle expressed online stepped well over the line into criminality.

“The posts he wrote are abhorrent – calling directly for violent action to be taken against a number of minority groups. Some may say that posting online is different to expressing these views in person, but that is absolutely not the case. We have seen across the world how online posting of this nature has had serious ‘real world’ outcomes – including, sadly, fatalities.

“In recent years we have seen an increasing number of cases involving people who have been pulled into online hate speech and extremist views, and I would urge people who are concerned about family, friends or colleagues to come forward and report their behaviour.”

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

Image credit: Derbyshire Police

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Patriotic Alternative splinter group applies to become political party

It has been revealed that Homeland, a splinter group of former Patriotic Alternative (PA) members, has applied to become a political party. 

According to The Ferret, the Home Office contacted the Electoral Commission to alert it that the group was attempting to register with the Commission “by stealth”. 

It is understood that the Home Office has said that if it obtains any “relevant intel” about Homeland and its methods of application in the future, the ministry will contact the Electoral Commission.

Kenny Smith, Homeland’s leader, is alleged to have said in a secret meeting in April that members of the group who are not “on the radar” of the authorities were applying for party status under a different name on behalf of Homeland.

Homeland reportedly made its application under the name, “Homeland Party”; it is understood that the application remains under review. 

Homeland is said to comprise every former Scottish member of PA, as well as a number of former members from across the UK. The group’s leader, Mr Smith, the former organiser for PA’s Scottish branch, has allegedly claimed that over half of PA’s membership has now defected to Homeland. 

PA is a UK-based group headed by the former leader of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark 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.

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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Labour MP faces backlash over Corbyn invitation as two councillors come under fire over antisemitism claims

A Labour Party MP is facing a backlash after inviting Jeremy Corbyn to speak at an event.

Kate Osamor, the MP for Edmonton, has been criticised following a post on her Facebook page about her “political summer school”.

The post read: “Really pleased to be joined by Jeremy Corbyn at my Political Summer School. Without exception the students remain inspired and excited by Jeremy and the politics of hope that he represents.” 

It is understood that a number of Ms Osamor’s constituents have written to the MP to express their concerns. One constituent said: “There are still pockets in the party who are problematic. Kate should be helping fight back against these people, rather than pandering to someone like Corbyn who can’t bring himself to fully accept the recommendations of the EHRC [Equality and Human Rights Commission] report.”

The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

Meanwhile, two Labour councillors have come under fire following accusations of denying or engaging in antisemitism. 

Cllr Raymond Moon, of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, has been suspended from the Labour group on the Council after he sponsored the screening of Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie at the Tunbridge Wells Forum.

The antisemitism-denial propaganda film claims that it “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration. However, Mr Murray has since sought to distance himself from the film.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Of his suspension, Cllr Moon said: “I was extremely upset and it’s my own party members that have instigated it. It was a blow, not having been a councillor very long. I try to represent people and this was nothing to do with the party as far as I saw it, it was just giving a personal view.”

Another councillor was suspended from the Labour Party for allegedly sharing antisemitic content online.

Even after his suspension, Cllr David Morton, who sits on the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, liked a tweet questioning the number of Jews who died during the Holocaust, although he claimed that he had misunderstood it and has since blocked the account that had originally tweeted it.

Cllr Morton said of his suspension: “I’m absolutely stunned by this. I do not hold any antisemitic views and I’m certainly not racist. I was shocked because of the allegations of antisemitism and racism. I am probably the last person to be accused of that. My father-in-law was Jewish and I was involved in the report on Kindertransport.”

Labour reportedly opened an investigation, and in the meantime, Cllr Morton resigned from the Party, citing a disagreement within the Council regarding the Clean Air Neighbourhood project as the reason for his departure.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

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Holocaust Centre North apologises over training course press release 

A Holocaust centre has apologised for the language that it used in a press release for a managerial training course that it offered. 

The Holocaust Centre North, in Huddersfield, launched a programme last month which is designed to teach “modern leaders” how to learn from twentieth-century dictators about office culture and inclusion.

In a press release, the charity said of the course: “Exploring the leadership traits of Hitler, Stalin and others, as well as the dangers of being a bystander, the half-day course highlights the dangers of ignoring inclusion. It offers a challenging look at equality, diversity and inclusion at a time when cases of toxic workplace culture are rarely out of the headlines.”

Hannah Randall, Head of Learning at the organisation, is quoted in the press release as saying: “Participants are shocked to see that some of their leadership traits are similar to dictators. Stalin was an extreme micro-manager and this style is familiar to a lot of people. So too is Hitler’s hands-off and unaccountable approach that relies on his force of personality to get things done. It’s very much the blueprint of populism.

“We are using extreme scenarios but it serves a dual purpose. It makes people question their leadership style and it makes them confront relatable experiences that some would rather forget. So, for example, most people have seen discrimination in their organisation, which is stage three on the ten stages of genocide. A good number of people have seen colleagues not allowed to share their ideas or be valued because they’re a woman and some have seen colleagues wearing a hijab openly mocked and singled out for abuse.”

The organisation’s Director, Alessandro Bucci, said: “It’s now widely accepted that modern leaders must embrace EDI [Equality, Diversity, Inclusion], and organisations cannot afford to pay lip service to it. By exploring the grey areas of the Holocaust – and recognising that it’s too simple to reduce it to just good and bad guys – we are having real success in getting people to think about how they can create more inclusive workplaces. In the last year alone, allegations of bullying in employment tribunals have risen by 44 per cent to a record high – so there’s clearly a need for a more forceful approach to make people think about what they can do differently.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism subsequently wrote to the charity. 

The Centre has now apologised for the language that was used in the press release.

In a letter to Campaign Against Antisemitism, the charity said: “At Holocaust Centre North we pride ourselves on working tirelessly to make sure the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten. With this in mind it is with genuine remorse that we apologise for the plainly inappropriate language used in the press release about our equality and diversity course.”

The Holocaust Centre North was founded in 2018 by the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association, a group of refugees and survivors who have delivered education about the Holocaust since 1996. Its permanent exhibition and learning centre is based on the University of Huddersfield’s campus, and receives funding from the Association of Jewish Refugees, the Pears Foundation, and the Department for Levelling Up.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We commend the Holocaust Centre North for its unreserved apology over its poor and insulting choice of language. We hope that future communications from the Centre will reflect a more considered approach to marketing the important educational work that it carries out.”

Image credit: Holocaust Centre North

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CAA produces video addressing television personality and YouTuber Pearl Davis

Campaign Against Antisemitism has produced a video addressing the television personality and YouTuber Pearl Davis, who recently posted and deleted a song to Twitter in which allusions to antisemitic conspiracy theories were expressed.

You can watch the video here.

Pearl Davis, a content creator with over one million YouTube subscribers who has been called the “female Andrew Tate” by TalkTV owing to her condemnatory views on feminism, posted a song in which she sang: “Why can’t we talk about them without getting kicked off of YouTube?”

She continued: “Now, I’m not saying Hitler was a good guy, but I kind of want to know why.

“Now, there’s all these conspiracy theories and the more they talk I think maybe they’re right. But I can’t even listen to the convo, I can’t even have the conversation, without getting cancelled by the left and the right.”

The YouTuber finishes the song by singing: “Now really, I’m not trying to be rude, but why can’t we talk about the J- I didn’t say it.”

The white supremacist and Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes, who has previously argued that Jews should not be allowed in politics, endorsed the song, claiming that Ms Davis “dropped a diss track on the Jews.”

Ms Davis then appeared on ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ where, after being given the opportunity to apologise, she refused and joked about the situation, claiming that she simply wanted to have a discussion about “cancel culture”.

Following this, she took to Twitter where she doubled down on her excuse, this time going on to defend the antisemitic rapper Ye, who has said that Adolf Hitler was “a cool guy” who “didn’t kill six million Jews.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Pearl Davis barely attempts to hide her disdain for Jews in this song. The frequent allusions made to the age-old trope of Jewish control and power are disturbing in themselves, but even more so when sung with a smile. The endorsement of the song by Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes tells you all you need to know.”

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“I was so terrified all the time”: Australian artist fights internalised antisemitism through art

Avraham Vofsi, a Jewish artist based in Melbourne, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he described how his art had been influenced by his experiences of internal antisemitism.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

“I always knew I was Jewish,” he said, “but I think the way [internalised antisemitism] manifested for me was that I literally couldn’t be around other Jews. There was something about it where some part of it was too hard to face.”

He continued: “When it was just me, I could control it in a way, like, ‘This is what it means to be Jewish,’ and that’s how I’d present myself. But as soon as I’m around other Jews, or I’m doing Jewish programmes, or I’m going to synagogue, or whatever it is, all of a sudden…did I have these feelings of animosity? I don’t know.”

Mr Vofsi went on to describe how at his school, he was one of four Jewish students in his year, a source of great anxiety. Judaism as a subject was understood to be taboo among them. 

“We never talked about being Jewish with each other. Ever. And I don’t know if any of us were friends, because we all had to distance ourselves,” he said. 

Taking off his glasses to rub his eyes, he said: “Sorry, it just makes me a bit uncomfortable to think about. There was something really intense about it in this hard-to-articulate way…I was so terrified all the time.”

At one point, he considered whether his anxiety about being with other Jews stemmed from the idea that “the more Jews I was around, the more possible it was that [antisemitic incidents] would happen.”

In his most recent art exhibit, B’Aretz: Portrait of a Land, Mr Vofsi used his experiences to focus on Jewish identity and building a connection to Israel, where he spent five months honing a connection with the country for inspiration.

“The show is six portraits and four landscapes…I was like, ‘I need to explore my Jewish identity’,” he told us, adding that the process of creating his newest exhibition was what helped him work through much of his internalised antisemitism.

Mr Vofsi is one of those interviewed in the book Reclaiming Our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride by author Ben M. Freeman, the second instalment of his seminal manifesto of the modern Jewish Pride movement.

Earlier this year, Campaign Against Antisemitism hosted a first-of-its-kind sold-out event, “CAA presents…An evening with Ben M. Freeman”, which attracted a room full of Jewish young professionals to an east London venue to watch a live interview with Mr Freeman, followed by a question and answers session.

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

Image credit: Avraham Vofsi

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Following CAA action, North Ayrshire Council cancel screening of antisemitism-denial film at Irvine arts centre

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, North Ayrshire Council has cancelled a screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie was due to be shown tonight at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine, but the booking is understood to have been made by a third party, and not by the venue itself, which we understand was not made aware of the nature of the film.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival, YMCA, Unite union, Basildon Council, the national pub retailer Greene King, Tolpuddle Village Hall, Yeovil Labour Club, a Nottinghamshire church and independent venues around the country, have cancelled screenings of the film.

The film claims that it “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration. However, Mr Murray has since sought to distance himself from the film.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the Council for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening as soon as we brought it to its attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, was cancelled, as has one at Havant and Emsworth United Reformed Church, the independent book retailer, October Books, and Leicester Students’ Union.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Following CAA action, popular graphic design app removes antisemitic “Happy Merchant” meme

Following action from Campaign Against Antisemitism, a popular app allowing people to design their own graphics has removed an antisemitic meme from its platform.

The “Happy Merchant” meme, also known as the “Smirking Merchant”, is believed to have been created in 2001 and depicts a Jewish man with heavily stereotyped facial features who is greedily rubbing his hands together. The image has become widely used online by white supremacists and antisemites.

The Art Lab app, which has over 100,000 downloads on Google Play, is branded as “a versatile free graphic design app,” with its website stating: “Art Lab makes photo & design editing amazingly simple and fun. Design everything you need quickly and effortlessly. Design posters and banners for social media marketing, Instagram story & highlight cover, logos, business cards, birthday invitations & wedding invites.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The antisemitic ‘Happy Merchant’ meme is often used by neo-Nazis and white supremacists. Such repugnant imagery has no place on an app like this. We understand that the owners of the Art Lab app were unaware of the graphic’s presence on its platform, and we commend them for their swift and decisive action to remove the image as soon as we brought it to their attention.”

T-shirts featuring the meme have reportedly been sold by Jon Minadeo II, the founder of the Goyim Defence League (GDL). The GDL has been described as an antisemitic hate group whose membership reportedly contains several neo-Nazis. The group is divided into regional branches and regularly distributes antisemitic flyers across the United States. 

Last year, a former Belfast City Councillor posted the well-known antisemitic meme on Gab, a platform favoured by the far-right.

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“From the river, to the sea” chant recited during annual London BDS walk

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was recited during London’s annual walk in support of the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign on Saturday.

Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit were present at the protest to gather evidence.

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. 

While boycotting a country is neither illegal nor racist in and of itself, the problem with BDS is that it is no mere boycott. Supporters of BDS routinely engage the Definition by:

  • Setting political tests which Jews must pass, or face being treated as a pariah, especially by demanding that Jews renounce their cultural and religious ties to Israel, the physical centre of the Jewish religion, the world’s only Jewish state, and the country in which almost half of the world’s Jewish population lives;
  • Attempting to isolate and shame Israeli Jews, but not Israeli non-Jews, who do not support BDS when they visit Britain or come to study or teach at British universities;
  • Treating the entirety of the State of Israel as occupied land, and thereby asserting that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavour;
  • Working with genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisations;
  • Claiming that Israeli policy is to deliberately kill babies, or harvest the vital organs of non-Jews, which revives ancient blood libels;
  • Attempting to portray Israeli Jews as having created a Nazi state in the model of Nazi Germany, and of ‘using’ the Holocaust as political cover for purported Jewish crimes;
  • Defending against claims of antisemitism by proposing that the allegations are a ruse used by Jewish victims, not to call out racism but to silence criticism of Israel;
  • Projecting antisemitic conspiracy myths about nefarious Jewish power onto the Jewish state.

The walk was organised by the group Friends of Al Aqsa (FOA).

The founder of FOA told a cheering crowd in 2009 during a war between Israel and the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas: “Hamas is not a terrorist organisation. The reason that they hate Hamas is because they refuse to be subjugated to be occupied by the Israeli state and we salute Hamas for standing up to Israel.”

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Vegan activist compares eating meat to the Holocaust in TV interview

A vegan activist compared the slaughter of animals to the Holocaust in an interview on TalkTV on Friday.

Tash Peterson, an Australian activist, appeared in an interview with Piers Morgan wearing a t-shirt that showed a caged pig below text that read: “End this Holocaust.” 

In response to a question about her history of controversial protests, Ms Peterson said: “I think it brings more attention to the animal Holocaust.”

Mr Morgan then asked: “Why use the word Holocaust? Holocaust is the mass extermination of more than six million Jewish people by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.”

Ms Peterson responded: “Well, that is one Holocaust in history.”

When challenged further and asked, “Why would you use that very emotive language, knowing that it would offend a lot of people?”, the activist doubled down and said: “Well it’s just a factual statement…non-human animals can be subjected to the same atrocities as humans can. In fact, it’s the largest Holocaust in history.” 

Comparisons between the animal-slaughter industry and the Holocaust are often seen to minimise the deliberate and industrial genocide of six million innocent Jewish men, women and children.

In an interview on Podcast Against Antisemitism, Ben Rebuck, a Jewish vegan chef and activist, criticised fellow activists who make such comparisons. He commented that “people being killed in gas chambers and firing squads” is “far worse than animals being killed,” adding that the comparisons are “absurd.”

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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British Islamist Anjem Choudary charged with terrorism offences

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

The news comes after he was arrested last week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Following CAA action, Unite union cancels Bristol screening of antisemitism-denial film and launch of Asa Winstansley’s book ‘Weaponising Anti-Semitism’

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, the Unite union has cancelled the screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn that was due to be shown alongside a book signing and talk from Asa Winstanley.

Mr Winstanley, a controversial activist and the author of the book Weaponising Anti-Semitism, is a former Labour member who quit the Party after being suspended pending an investigation. He has called accusations of antisemitism under the Party a “smear” and has referenced “Labour’s manufactured antisemitism crisis”. He has also tweeted repeatedly in promotion of the conspiracy theory that Israel is to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd. 

The event description stated that there would be a launch of the book which apparently “shows how Labour’s antisemitism crisis was manufactured by those who feared Jeremy Corbyn’s support for the Palestinian cause and a broad progressive agenda.” A book signing and talk from Mr Winstanley was then supposed to take place.

This was due to be followed by a screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie. However, following contact from Campaign Against Antisemitism in which we pointed out that the scheduling of the event appeared to be contradictory to the reports that the film has been banned in all of Unite’s buildings, it was cancelled.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival, YMCA, Basildon Council, the national pub retailer Greene King, Tolpuddle Village Hall, Yeovil Labour Club, a Nottinghamshire church and independent venues around the country, have cancelled screenings of the film.

The film claims that it “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration. However, Mr Murray has since sought to distance himself from the film.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends Unite for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening as soon as we brought it to its attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, was cancelled, as has one at Havant and Emsworth United Reformed Church, the independent book retailer, October Books, and Leicester Students’ Union.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Inquiry announced into Nazi concentration camps on Channel Island

It has been announced that the British Government will launch an investigation into the Nazi camps on Alderney.  

Alderney, one of the Channel Islands, is the only place on British soil where Nazi concentration camps were established. 

Two concentration camps were set up on the island, called Lager Sylt and Lager Helgoland; as well as two labour camps, called Lager Borkum and Lager Helgoland. 

The number of prisoners who died in the camps is unclear, with some estimates reaching into the thousands. Some researchers have suggested that the number of Jews who could be found in mass graves on the island could be up to 1,000.

Of the review, Lord Pickles, the British Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, said: “The difference between the estimates is so large, I thought it sensible for everyone to put the facts on the table, for it all to be transparent and for the deliberations to be in the open. It seemed pointless people shouting across at each other. It would be better to have a proper discussion and to bring together a panel of international experts.”

Last year, the Government announced that it would make all records related to the Holocaust open to the public for the first time.

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CAA produces video about Just Stop Oil: “Just stop trivialising the Holocaust”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has produced a video about Just Stop Oil in which we say: “Just stop trivialising the Holocaust.”

The controversial environmental activist organisation, which gained notoriety for its public stunts intended to cause inconvenience to the general public as a means of bringing attention towards oil usage which has included throwing soup on rare artworks and hanging banners over motorway gantries, has a history of using Holocaust comparisons in their messaging.

Yesterday, the group compared the bosses of oil and gas companies to the architects of the Holocaust. Activists took to Parliament Square where they invoked the name of Adolf Eichmann, an SS officer in the Third Reich and an architect of the Final Solution — the industrial slaughter of six million Jews. 

Chloe Naldrett, a member of the group, said: “Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi, at his trial sought to defend himself by saying that he didn’t kill Jews because he was only in charge of transporting them to the death camps. The judges threw out this obscene defence and he was hanged.

“When those in charge today go to court in the coming years, they will claim that they only facilitated the continued use of oil and gas and coal. They will argue that they never directly killed the millions who are already dying and will continue to die of starvation, floods, drought, wildfires and deadly heat.”

When Zoe Cohen, a different member of Just Stop Oil, was asked by LBC about the comparison, she refused to apologise and instead doubled down, stating: “Forgive me for saying this, and I say this very sincerely, but it’s like we’re all trapped in a giant gas chamber. And we know that every single tonne of carbon dioxide makes this worse. And yet these people go on expanding oil and gas. Is that not genocide? Of course, it is.”

This evening, James Harvey, one of Just Stop Oil’s spokespeople, appeared on TalkTV where he was asked by Vanessa Feltz whether or not he defended those comments. He attempted to justify the comparison before stating: “At the time, in Germany, in the 1930s and 40s, we know that the government there facilitated the deaths of thousands and thousands of people.”

Ms Feltz responded to this comment by saying “That wasn’t facilitating”, to which Mr Harvey replied: “Or, they caused the deaths of thousands and thousands.”

Towards the end of the interview, after repeatedly being asked whether he apologised for the group’s Holocaust comparisons, he stated: “On a personal level, I am sorry if we have caused any offence to people.”

In June, the group took to Twitter to compare themselves to those who hid Jews during the Holocaust, writing: “We don’t deny we take action outside of current laws…It was illegal to free slaves. Illegal to hide Jews. Illegal for women to vote. Legality is not a guide for morality.” 

Last year, Just Stop Oil compared themselves to people who hid Anne Frank, drawing condemnation from several users. 

The comment was made on Twitter in reply to the former UKIP leader Henry Bolton. Mr Bolton, replying to a tweet posted by the activist group which stated that one of its members responsible for causing disruption to traffic on the M25 motorway would be imprisoned until her trial, wrote: “If you commit a crime, don’t complain if you’re arrested, prosecuted and and [sic] jailed.”

In response, the activist group wrote that “The people who hid Anne Frank during WW2 were criminals, Henry. So were the French Resistance.”

It added: “Obeying the law does not give you the moral highground [sic] — not when it’s still legal for our Government to greenlight enough oil and gas to kill millions. Good people break bad laws.”

The tweet drew the ire of several Twitter users with many denouncing the comparison.

It is reported that the group is led by Roger Hallam, the co-founder of the activist group Extinction Rebellion, who was disowned by his colleagues after he described the Holocaust as “just another f***ery in human history.” He later apologised for his “crass words”. 

Last week, Mr Hallam published a Twitter thread comparing Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer to Eichmann.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Just Stop Oil has a disturbing history of minimising the Holocaust in its messaging. In the latest example, a spokesperson for the group said on TalkTV that the Nazis merely ‘facilitated the deaths of thousands and thousands of people.’ This is historically ignorant, and that ignorance is dangerously combined with the group’s insatiable pursuit of attention at any cost. The result is the strange and inflammatory ubiquity of the genocide of the Jews in the group’s activism. Why can’t Just Stop Oil just stop trivialising the Holocaust?”

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UB40 band members reported to have a history of antisemitism online

According to a report, two members of the British reggae band, UB40, have been found to have a history of antisemitism online. 

Norman Hassan, the band’s Percussionist, appears to have made numerous comparisons of Israelis to Nazis on Twitter, according to journalist David Lange.

One tweet reads: “…the world turned a blind eye in 1930 Germany with the Nazi killing the Jews ..& now the oppressed as become the oppressors. [sic]”

Another post says: “Bullying!! Just like the Nazi !! Don’t forget your history!!! [sic]” 

Another band member, Jimmy Brown, reportedly compared Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto in a comment on Facebook. 

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

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Dame Melinda Simmons, British Ambassador to Ukraine, on antisemitism: “Call it out”

Dame Melinda Simmons, who has served as the British Ambassador to Ukraine since 2019, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where she spoke on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “denazification” comments, and gave advice to those looking to fight antisemitism.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

“Call it out,” she said when asked how people can tackle Jew-hatred. “That’s the one thing they can do, is to call it out. And when they ask what that means, what I say is, if you think there is a march going on, join the march. If you see something on social media, and you’re an active part of social media, you say on your social media that it’s not okay, or you’re not comfortable with it. If you see something really bad, you report it.”

Commenting on the perceived difference between antisemitic abuse in real life and online, Dame Melinda said: “If you saw someone being beaten up in the street, you would probably want to report that to the police.”

If you see the same sort of bullying going on online, you probably should be doing the same, and I’m interested that people see a distinction there because I don’t. Most of our life is lived online, in terms of that interaction now.”

Dame Melinda also spoke about how many Ukrainian Jews view President Putin’s remarks of “denazification”, one of Russia’s prominent justifications for its invasion of Ukraine.

President Putin has claimed throughout the invasion that he needed to “denazify” Ukraine, a stance that was reinforced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and apparently also adopted by China.  

Asked last year why Russia needed to “denazify” Ukraine, given that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish, Mr Lavrov answered: “Zelenskyy a Jew? Even Hitler had Jewish origins, the main antisemites are Jews themselves.”

Speaking on how Ukrainians have viewed this claim, Dame Melinda said: “Denazification has not been an objective for Russia. It is a narrative. In general, it’s not received with any kind of credibility here.

“Among Jews, it’s the same, and I can’t speak for all Jews in Ukraine. I have not met all Jews in Ukraine, and it’s a very disparate range of communities, but I will say that among those that I have met in Kyiv, there is the same skepticism, but there is also a thread of fear about it. 

“That has a lot to do with the fact that Ukraine is the epicenter of the Holocaust. This is a country that lost nearly all of its Jews in the Holocaust. I’ve been here four years. Every town I go to, every town has a killing field. Every forest has a shooting site.”

Dame Melinda, a British Jew with Ukrainian roots who was born and raised in London’s East End, found her experiences in Ukraine eye-opening.

She said: “It’s unbelievable for someone from Western Europe to be walking around finding so much consistent evidence of killing of Jews, and that is something that runs deep even though the country has not come to terms with the same conscious, coming-to-terms with what has happened, as many Western European countries have.

“Ukraine hasn’t done that, most of Eastern Europe, frankly, hasn’t really done that yet. So for Jews who are here, who have that memory, there is always a twinge of fear about what that means.”

Considering what could happen were Russia to invade areas of Ukraine with large Jewish populations, she stated: “If [Russia] were able to come to urban centres and able to occupy, it would very quickly translate itself into the sort of antisemitism that we have seen inside Russia.”

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Roald Dahl Museum to add plaque apologising for author’s antisemitism

The Roald Dahl Museum is to add a plaque apologising for the author’s antisemitism.

The museum, which was founded in 2001 by the author’s widow, Liccy, said in a statement: “The Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by Roald Dahl’s antisemitic statements. Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl’s stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations. We hope that, just as he did at his best, at his absolute worst, Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words.”

The apology will be displayed on a panel at the entrance to the museum in Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire.

The famous children’s author made numerous inflammatory comments about Jews, such as: “There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity… even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason.” He also said of the Jews that nobody had ever “switched so rapidly from victims to barbarous murderers,” an apparent breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism, which considers “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” to be an example of antisemitism.

He also claimed that the Jews owned the media and that positive American relations toward Israel was because of excessive Jewish power.

In 2014, the Royal Mint declined to issue a commemorative coin to celebrate the centenary of Mr Dahl’s birth because of his antisemitism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We commend the Roald Dahl Museum for installing this plaque. Mr Dahl’s stories entertain and delight millions of children and should continue to do so. At the same time, it is important that a museum and website dedicated to the author present the full story of his life and work, and that includes its darker side.”

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Obsessive TikTok user who harassed Jews in Stamford Hill banned from app following CAA action

Following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, a TikTok user who made videos in which he targeted members of Stamford Hill’s Jewish community has been banned from the app.

The user, who went by the name of @1dailyactive before later changing it to @mractive101, uploaded numerous videos in which he filmed himself harassing identifiable Jews in Stamford Hill. 

The TikTok user recorded himself entering synagogues, apparently without the permission or knowledge of the Jewish people inside, and often whilst they were praying.

After being alerted to the user by the Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, Campaign Against Antisemitism collated evidence which was then sent to TikTok.

In one , the person recording can be seen entering a synagogue whilst saying “let’s see where this takes me,” before walking in on people praying. In the of the video, he is heard interrogating people about Judaism. After disrupting those praying, he agrees to leave before shouting “I will come back, I will come back here.”

In an attempt at entering a different synagogue, he can be circling the outside of the building in order to find a way in. He then stopped a Jewish couple and : “How do you get inside there?” After they left, he approached a Jewish man walking alone and directed his line of questioning at him.

In a follow-up about the same synagogue, the TikTok user seemingly manages to gain entry to the synagogue. As he walked past the gates, he immediately approached a Jewish man and said: “Can I learn about you lot here?” As the Jewish man tried to get away from the interaction, the TikTok user persisted in following. 

The video then cut to inside the synagogue, with the user shouting and again disrupting people praying. He proceeded to embark on a long conversation with a Jewish person who requested he leave.

Another video shows the TikTok user driving and playing loud music outside of a building whilst he yells at two Jewish men: “Do you know this song?”

On at least two occasions, he uploaded videos denigrating Jewish drivers. One video saw him utlise TikTok’s text-to-speech feature so that the phrase “Jews can’t drive to save their lives” was spoken over footage of a Jewish person driving. In another video, viewers hear the person recording refer to the driver in front of him as a “dumb f***ing Jew”. 

A in which the TikTok user enters a mosque, apparently in order to learn more about Islam, devolved into him speaking disparagingly about Jewish people. He can be heard telling someone: “I watched something on YouTube a little while ago, a documentary…within their religion, their belief is that other people, non-Jewish, they’re like slaves to them…like we are nothing, they’re superior than everyone else.”

In a voiceover the user recorded afterward and later inserted into the video, he said: “That came out of a Jew’s mouth.”

We are grateful to TikTok for acting so promptly after we reached out to them.

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

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Stop Funding Hate staff member accused of sharing inflammatory content online

A staff member of Stop Funding Hate, a group that encourages advertisers to boycott media that the organisation considers to be hateful, has been accused of sharing inflammatory content online. 

Amanda Morris, a community organiser for Stop Funding Hate, shared posts with the hashtag “FromTheRiverToTheSea”. 

The full line from which that phrase is taken, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

According to the Definition, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is an example of antisemitism.

It has been reported that Ms Morris also previously described Israel as “genocidal”. 

In a report, published by the Centre for Media Monitoring in 2021, Ms Morris allegedly disputed the description of the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas, as an “Islamist group”. 

In the same report Ms Morris suggested that journalists should “differentiate between Hamas the political party, and their military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigade” and argued that spokespeople for Hamas should be “given a platform to respond to allegations”. 

In 2021, the UK Government proscribed Hamas as a terrorist organisation in full following several months of advocacy from Campaign Against Antisemitism. 

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is hard to square Amanda Morris’ history of comments, posts and associations with Stop Funding Hate’s philosophy of ‘open, inclusive and participatory campaigning’.

“Promoting antisemitic phrases like ‘From the River to the Sea’, which calls for the destruction of Israel; urging the media to give a platform to spokespeople from Hamas, an antisemitic genocidal terrorist group banned by the UK; and defending inflammatory politicians whose views have been rejected by their own political parties, are all red flags.

“How could Jewish people possibly feel included in any of SFH’s campaigning led by such an individual? And how on earth SFH could work with her?”

Stop Funding Hate has previously been accused of having “militant prejudice” after it was revealed that one of its strategic advisors had defended inflammatory tweets made by others.

Amanda Morris said: “I do not consider that the retweets in question are antisemitic. I have been critical of some of the actions of the state of Israel, but that does not mean that I am antisemitic – on the contrary, I am an opponent of all forms of racism including anti-Jewish racism.” 

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GB News host shares COVID-19 conspiracy theory about Ashkenazi Jews

A GB News presenter took to Twitter yesterday where she shared a conspiracy theory about COVID-19 and Ashkenazi Jews.

Beverley Turner, the mid-morning co-host of the To The Point programme, wrote on her Twitter: “Sas cov 2 virus causes less harm to certain ethnicities – east Asians, and Ashkenazi Jews (Fauci anyone?) than to European, S Asian & African… Just let that sink in.”

She continued: “This is looking increasingly like a bio weapon to destroy the west.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Stating that COVID-19 poses less of a risk to Ashkenazi Jews would be stupid enough, but simultaneously suggesting that the virus is a ‘bio weapon to destroy the west’ implies that Jews collaborated in creating the pandemic and feeds a classic trope that Jews spread disease to harm others and not themselves. It is astonishing that someone who tweeted such dangerous nonsense could be a host on GB News.”

Last week, presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy Jr made similar comments at a dinner in New York when he said: “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese…We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted at that or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential of impact for that.”

The comments were roundly condemned, including by members of his family. Mr Kennedy has since refuted all accusations of antisemitism.

Last year, Mr Kennedy was forced to apologise after he invoked Anne Frank’s name in comparing COVID-19 mandates to laws in Nazi Germany. During his speech at an anti-vaccination rally in Washington, he remarked: “Even in Hitler’s Germany, you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did.”

Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

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CAA to write to University of West of England over staff member’s alleged tweets about the “Holocaust industry” and comparisons between Israelis to Nazis

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to the University of West of England over reports that a staff member published numerous incendiary tweets relating to the Holocaust, Zionists, and Israel, many of which breach the International Definition of Antisemitism.

According to Gnasher Jew, Siamak Alimi, a Senior IT Instructor in the Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries, and Education, posted tweets under the account ‘@Salimi’, which has now been deleted.

A screenshot appears to show that on 21st July 2014, the account wrote: “Fed up with feeling sorry for Zionists who hide behind holocaust industry whilst committing atrocities.” 

A tweet from 19th March 2016 asserts that “powerful Jews were not the only ones engaging in slave trade and other forms of exploitation,” before continuing: “The more we emphasize the uniqueness of the role of ‘the jew’ in global exploitation and atrocities rooted in their culture and religion, the more we legitimize the idea of tribalism and ‘chosen-ness’ which people like Gilad [Atzmon] try to negate.”

On 22nd November 2020, the account tweeted: “Zionism is a racist ideology and the creation of Israel was a racist endeavour.”

Similar sentiments appear to have to been expressed on 10th and 11th July of this year when Mr Alimi allegedly wrote that “Zionism is based on racism and Jewish exceptionalism” and that “it is a form of tribal/racist/supremacist nationalism based on National Socialism.” 

Additionally, the account appears to have published tweets comparing Israelis to Nazis, with one tweet referring to “Nazi and Zionist states committing similar atrocities.” 

According to the Definition, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” and “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” are both examples of antisemitism. 

The University adopted the Definition in June 2021. Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the Definition by universities.

If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].

Image credit: Brett Jordan via Canva.com

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Disturbing allegations of antisemitism, racism, and sexual assault made by McDonald’s employees

Employees of the fast-food chain McDonald’s have made disturbing allegations that widespread incidents of racism, including antisemitism, sexual assault, and bullying have been taking place at locations across the country.

Following this, a new, confidential e-mail hotline has been created.

The hotline has been set up by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Its website states: “We are concerned to hear of these new allegations of sexual and racial harassment. We will look at them closely in the context of our current legal agreement with McDonald’s to tackle sexual harassment of staff in its restaurants.”

Those affected can e-mail the hotline at [email protected].

The BBC reported that an investigation found that after speaking to McDonald’s workers over a five-month period, they heard of more than 100 allegations from employees. Of these allegations, 31 related to sexual assault and 78 related to sexual harassment. Eighteen allegations of racism were made, while six people made allegations of homophobia.

A current McDonald’s employee in Essex said that she faced antisemitic abuse whilst working at the restaurant. 

Other examples of racism included an Indian employee based in Oxfordshire, who said that her colleagues spoke in “gibberish” to imitate her. She also said that her colleagues called a Pakistani colleague a terrorist.

Many of the sexual assault and harassment accusations have been made by sixteen and seventeen-year-olds.

McDonald’s has said of the allegations that the company had “fallen short” and it “deeply apologised”.

Image credit: Google

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Hope Sussex Community to host antisemitic hate preacher David Icke at festival

Hope Sussex Community is reportedly due to host the antisemitic hate preacher and conspiracy theorist, David Icke, at an upcoming festival. 

According to its website, the group is “a community that loves, learns and grows together”. 

In the website’s section for “Education & Empowerment”, it reads: “State schools are unfit for purpose, they are increasingly pushing an agenda that is harmful and eroding to our society, while being falsely presented as ‘social progress’.”

It is understood that Hope Sussex Community is currently under investigation by Ofsted as a suspected unregulated illegal school. Earlier this year, the group denied allegations of teaching conspiracy theories. A spokesperson for the group said: “We teach [students] to think critically at all times and to question everything, to investigate themselves and not to believe the often harmful state propaganda peddled on our TV screens.”

Two of the organisation’s founders, Sadie Single and Matthew Single, are reported to be former members of the British National Party who were expelled in 2019 after they leaked personal details of the Party’s membership online.  

The organisation is currently advertising its festival, the “Freedom Music Festival”, for which Mr Icke is a “special guest”. 

Mr Icke uses social media, his books and his stage performances to incite hatred. His preaching is so absurd that since the 1990s he has been dismissed as a crank, but because he is dismissed, there has been no major opposition to him and he has built up a following of thousands upon thousands of disciples whom he has persuaded to adamantly believe that the world is in the grip of a conspiracy run by the “Rothschild Zionists”. His repertoire includes conspiracy myths and tropes classified as antisemitic according to the International Definition of Antisemitism, adopted by the British Government. Campaign Against Antisemitism has successfully persuaded some venues to pull out of hosting his events.

After years of pressure from Campaign Against Antisemitism, Mr Icke was banned from most social media platforms.

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CAA commends Labour’s commitment to proscribe IRGC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Antisemitic former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad welcomed by leading British Muslim groups

Numerous leading British Muslim organisations have welcomed an antisemitic former Malaysian Prime Minister on his visit to the UK.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad is a proud antisemite: in 2012 he insisted that he is “glad to be labelled as antisemitic…How can I be otherwise, when the Jews who so often talk of the horrors they suffered during the Holocaust show the same Nazi cruelty and hard-heartedness towards not just their enemies but even towards their allies should any try to stop the senseless killing of their Palestinian enemies.”

His record bears out this antisemitism:

  • In 2019, he declared in a speech to the UN General Assembly that the “Because of the creation of Israel, there is now enmity towards the Muslims and Islam.” He also reportedly claimed: “If you are going to be truthful, the problem in the Middle East began with the creation of Israel. That is the truth. But I cannot say that.” 
  • In 2018, he said in a BBC Hard Talk interview that “If you are going to be truthful, the problem in the Middle East began with the creation of Israel. That is the truth. But I cannot say that.”
  • In 2012, he claimed in a speech to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference that “The Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them.”
  • He also described sympathy with Jewish victims of the Holocaust as “wasted and misplaced.”
  • In 2003, he argued at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit in Kuala Lumpur that “1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews…There must be a way. And we can only find a way if we stop to think, to assess our weaknesses and our strength, to plan, to strategize and then to counterattack. We are actually very strong. 1.3 billion people cannot be simply wiped out. The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million.”
  • In 1994, during his premiership, he oversaw a ban on the film Schindler’s List by Malaysia censors, reportedly saying in response to claims that the film was banned due to antisemitism: “I am not antisemitic but I am anti-Zionist expansionism and the conquest of Arab territories by the Zionists.”
  • In his 1970 book The Makay Dilemma, he said that “The Jews are not merely hook-nosed, but understand money instinctively” and that “they are hook-nosed. Many people called the Malays fat-nosed. We didn’t object, we didn’t go to war for that.”

Speaking to the Oxford Union in 2019, he was pressed on his views on Jews and said: “We talk about freedom of speech, but yet you cannot say anything against Israel, against the Jews, why is that so? If we are free to say what we like, we can say something that is regarded as antisemitic by the Jews, that is their right, to hold such an opinion of me. It is my right to tell them, also, that they have been doing a lot of wrong things.”

In 2019, at the Cambridge Union, Dr Mohamad said when asked about his past comments about Jews: “I have some Jewish friends, very good friends. They are not like the other Jews. That’s why they are my friends.” On his views on the Holocaust, he said: “The Israelis should know from the sufferings they went through in the war not to treat others like that.” He denied previously stating that only four million died in the Holocaust, although he had made that comment on the record. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism. On antisemitism, he said: “Of course if you say anything against the Jews, you are labelled antisemitic. No other race in the world labels people like that, why is it forbidden to criticise the Jews when other people criticise us?” He added that: “The Jews do a lot of wrong things, which force us to pass comment.”

Notwithstanding his record, Dr Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister who was in office for 22 years from 1981 to 2003 and then again between 2018 and 2020, was greeted as an honoured guest on his UK visit last month. He delivered an “exclusive private briefing” at the Asia House think tank and attended an event with British Muslim community and business leaders.

The schedule was organised by the UK-based Islam Channel, which was fined £20,000 by Ofcom in 2020 for broadcasting a programme that included “antisemitic hate speech”. The channel said: “We were all inspired by the insightful conversations and impactful moments shared by one of the world’s esteemed leaders.” Its founder, Mohamed Ali Harrath, who interviewed Dr Mohamad, told him: “We can’t see you passing by London without seizing the opportunity to speak to you and benefit from your wisdom.”

Dr Mohamad also reportedly held a meeting to discuss “governance, development, civilisation, leadership” with a group that included Mohammed Kozbar, who is the Chairman of the Finsbury Park Mosque and a former Vice President of the Muslim Association of Britain, which courted controversy last year when it mourned the death of the antisemitic Islamist cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi. Mr Kozbar reportedly wrote on Facebook that he was “honoured” to meet the Malaysian leader. He added: “What an inspirational figure, a fruitful and constructive dialogue about Muslims in the West, I really benefited from his wisdom and experience.”

The former Prime Minister also held a “lunchtime lecture” at the Dar Ul-Isra Mosque in Cardiff, hosted by the Muslim Council of Wales, which said that it was “honoured” by his visit and his “inspiring” lecture.

At the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK at Cardiff University, he was presented with a Welsh translation of the Quran etched onto slate.

A Cardiff University spokesperson told the JC: “A roundtable event attended by the former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad was held at Cardiff University in June. The event was jointly organised by the Muslim Council of Wales, Perdana Foundation, and the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK and attended by a range of civil society Muslim leaders from across Cardiff. It’s important to stress that the event was focused on a variety of subjects including development and leadership. At no point were such comments made nor were they a focus of any discussion. For the avoidance of doubt, the hosting of the former Prime Minister is not in any way an endorsement of the antisemitic comments attributed to the former Prime Minister and we condemn such comments in the strongest possible terms.”

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“Last Corbynista in power” quits Labour

The controversial elected Mayor of North of Tyne, who has been described as the “last Corbynista in power”, has resigned from the Labour Party after complaining that the Party barred him from standing for a new regional role.

Jamie Discroll, a former Chair of Momentum in Newcastle, has quit Labour, observing in his resignation letter that the Party “barred me from running,” a reference to the race for the first North-East Mayor.

Mr Discroll, who has reportedly described the “Corbynista tag” as an attempt to “define us by London Westminster politics,” did not make it into the final three shortlisted for the Party’s candidacy.

Although he previously claimed that “no explanation had been given” about the Party’s decision not to include him in its candidate shortlist, it was reported that the exclusion stemmed from his appearance at an “In Conversation” event with the outspoken film director Ken Loach at a Newcastle theatre in March.

Mr Loach was expelled from the Labour Party in August 2021 without public explanation. Mr Loach had been a leading ally of other controversial figures in Labour’s antisemitism scandal, especially those who denied that there was such a scandal of antisemitism. He said at the time of his expulsion: “Labour HQ finally decided I’m not fit to be a member of their party, as I will not disown those already expelled,” adding that he was “proud to stand with the good friends and comrades victimised by the purge. There is indeed a witch-hunt…Starmer and his clique will never lead a party of the people. We are many, they are few. Solidarity.”

In the past, Sir Keir Starmer has promised to sanction Labour members who share platforms with expelled members, but has generally not fulfilled this pledge.

The decision to bar Mr Driscoll was greeted with a backlash, including by the far-left Unite union, which warned of “serious consequences” of the decision, and, reportedly, by thousands of supporters. In addition, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram also criticised the decision to bar Mr Driscoll.

Asked in an interview, Mr Driscoll said that he has not read the full report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into antisemitism in the Labour Party. Campaign Against Antisemitism was the originating complainant in the investigation that led to the report.

The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

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Oxford Street protesters decry M&S as symbol of “British collaboration with the racist State of Israel”

The Oxford Street branch of Marks and Spencer was picketed by anti-Israel protesters bearing incendiary signs and calling for another intifada yesterday.

Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit were present at the protest to gather evidence.

Video footage from the demonstration — organised by the Revolutionary Communist Group — shows someone delivering a speech in which they shout: “Victory to the intifada.” 

The “intifada” is widely understood as the campaign of Arab terrorist violence against Jewish Israeli targets in the early 2000s that claimed hundreds of civilian lives and brought an end to the peace process.

The same person can also be seen saying: “M&S is a symbol on our high streets of British collaboration with the racist, settler State of Israel.” 

Several inflammatory signs were also present at the protest, including one bearing the words “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. 

According to the Definition, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is an example of antisemitism.

The speeches were made in front of a large tarpaulin that said “Zionism is racism”.

Another sign read “Break from the Zionist Labour Party”, whilst placards depicting further support for another intifada were also brandished. 

Additionally, support for Leila Khaled, a convicted terrorist, plane hijacker and member of the violent Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who took part in two terrorist hijackings in 1969 and 1970, was on display.

Last month, an anti-Israel protest outside the Embassy of Israel in London attended by hundreds featured calls for another intifada and the antisemitic “From the river to the sea” chant.

In May, an anti-Israel rally held outside Downing Street featured several signs comparing Israel to Nazi Germany. Similar signs and chants were on display at April’s “Al Quds Day” rally in central London.

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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Sainsbury’s apologises for stocking conspiracy newspaper with history of defending Holocaust-deniers

Sainsbury’s has issued an apology after two of its branches were found to have stocked copies of a conspiracy newspaper that has previously come to the defence of Holocaust-deniers.

The Light is an independently-distributed newspaper that was founded in 2020. It has regularly promoted conspiracy theories relating to COVID-19 and vaccines, and has made comparisons between lockdown and vaccine regulations to those of Nazi Germany.

Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

The newspaper has also, on at least two occasions, targeted Campaign Against Antisemitism in relation to successful prosecutions against antisemites.

In 2021, it defended the Hitler-loving radio host Graham Hart, who was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of inciting racial hatred after action by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism revealed that Mr Hart repeatedly claimed that Jews are “filth”; questioned whether six million Jews were really murdered in the Holocaust; praised Adolf Hitler as “the greatest man of the twentieth century”; said that “is isn’t just the white people who hate the Jews…it’s everyone hates the Jews. Everyone”; claimed that the Jews “run everything”, are “evil” and are “not of this world”; and argued that the Jews have “got to go down, they’ve just got to go down”.

The Light wrote of the sentencing: “While his opinions may seem radical, surely he is entitled to them? How does it harm anybody else for him to have a different view of history?”

Last year, the newspaper expressed support for Tahra Ahmed, a prominent Grenfell Tower volunteer aid worker who, after being reported to the police by Campaign Against Antisemitism, CST and others, was sentenced to eleven months in prison after being found guilty of publishing written material in order to stir up racial hatred.

On the Holocaust, Ms Ahmed said: “I’m not a Holocaust denier…unfortunately, six million Jews is a number that has been perpetuated and the actual number has been revised down by experts.” She affirmed using the term “Holohoax”, arguing that “it [the figures] was manipulated and exaggerated at the time” and that, regarding the actual number of deaths in the Holocaust, “The Jewish council [sic] says 3.5 million…the Red Cross says 283,000.” She also baselessly asserted that “Hitler had an agreement with Rothschild to put Jews in concentration camps so Rothschild could transfer Jews to Palestine” and approvingly quoted a known Holocaust denier. She was also pressed on why she described the expulsion of the Jews from England in the Middle Ages as a “final solution to the Jewish problem.”

Her trial was described by the newspaper “a political stitchup.”

Additionally, according to the BBC, The Light published an article by blogger Lasha Darkmoon, in which she argued that individuals should be able to question the Holocaust.

The Light’s website also lists one of its “proud sponsors” as the antisemitic hate preacher and conspiracy theorist David Icke, who has been banned from entering several European countries.

It has also been reported that The Light has endorsed content by the far-right organisation Patriotic Alternative, a UK-based group headed by the former leader of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark 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”. Last month, one of its members who said that Adolf Hitler did “nothing wrong” was jailed.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said that the newspaper was left in its Warlingham and Newhaven branches without its knowing, stating: “We do not stock this newspaper and it is removed from any stores where it’s left. We apologise for any upset caused”.

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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CAA to write to Holocaust centre after it launches training course inviting managers to “curb their inner Hitler”

A training course provided by a Holocaust centre is inviting managers to “curb their inner Hitler” in the workplace.

The Holocaust Centre North, in Huddersfield, launched a programme earlier this month which is designed to teach “modern leaders” how to learn from twentieth-century dictators about office culture and inclusion.

In a press release, the charity said of the course: “Exploring the leadership traits of Hitler, Stalin and others, as well as the dangers of being a bystander, the half-day course highlights the dangers of ignoring inclusion. It offers a challenging look at equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at a time when cases of toxic workplace culture are rarely out of the headlines.”

Hannah Randall, Head of Learning at the organisation, is quoted in the press release as saying: “Participants are shocked to see that some of their leadership traits are similar to dictators. Stalin was an extreme micro-manager and this style is familiar to a lot of people. So too is Hitler’s hands-off and unaccountable approach that relies on his force of personality to get things done. It’s very much the blueprint of populism.

“We are using extreme scenarios but it serves a dual purpose. It makes people question their leadership style and it makes them confront relatable experiences that some would rather forget. So, for example, most people have seen discrimination in their organisation, which is stage three on the ten stages of genocide. A good number of people have seen colleagues not allowed to share their ideas or be valued because they’re a woman and some have seen colleagues wearing a hijab openly mocked and singled out for abuse.”

The organisation’s Director, Alessandro Bucci, said: “It’s now widely accepted that modern leaders must embrace EDI [Equality, Diversity, Inclusion], and organisations cannot afford to pay lip service to it. By exploring the grey areas of the Holocaust – and recognising that it’s too simple to reduce it to just good and bad guys – we are having real success in getting people to think about how they can create more inclusive workplaces. In the last year alone, allegations of bullying in employment tribunals have risen by 44 per cent to a record high – so there’s clearly a need for a more forceful approach to make people think about what they can do differently.”

The Holocaust Centre North was founded in 2018 by the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association, a group of refugees and survivors who have delivered education about the Holocaust since 1996. Its permanent exhibition and learning centre is based on the University of Huddersfield’s campus, and receives funding from the Association of Jewish Refugees, the Pears Foundation, and the Department for Levelling Up.

The course was discovered by Labour Against Antisemitism.

Mr Bucci further said: “Our equality and training course uses case studies of various 20th century dictatorships to help attendees learn how individuals have historically and unknowingly contributed to racism, violence and extremism. It considers how different dictatorships thrived in contexts of populism, violence and lack of accountability before looking at contemporary times, current EDI practice in the workplace and how everyone has a responsibility to promote equality.

“The programme explores how we all have responsibility to become active allies rather than bystanders. We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from people who have attended the course. They said they valued the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust alongside considering how they could make their organisations more inclusive, accountable and transparent.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is writing to the Centre.

A spokesperson from Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is one of those initiatives where you wonder how on earth anyone could have thought it was a good idea. To compare management approaches to the leadership style of Adolf Hitler is utterly ludicrous. That a ‘Holocaust Centre’, of all places, thinks it is appropriate to use the Shoah as a metric for conduct in the workplace, is astounding.

“The promotional material, which urges participants to ‘recognise it’s too simple to reduce the Holocaust to just good and bad guys’ is breathtakingly insulting and historically ignorant, and the notion that such an appalling insight ‘can create more inclusive workplaces’ exemplifies how contemporary inclusivity programmes too often leave Jews behind. This training needs an urgent rethink, and we shall be writing to the centre.”

Image credit: Holocaust Centre North

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Counter Terrorism Policing North East

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“One need not be Jewish to condemn antisemitism”: Rep. Ritchie Torres backs International Definition of Antisemitism in new podcast interview

Rep. Ritchie Torres, the United States representative for New York’s 15th congressional district, acting for the Bronx, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he spoke candidly of his dedication to fighting antisemitism and acting as an ally to Jewish people, which includes his commitment to the International Definition of Antisemitism.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

Rep. Torres told our podcast host: “One need not be Jewish to condemn antisemitism, any more than one need be Black to condemn anti-Black racism. I operate under the belief that we all have a moral obligation to fight extremism.”

Rep. Torres, who at 25 became the youngest elected official in New York City, said that he was reminded of a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He said: “‘History will record that the greatest tragedy was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people,’ and at a time of rising antisemitism, we are all confronted with the simple moral choice; either we remain appallingly silent, or we speak out. Either we remain part of the problem, or we become part of the solution, and I feel deeply that I have a moral obligation to speak out and become part of the solution.”

However, the Congressman revealed that his activism on behalf of the Jewish people has led to his share of detractors, though he remains undeterred. 

“I do have critics who claim that I speak out too often about antisemitism, but the problem is not that I speak out too often but that society does not speak out often enough,” he said.

Recent FBI Hate Crime Statistics revealed that antisemitic incidents comprised 51.4% of religion-related incidents in the United States, despite the Jewish population making up less than 3% of the population. 

“There has certainly been a tidal wave of antisemitism that has swept American society, British society, and elsewhere in the world…There is a long and ugly history of scapegoating Jews,” he said. “We see that scapegoating rear its ugly head, sometimes against the Jewish community, sometimes against the State of Israel, and we have to speak out against it.”

The representative for the Bronx turned his attention to antisemitism in his home city of New York. According to police data, New York City saw 263 antisemitic attacks in 2022, which translates as one every 33 hours on average.

He said of the attacks: “New York City is supposed to be a cosmopolitan city, where everyone is welcome, where more than 200 languages are spoken, and I consider the prevalence of antisemitic to be a stain of the soul of our city, to be a moral indictment.

“All of us have a human right to live freely without fear of intimation and harassment and violence.”

Rep. Torres commented on how the media’s portrayal of Israel can influence antisemitic incidents, an issue on which he has been outspoken. Recently, in addition to Campaign Against Antisemitism and other Jewish groups, he called out a BBC journalist who said that Israel is “happy to kill children.” Following the complaints, an apology was issued by the Corporation.

Rep. Torres said: “I find that anti-Zionism in the real world often rises to the level of antisemitism, and one clear-cut example is the BBC anchor who casually said that Israel is happy to kill children, which to me is a modern manifestation of the medieval blood libel, and we know that the blood libel has a long history of provoking antisemitic violence.

“Casual antisemitism permeates our culture so deeply it appears under the guise of objective journalism. I have found that Israel is often a blank slate on which antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes are projected.” 

The International Definition of Antisemitism has been another topic on which Rep. Torres has vocalised his support. Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism worked hard over many meetings with officials. Since then, numerous national, state and local governments have adopted the Definition.

“I not only accept, but I embrace, the Definition as the most complex definition of a complex phenomenon that is antisemitism, and it ought to command universal acceptance. I find that the attempt to discredit the Definition is based more on a caricature than a fair characterisation of the Definition,” he said. “Questioning the right of the Jewish state to exist, questioning the legitimacy of the Jewish state, holding the Jewish state to double standards, that’s not mere criticism, it’s extremism. That’s the nuance that the Definition is attempting to capture.

“If the majority of leading Jewish organisations are telling me that the most comprehensive definition of antisemitism is [the Definition], then I’m going to be deferential. I’m not going to presume I know what’s best. I happen to believe that on my own, but who cares what I believe? I care more about ‘What does the leadership of the Jewish believe?’ And that warrants deference and respect from allies like myself.”

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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Amazon removes book that refers to “subversive activities” of Jews against Catholic Church

Amazon has removed an inflammatory book listing from its website which makes reference to the “subversive activities” of Jews carried out against the Catholic church.

The Amazon listing of The Plot Against the Church, reportedly written in 1961 by a group of Mexican priests under the pseudonym Maurice Pinay, featured a description that referred to Judaism as an “enemy” of the Catholic church.

It added that “Jews, Masons and Communists” are using the Catholic church to further the aims of “atheistic communism” and referred to the “subversive activities” of Jewish people.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Selling a product whose sales pitch includes references to the ‘subversive activities’ of Jews is repugnant and has no place on Amazon. We are pleased that the retailer removed this unashamedly racist material from its platform following our call to do so.”

An Amazon spokesperson said: “We’re always listening to feedback and take these concerns very seriously. The title flagged is being removed from sale. We have policies governing which books can be listed and invest significant time and resources to ensure our guidelines are followed. We remove products that do not adhere to our guidelines and also promptly investigate any book when a concern is raised.”

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Goldsmiths and Royal Holloway academic reported to have history of trolling Jews on Twitter

An academic serving as an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London and as a Teaching Fellow at Royal Holloway, University of London has reportedly been trolling Jewish individuals and groups online. 

According to Gnasher Jew, Dr Ray Campbell, who works in the Department of Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths and in Humanities at Royal Holloway, has been using the account ‘@buddy_hell’ to target Jews on Twitter. 

The account shares its name with Dr Campbell’s stage name as a comedian, ‘Buddy Hell’. The tweets accuse the State of Israel of practising forced sterilisation on women, and assert that Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and David Hirsh, a fellow Goldsmiths academic who is also a prominent and highly-respected antisemitism expert, are racist. 

Goldsmiths is currently conducting an internal investigation into antisemitism after Mr Hirsh was reportedly called a “far-right white supremacist” by its then-Students’ Union President. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism was also the target of numerous tweets. The Twitter account accuses us of “hoping to achieve what the National Front, British Movement and the BNP [British National Party] failed to do: start a ‘race war’”. 

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “These tweets exhibit an extremely alarming pattern of targeting Jews and falsely accusing them of a hidden agenda. The accusations made against us and other groups combatting antisemitism are not only conspiratorial but repugnant, and we wholly reject them.

“This deliberate trolling of Jews has no place in civil discourse, and especially not at an academic institution. Goldsmiths University must immediately investigate these posts and, if the allegations are borne out, take swift and decisive action.”

Last year, Goldsmiths announced that it would adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism but “without the case studies.” 

In addition, it said that it would also adopt the Jerusalem Declaration, which is a wrecking document intended to undermine the globally-recognised Definition, owing to the fact that the University’s “academic community” favoured it. 

If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He is due to be sentenced in August.

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

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Arsenal supporter who shouted “Hitler should have finished the job” sentenced

An Arsenal Football Club supporter who shouted “Hitler should have finished the job” was sentenced today at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.

Daniel Down, 29, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for using threatening, abusive, distressing words at a football match on 15th January 2023 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

The charges, which were racially or religiously aggravated, were brought against him by the Crown Prosecution Service after he shouted “Hitler should have finished the job” at a match between Arsenal Football Club and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

The prosecution noted that the victim, who reported the incident to the police, had immediately told Mr Down that he took “great offence” at what Mr Down said and explained that members of his family had died in the Holocaust. 

The prosecution also noted that Mr Down had apologised to the victim immediately and had attended a police interview without legal counsel. 

Upon sentencing, the Judge said: “Mr Down, what you did was egregious in the extreme…You are a young man of 29, you ought to have known better.” 

In light of his plea and apology to the victim, the Judge gave Mr Down a court order that bans him from attending football matches in the UK for three years. He was also ordered to pay a total of £471 in fines, which includes a victim surcharge of £110. 

Earlier this year, Arsenal Football Club launched a new affiliate called “Jewish Gooners”, partly in response to antisemitism among supporters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Metropolitan Police 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BBC apologises after CAA and many others complain over presenter’s accusation that “Israeli forces are happy to kill children”

The BBC has apologised in response to a multitude of complaints – including from Campaign Against Antisemitism – after a presenter made the baseless accusation that “Israeli forces are happy to kill children.”

The outrageous and unfounded claim came during an interview on BBC News yesterday with the former Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, about Israel’s military operation in Jenin, which has now concluded.

When speaking on the topic of the targets of the operation, Anjana Gadgil, the presenter who conducted the interview, stated: “The Israeli forces are happy to kill children.” 

Mr Bennett robustly rejected the baseless assertion, including by noting that the seventeen-year-olds were armed combatants.

The notion that the military of the state of Israel – the Jewish state – is “happy” to kill minors draws on the symbolism of the blood libel.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis” is an example of antisemitism.

The original antisemitic blood libel dates to 1144, when Jews in England were falsely accused of the murder of a boy known as William of Norwich.

Incidents of blood libel grew in the Middle Ages, with Jews accused of murdering Christian children in order to use their blood in Passover rituals. In 1290, it was a pretext for the confiscation of all Jewish property and the complete expulsion of Jews from England. They were not permitted to return until centuries later. The blood libel has been a case of much persecution and murder of Jews ever since, including up to the present day.

In the modern era, updated versions of the blood libel continue to pervade antisemitic discourse.  Contemporary manifestations include the accusation that Jews or the Jewish state steal human organs, drink or utilise the blood of non-Jews, or willfully and readily murder non-Jewish – particularly Arab – children.

In response to a multitude of complaints, the BBC summarised the position: “We received comments and complaints concerning an interview with the former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett about recent events in the West Bank and Israel. The complaints raised relate to specific interview questions about the deaths of young people in the Jenin refugee camp.”

In its response, the BBC said: “Across the BBC’s platforms – including the BBC News channel – these events have been covered in an impartial and robust way. The United Nations raised the issue of the impact of the operation in Jenin on children and young people. While this was a legitimate subject to examine in the interview, we apologise that the language used in this line of questioning was not phrased well and was inappropriate.”

Ms Gadgil has also deleted her Twitter account.

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

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CAA to write to Camden Council over “Zionism is based on racist and supremacist beliefs” sign 

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to Camden Council over an incendiary sign that was seen this week in the window of a Kentish Town residence.

The sign claims that Zionism “is an amoral political belief based on racist and supremicist [sic] (not a religion).”

It goes on to say that the “Israely [sic] State cows and corrupts our political class and media.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” and “Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions” are both examples of antisemitism.

The sign also draws upon the pseudoscientific idea of “originol Semetic [sic] peoples.”

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Archbishop Justin Welby says Jews are a “gift” to their countries and antisemitism is the “taproot of all racism”

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said that Jews are a “gift” to the countries in which they live and that antisemitism is the “taproot of all racism.”

At an event this week at the Bevis Marks synagogue in London this week, Justin Welby said that “There is no question that a country with a large Jewish community will be a better country. It will flourish in almost any area you care to name.” He challenged antisemites, asking why Jewish communities were “seen as a problem, not as a gift.”

In conversation with the historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, Archbishop Welby described antisemitism as the “taproot of all racism.”

Referring to his study of churches in Germany under Nazi rule, he observed: “You saw there that the moment you don’t push back against antisemitism, it becomes so engrained – and antisemitic laws or antisemitic attitudes become permissible, and everything becomes permissible. It’s a cancer of extraordinarily rapid growth, which you can’t deal with if you leave it for any time.”

Reflecting on his childhood, Welby recalled that after he had been sent to boarding school at the age of eight, he had become friendly with a Jewish boy called Myers. “My father heard about this. He said, ‘Don’t play with him. He’s Jewish.’ I still remember, I must have been nine, thinking, ‘I am not going to obey that. He is my friend. So what if he is Jewish? I couldn’t care less.’ And we continued to play together. I just didn’t talk about it at home. From then on, I thought this was ridiculous. How can anyone live thinking that because someone comes from a particular group, that they are intrinsically bad or lesser or other?”

He later discovered that his father was Jewish, while his mother was secretary to the Nobel Prize-winning Jewish scientist Sir Ernst Chain.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Under Archbishop Welby, the Church of England has made huge strides in confronting its past and in its relations with the Jewish community. One only needs to contrast his recent comments with the policies of the Church in past centuries to be grateful for the era in which we live. There is still more to do, but Archbishop Welby has made a real commitment to strengthening interfaith ties, and we commend him.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism works to raise awareness of antisemitism among all faith and minority communities.

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Ludlow pub cancels screening of antisemitism-denial film as a result of CAA action

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, a pub in the Shropshire town of Ludlow has cancelled a screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie was due to be shown last week at the Blue Boar pub, but the booking is understood to have been made by a third party, and not by the venue itself, which we understand was not made aware of the nature of the film.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival, YMCA, Basildon Council, the national pub retailer Greene King, Tolpuddle Village Hall, Yeovil Labour Club, a Nottinghamshire church and independent venues, have cancelled screenings of the film.

The film claims that it “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration. However, Mr Murray has since sought to distance himself from the film.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the Blue Boar for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening as soon as we brought it to its attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, was cancelled, as has one at Havant and Emsworth United Reformed Church, the independent book retailer, October Books, and Leicester Students’ Union.

It has also been reported that, following our correspondence with Glastonbury, the major trade union Unite has also banned screenings of the film on its premises.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Nottinghamshire church cancels screening of antisemitism-denial film following correspondence with CAA

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, a church in the Nottinghamshire town of Hucknall has agreed to cancel a screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie was scheduled to be shown next week at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, but the booking is understood to have been made by a third party, and not by the venue itself, which we understand was not made aware of the nature of the film.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival, YMCA, Basildon Council, the national pub retailer Greene King, Tolpuddle Village Hall, Yeovil Labour Club and independent venues, have cancelled screenings of the film.

The film claims that it “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration. However, Mr Murray has since sought to distance himself from the film.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the Church for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening as soon as we brought it to its attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, was cancelled, as has one at Havant and Emsworth United Reformed Church, the independent book retailer, October Books, and Leicester Students’ Union.

It has also been reported that, following our correspondence with Glastonbury, the major trade union Unite has also banned screenings of the film on its premises.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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CAA to write to University of Leicester and UCU over lecturer’s “lies about antisemitism” rant

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to the University of Leicester and the University and College Union (UCU) regarding a lecturer who delivered a rant in which he dismissed reports of antisemitism as “lies”.

Dr Joseph Choonara, a lecturer in political economy at the University and a Chair of UCU’s Leicester branch, gave a speech at last week’s Marxism Festival where he appeared on stage next to the controversial filmmaker Ken Loach.

In the video, orginally posted by the Harry’s Place Twitter account, Dr Choonara can be heard saying: “We know that the establishment turned on, and sought to destroy, Corbynism. We know that the lies about antisemitism are just that, they are lies. The lies directed towards Ken Loach are an absolute smear and a disgrace and we should reject them.”

Mr Loach was expelled from the Labour Party in August 2021 without public explanation. Mr Loach had been a leading ally of other controversial figures in Labour’s antisemitism scandal, especially those who denied that there was such a scandal of antisemitism. He said at the time of his expulsion: “Labour HQ finally decided I’m not fit to be a member of their party, as I will not disown those already expelled,” adding that he was “proud to stand with the good friends and comrades victimised by the purge. There is indeed a witch-hunt…Starmer and his clique will never lead a party of the people. We are many, they are few. Solidarity.”

Mr Loach’s voice was among the loudest of those who attempt to dismiss Labour’s antisemitism crisis as non-existent and a right-wing smear campaign. He claimed that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was subjected to a “torrent of abuse” that was “off the scale” and that regardless of what he did, the “campaign” of antisemitism accusations was “going to run and run”. He described the BBC’s Panorama investigation into Labour antisemitism as “disgusting because it raised the horror of racism against Jews in the most atrocious propagandistic way, with crude journalism…and it bought the propaganda from people who were intent on destroying Corbyn.”

He was also reportedly behind a motion passed by Bath Labour Party branding the Panorama programme a “dishonest hatchet job with potentially undemocratic consequences” and asserting that it “disgraced the name of Panorama and exposed the bias endemic within the BBC.” 

In 2017, Mr Loach caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. The International Definition of Antisemitism states that “denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust)” is a manifestation of antisemitism. Although Mr Loach later sought to clarify his remarks, he has continued to make inflammatory and provocative statements about Labour’s antisemitism scandal.

While speaking at a meeting of the Kingswood Constituency Labour Party, Mr Loach advocated the removal from the Party of those Labour MPs, some of whom are Jewish, who have taken a principled stand against antisemitism. Shortly after that incident, the Labour Party announced that it would no longer use Mr Loach as a producer of their election broadcasts.

Mr Loach is also featured in the antisemitism-denial propaganda film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie. Following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival chose to cancel its screening of the film. This has been followed by a slew of venues across the country.

The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

The University of Leicester adopted the Definition in May 2020. Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the Definition by universities.

If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].

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Swastikas, Hitler graffiti, and anti-Muslim rhetoric scrawled across vehicles in Finsbury Park

Graffiti containing swastikas and messages in support of Hitler, as well as anti-Muslim rhetoric, have been scrawled across vehicles in Finsbury Park.

The letters ‘HH’, often used to mean ‘Heil Hitler’, can be seen in bright pink marker, alongside the Nazi hate symbol. 

The vandal also wrote: “Muslims deserve to go to hell”.

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

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 2343 06/07/23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

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“It’s never fun getting death threats”: Celebrity chef Eitan Bernath opens up about fighting antisemitism

Eitan Bernath, the award-winning celebrity chef, entertainer, author, television personality, and content creator, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he spoke about using his platform to fight antisemitism.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

“I haven’t always, on my platform, been as loud about combatting antisemitism,” he said. “Now, to be fair, I was a teenager! So, I also wasn’t as knowledgeable. I was still in high school and figuring out life and gaining confidence, but as I’ve grown into myself as a young adult, this is something that’s very important to me.”

The 21-year-old continued: “The way I see it with combating antisemitism and standing up for the Jewish people, I will be Jewish until the day I die and antisemitism will affect me until the day I die, and it will affect my children and grandchildren, and so on.”

The TikTok star revealed that speaking up about antisemitism has, unfortunately, come at a price. However, he says that it “comes with the territory.”

“Most times when I post, whether it’s about Holocaust education, or about combatting antisemitism, I lose many, many thousands of followers, and get thousands and thousands of hateful messages. I have grown a very thick skin.”

Asked whether the backlash to his activism affects him, he said: “I am 100% of the time okay with the ramifications that come with me posting on social media in support of my fellow Jews and combating antisemitism because that hate exists out there, and when I receive that, it’s not something I take personally. 

“It’s a large, systemic issue that is perpetrated by all sorts of things, whether its media, whether its fictional stories that portray Jews negatively.”

Mr Bernath revealed that at times, he has received hateful messages to the point of death threats.

“It’s never fun getting messages or getting death threats for various things I’ve posted about. Very scary, awful messages and comments aren’t enjoyable at all and it’s sad that it exists out there, but I believe the positive effects of advocating severely outweigh any negative effects it has,” he said. 

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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CAA delivers “incredible and humbling” antisemitism session to NHS Foundation Trust 

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently presented a session to the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. 

The session came after the Trust wrote to us to address a forum of safeguarding leads to discuss extremist threats. 

The talk covered a variety of topics, which included the origins of antisemitism; antisemitic conspiracy theories; how antisemitism flourishes; how discourse around Israel can fuel contemporary antisemitism; and how to avoid inadvertent antisemitism in the workplace. 

One attendee said: “I continue to get so much wonderful and reflective feedback and a commitment to delivering more personalised support to the Jewish community that we serve.” 

Campaign Against Antisemitism regularly provides antisemitism training to regulators, police forces, public bodies, university societies and other institutions.

If you would like to arrange antisemitism training for your association, please e-mail [email protected].

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Demonstrators at London anti-Israel rally call for another intifada and recite antisemitic “From the river to the sea” chant

Last night, an anti-Israel protest outside the Embassy of Israel in London attended by hundreds featured calls for another intifada and the antisemitic “From the river to the sea” chant.

Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit were present at the protest to gather evidence.

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was heard throughout the rally. 

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. 

According to the Definition, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is an example of antisemitism.

Calls for another “intifada” were also heard, with the claim that there is “only one solution”. The “intifada” is widely understood as the campaign of Arab terrorist violence against Jewish Israeli targets in the early 2000s that claimed hundreds of civilian lives and brought an end to the peace process.

Incendiary signs were also present, including ones denouncing Zionism as “terrorism” and claims that Israel is a “terrorist state”. 

The event featured a variety of speakers, including antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Director Ben Jamal, and National Education Union President Louise Atkinson.

PSC Chair Kamel Hawwash also spoke, where, in breach of the Definition, he claimed that Israel was “a racist state”.

A month-long investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst PSC supporters on social media. Earlier this year, a PSC branch published an Instagram post calling Zionists “brainwashed racists” who should be fired from their places of work.

In May, an anti-Israel rally held outside Downing Street featured several signs comparing Israel to Nazi Germany.

Similar signs and chants were on display at April’s “Al Quds Day” rally in central London.

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 writes to BBC following presenter’s claim that “Israeli forces are happy to kill children”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is writing to the BBC after one of its presenters stated that “Israeli forces are happy to kill children.”

The suggestion came during an interview on BBC News with the former Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, about Israel’s current military operation in Jenin. 

When speaking on the topic of the targets of the operation, Anjana Gadgil, the presenter who conducted the interview, stated: “The Israeli forces are happy to kill children.”

Mr Bennett robustly rejected the baseless assertion (including by noting that the seventeen-year-olds were armed combatants).

The notion that the military of the state of Israel – the Jewish state – is “happy” to kill minors draws on the symbolism of the blood libel.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis” is an example of antisemitism.

The original antisemitic blood libel dates to 1144, when Jews in England were falsely accused of the murder of a boy known as William of Norwich.

Incidents of blood libel grew in the Middle Ages, with Jews accused of murdering Christian children in order to use their blood in Passover rituals. In 1290, it was a pretext for the confiscation of all Jewish property and the complete expulsion of Jews from England. They were not permitted to return until centuries later. The blood libel has been a case of much persecution and murder of Jews ever since, including up to the present day.

In the modern era, updated versions of the blood libel continue to pervade antisemitic discourse.  Contemporary manifestations include the accusation that Jews or the Jewish state steal human organs, drink or utilise the blood of non-Jews, or willfully and readily murder non-Jewish – particularly Arab – children.

The news comes one day after Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to The Guardian following its description of the Jenin camp as a “ghetto-like area”. 

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

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Humberside police officers dismissed following antisemitic and racist WhatsApp messages

Seven officers from Humberside Police have been dismissed following WhatsApp messages deemed antisemitic and racist.

Sexist, racist, homophobic, and misogynistic messages were also found.

In addition to the seven officers who were dismissed, two more were issued with a written warning.

The decision took place after a court hearing that ended on 30th June, although the investigation into the officers’ behaviour opened in 2019.

Six of the officers were found to have breached police standards at gross misconduct level.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Marshall said of the news: “The actions of these officers were deplorable and Humberside Police, its leadership and more importantly, our staff will not stand for this behaviour. When this information came to light, we acted swiftly and robustly, and sought to bring appropriate sanctions to those involved. That has meant that seven of those involved have been dismissed and no longer work in policing.

“The delay in reporting this to the public has been as a result of ongoing criminal proceedings in relation to some of the officers and their behaviours. I would like to reassure the community that while the actions of these officers may have tarnished their view of the police service, these aren’t the beliefs held by the overwhelming majority of officers at Humberside Police.”

Last year, the Metropolitan Police apologised after an investigation from the Independent Office for Police Conduct discovered that officers had been sharing jokes about the Auschwitz concentration camp. It was also reported that there was an antisemitic joke made with reference to “killing flies”.

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CAA writes to Guardian over description of Jenin camp as “ghetto-like area”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to The Guardian over its description of the Jenin camp as a “ghetto-like area”.

Today’s article in the newspaper, titled “Thousands of Palestinians flee Jenin refugee camp after major Israeli raid” and written by Bethan McKernan, comes as the Israel Defence Forces conducts a military operation targeting terrorist infrastructure in the Jenin camp, a neighbourhood of the Palestinian Authority city.

The full paragraph in which the phrase appears reads: “Jenin camp was set up in the 1950s to house refugees fleeing their homes in 1948 after the creation of the state of Israeli. The ghetto-like area, plagued by poverty, has long been a hotbed of what Palestinians consider armed resistance and Israelis call terrorism.”

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a “ghetto” is “an area of a city where many people of the same race or background live, separately from the rest of the population. Ghettos are often crowded, with bad living conditions”; or “the area of a town where Jews were forced to live in the past.”

It is not obvious to us that either of these descriptions applies. Accordingly, we have written to The Guardian requesting an explanation or otherwise an immediate correction, given the inflammatory implication of the description.

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

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

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Following CAA action, Yeovil Labour Club cancels screening of antisemitism-denial film 

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, Yeovil Labour Club has agreed to cancel a screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie was scheduled to be shown this Saturday, but the booking is understood to have been made by a third party, and not by the venue itself, which we understand was not made aware of the nature of the film.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival, YMCA, Basildon Council, the national pub retailer Greene King, Tolpuddle Village Hall and independent venues, have cancelled screenings of the film.

The film claims that it “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration. However, Mr Murray has since sought to distance himself from the film.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the Yeovil Labour Club for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening as soon as we brought it to its attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, was cancelled, as has one at Havant and Emsworth United Reformed Church, the independent book retailer, October Books, and Leicester Students’ Union.

It has also been reported that, following our correspondence with Glastonbury, the major trade union Unite has also banned screenings of the film on its premises.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Norwich follows apology for blood libel with plans for Jewish heritage centre

Plans are being drawn up for the establishment of a Jewish heritage centre in Norwich, a city that played an infamous role in the history of antisemitism.

Fundraising is underway for the new centre, with a view to locating it at the site of Jurnet’s House, described as the oldest known Jewish dwelling in England. The oldest dwelling in the city, it was home to the prominent Jewish Jurnet family in the early thirteenth century. All that remains of the original structure is the crypt on King Street; the entire building closed in 2020 due to damp.

The crypt is all that remains of the original Jurnet’s House on King Street and the entire building closed in 2020 because of damp and mould.

The announcement comes after the then-Lord Mayor of Norwich apologised earlier this year for the first known instance of the antisemitic blood libel, which took place in the city, as well as a subsequent massacre of Jews in 1190.

The original antisemitic blood libel dates to 1144 when Jews were falsely accused of the murder of a boy known as William of Norwich.

Following this, accusations of blood libel grew in the Middle Ages, eventually evolving to the point of claiming that Jews murdered Christian children in order to use their blood in Passover rituals. In 1290, it was the pretext for the confiscation of all Jewish property and the complete expulsion of Jews from England. They were not permitted to return until 1655. Blood libel has been responsible for the persecution and killing of Jews ever since.

In the modern era, blood libel continues to be a major aspect of antisemitism. It has extended its reach to accuse Jews of many different forms of harm that can be carried out against other people. Manifestations of blood libel include the accusations that Jews steal human organs, Jews harm the children of non-Jews, or Jews drink or utilise the blood of non-Jews.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis” is an example of antisemitism.

A painting on wood – known as a rood screen – in Holy Trinity Church in nearby Loddon in Norfolk depicts the crucifixion of the twelve-year-old boy William of Norwich.

In 1190, many of Norwich’s Jews were murdered, with survivors taking refuge at the city’s castle. The remains of seventeen victims were discovered down an old well during the construction of a shopping centre two decades ago, while DNA testing last year established a strong genetic link to Ashkenazi Jews and dated the deaths to around the time of the massacre.

A century after the original blood libel in Norwich, in the 1230s a local Jew was accused of abducting and circumcising a Christian boy, leading to violence and the torching of Jewish homes.

Image credit: Norwich City Council

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Amazon removes keyring featuring yellow ‘Jude’ star from listings

Amazon has removed a keyring featuring the yellow star that was forced upon Jews during the Holocaust from its listings.

The move comes after it was notified of the keyring by the Jewish Telegraph.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This bizarre keyring is, at best, in extremely poor taste. At worst, it is a deliberate mockery of Jewish suffering in the Holocaust. It has no place among Amazon’s wares. Amazon was right to remove this item and must ensure that similar products do not appear in its place.”

This is not the first example of Amazon selling questionable items relating to the Jewish community.

Earlier this year, we wrote to Amazon after it was reported that the online marketplace has cut a book deal with Mark Collett, the leader of far-right group Patriotic Alternative. Patriotic Alternative is known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times. 

Last year, Amazon was found to be selling “Palestine Intifada Clothing” that displays antisemitic slogans and inflammatory images.

The online behemoth suggests that items in the range make for a “great gift for family and friends,” including a sweatshirt bearing a machine gun and hoodies with the Star of David crossed out, and clothing emblazoned with the phrase: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

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Tolpuddle Village Hall latest venue to cancel screening of antisemitism-denial film

Tolpuddle Village Hall has agreed to cancel a screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie was scheduled to be shown next month, but the booking is understood to have been made by a third party, and not by the venue itself, which we understand was not made aware of the nature of the film.

According to the Tolpuddle Radical Film Festival, which were the organisers of the screening, they initially hoped to show the film at the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival, but withdrew due to “censorship by the secretary.” It then sought to screen the film independently at the Village Hall, which has now decided to cancel the booking.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival, YMCA, Basildon Council, the national pub retailer Greene King, and independent venues, have cancelled screenings of the film.

The film claims that it “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the Village Hall for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening as soon as we brought it to its attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, was cancelled, as has one at Havant and Emsworth United Reformed Church and the independent book retailer, October Books.

It has also been reported that, following our correspondence with Glastonbury, the major trade union Unite has also banned screenings of the film on its premises.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Preacher who praised Hitler granted entry to UK for lecture tour

A hate preacher who has a history of making inflammatory statements about Jews was recently granted entry to the UK to give a series of speeches. 

It has been reported that Enayet Ullah Abbasi, an Islamist extremist from Bangladesh, was welcomed by Enam Haque, a Labour Party councillor for Northamptonshire West, who described him as a “highly respected and prominent Islamic scholar.”

Mr Haque later said: “I was completely unaware of Enayet Ullah Abbasi’s abhorrent views, and I condemn them in the strongest possible terms.” 

Despite having a history of publicly expressing antisemitic views, the Home Office had granted Mr Abbasi entry to the UK for his lecture tour. 

In a video that was discovered and translated by The JC, Mr Abbasi allegedly said in a speech: “Hitler did a good job on behalf of humanity.” In the same clip, he also allegedly claims that Jews were “deserving” of being murdered in the Holocaust.

In another video, Mr Abbasi appears to reference the “Khaybar chant”: “Beware Jews, Palestine is the land of Muslims. Palestine is not your kingdom. I tell you Jews, get out of the holy land of Palestine and if you don’t, remember the story of the invasion of Khaybar…Remember the story of the battle of Khaybar in history. Khaybar went down and how were the Jews killed?” 

The “Khaybar” chant is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE. The chant has been heard in numerous anti-Israel rallies in Britain and abroad.

It is understood that Mr Abbasi had a number of his speeches cancelled after venues discovered that he had praised the 9/11 hijackers. 

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Enayet Ullah Abbasi is an extremist whose repugnant rhetoric is nothing short of incitement. Not only does he praise Hitler in his speeches, but he invites his audiences to affirm his antisemitic views. That he was welcomed by a fawning local Labour councillor is shocking. Given Mr Abbasi’s public history, not only must the Home Office explain how he was granted entry into the country, but it must also reassure the public that this recent visit will be his last.”

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

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Rapper and Wild ’N Out star Kosha Dillz on Kanye West, antisemitism, and people performing Nazi salutes during his shows

Kosha Dillz (real name Rami Matan), the rapper and star of the MTV reality television programme Wild ’N Out, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he spoke about using his music to tackle antisemitism.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

“I was always vocal about strong Jewish identity,” he said.

Mr Matan went viral last year with his song ‘Death Con 3’, a tongue-in-cheek reference to a threatening tweet made by the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, towards Jewish people when he wrote: “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con [sic] 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”

Ye went on to embark on a slew of antisemitic tirades, including engaging in Holocaust-denial. During an appearance on conspiracist Alex Jones’ show, he would say that Hitler was “a cool guy” who “didn’t kill six million Jews. That’s just factually incorrect.”

Mr Matan, describing his writing process behind the hit song aimed at Ye, said at the time he thought: “I’m gonna go berzerk, and we’re just gonna do it and see what happens…I got a lot of private messages when I released that song from people who will support me but are afraid to share…people are afraid to speak up and say things.”

The rapper revealed that at times, he draws on real-life instances of antisemitism.

“I’ve had tons of experiences [of antisemitism]…I remember being at a show and somebody doing a Hitler salute, people saying ‘Free Palestine’,” he said.

Mr Matan said that he remembers people claiming that the performing of the Nazi salute at his show was “just a joke”.

He said: “That’s the lack of awareness of what is funny and what is not. I’m all for a good joke, I really am, but I remember that, I was like ‘Hmm, noted’. When I get the opportunity, I have a conversation with people, but some people will just never learn, and then you look down the line at people that do that, they have all kinds of other issues.”

Asked how individuals can help tackle antisemitism, he said that people should “Amplify your Jewish friends’ voices. I think sharing Jewish content to your social media pages is a real easy thing.”

He added: “Pan to your strengths. If you have money but you’re socially awkward – which is fine, I’m not saying I’m not socially awkward, I am – donate some money, if that’s the easiest thing. Give money to a charity. There’s no right way or wrong way to help. We need allies, we always need friends.”

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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Following CAA action, Basildon Council cancel screening of antisemitism-denial film at over 50s activity centre

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, Basildon Council has agreed to cancel a screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie was scheduled to be shown on Friday at the George Hurd Activity Centre, but the booking is understood to have been made by a third party, and not by the venue itself, which we understand was not made aware of the nature of the film.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival, YMCA, the national pub retailer Greene King, and independent venues, have cancelled screenings of the film.

The film claims that it “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the Council for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening as soon as we brought it to its attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, was cancelled, as has one at Havant and Emsworth United Reformed Church.

It has also been reported that, following our correspondence with Glastonbury, the major trade union Unite has also banned screenings of the film on its premises.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Lewes pub latest in a string of venues to cancel screening of antisemitism-denial film on its premises following CAA action

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, a pub in Lewes has agreed to cancel a screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie was scheduled to be shown next week at the ‘Elephant & Castle’ pub, but the booking is understood to have been made by a third party, and not by the venue itself, who we understand was not made aware of the nature of the film.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival, Greene King and YMCA also cancelled screenings of the film.

The event’s ticket-booking page stated that the film “investigates the ‘secret war’ waged against Corbyn” and questions whether there was an “orchestrated campaign” against the former Party leader.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the ‘Elephant & Castle’ for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening as soon as we brought it to the venue’s attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, has now been cancelled.

It has also been reported that, following our correspondence with Glastonbury, the major trade union Unite has also banned screenings of the film on its premises.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Leamington Spa man who posted in “Kill All the Jews” group given seven years in jail for building submachine gun

A man who supported “extreme right-wing ideology” has been jailed after he was found to have been building a submachine gun.

Ben Styles, 25 from Leamington Spa, was found not guilty of preparing an act of terrorism but was convicted of possessing material that could be used for terrorism purposes and for possessing a prohibited weapon.

Mr Styles was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that Mr Styles posted in an online group called “#Kill All the Jews”, and had begun building a submachine gun to use against Jewish people. He reportedly referred to the Holocaust as a ‘Holohoax’, and posted in the online group: “I hope the Holocaust is real next time.”

Prosecutors said that Mr Styles told his friend that he was “just getting as strong as possible for the war” and sent screenshots of his phone which used images of swastikas for the background.

Referring to his phone’s background image, Mr Styles reportedly told his friend: “Waking up and seeing this lock screen to start my day is far more important than some non-person NHS clapper shouting at me about primary school history.”

Mr Styles reportedly said of the New Zealand Christchurch terrorist attack:  “I just got back from New Zealand – it made me super racist. Then that happened and I had a good day.”

Prosecutor Matthew Brook told the court that a Nazi fitness manual and a book titled “The SS family yearly – celebrations of the SS family” was found in Mr Styles’ garage, along with the lower part and top part of a homemade submachine gun and shop-bought blanks with manuals which “showed the reader how to convert blank bullets into functioning live ammunition”.

Mr Brook continued: “In this case, the evidence will prove that the defendant, Ben Styles, fully believed in extreme right-wing ideology. That is the twisted ideology of Nazis and white supremacy.”

Detective Superintendent Anastasia Miller, from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “Styles was making a submachine gun and ammunition, he also knowingly downloaded and possessed extremely distressing and disturbing imagery. We will continue to protect local communities by working with partners and the CPS to pursue and prosecute all those who show support for terrorism. 

“We work tirelessly to counter terrorism. Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and security of the people who live, work and visit the West Midlands area.”

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

Image credit: West Midlands Police

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Member of far-right group Patriotic Alternative who told Telegram followers Hitler did “nothing wrong” is jailed

A member of the far-right group Patriotic Alternative who said that Adolf Hitler did “nothing wrong” has been jailed.

Kristofer Thomas Kearney, 39, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of disseminating terrorist publications. 

Mr Kearney was described as an “alleged far-right fitness guru” who operated under the online moniker of Charlie Big Potatoes. Originally from Liverpool, he was living in Alicante when he was extradited in September to face charges.

In March, Mr Kearney entered his pleas at the Old Bailey by way of video link from HM Prison Chelmsford, pleading guilty to two offences of disseminating terrorist publications, both in relation to two Telegram posts on 23rd January and 8th March 2021. The documents reportedly glorified and encouraged extreme right-wing terror attacks.

Mr Kearney posted links to 89 extremist documents in the Charlie Big Potatoes Telegram channel, including the manifestos of the Christchurch mosque shooter, Brenton Tarrant, the Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist, Anders Breivik, and the shooter responsible for the Chabad of Poway Synagogue attack, John T. Earnest. 

Prosecutors said that posts made by Mr Kearney, who is alleged to have acted as ‘head of fitness’ within Patriotic Alternative, also described Jewish people as “responsible for a lot of the world’s ills.” 

Mr Kearney was said to have been a regular host on the Patriotic Talk podcast and is understood to have set up a fitness channel named “Fascist Fitness”.

The podcast host reportedly sent messages to Telegram users claiming that Hitler did “nothing wrong,” and posted quotes from the dictator in a private chat group called “west is best”.

Ged O’Connor, defending, described Mr Kearney’s behaviour as “reckless” rather than an active promotion of terrorism, but prosecutor Naomi Parsons refuted this, stating that “There are numerous videos that suggest violence is looming, violence is inevitable. The evidence is consistent with intent rather than recklessness.”

It was also said that Mr Kearney was a member of the far-right group, National Action, which was proscribed by the British Government in 2016 following repeated calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Kearney brazenly posted abhorrent extremist material online, advertising it to hundreds of people who followed his account. He may have thought that, being in Spain, he could act with impunity. However, he was wrong – our officers travelled to Spain to arrest Kearney, and had him extradited so he could face these charges. As part of our investigation, we worked with the Spanish Police and their assistance was invaluable.”

Judge Richard Marks KC, speaking to Mr Kearney, said: “In this country, we have lived for many years in a multicultural society which most people regard as being enriching. Right-thinking members of any society regard tolerance, kindness, understanding and inclusivity to everyone regardless of their background as being of absolutely fundamental importance. Much of the material that you posted entirely negates those values and is extreme, vile, inflammatory, divisive and deeply offensive.”

Mr Kearney was sentenced to four years and eight months’ imprisonment, with a two-year extended licence period. He was also handed a notification requirement for a period of ten years.

Patriotic Alternative is a UK-based group headed by the former leader of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark 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”.

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

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

Image credit: Metropolitan Police

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Following CAA action, Greene King pub retailer follows Glastonbury and YMCA in cancelling screenings of antisemitism-denial film on its premises

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, a leading pub retailer has agreed to cancel two screenings of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screenings of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie were scheduled to be shown tonight and tomorrow in Bournemouth, but the booking is understood to have been made by a third party, and not by Greene King itself.

The news comes shortly after, following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Glastonbury Festival and YMCA also cancelled screenings of the film.

The event’s ticket-booking page stated: “We will show the acclaimed Ken Loach documentary revealing the campaign of disinformation against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour.”

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends Greene King for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening, as soon as we brought it to the retailer’s attention.

Additionally, we received confirmation from the Widcombe Social Club that a planned screening of the film, at which Mr Loach was also due to speak, has now been cancelled.

It has also been reported that, following our correspondence with Glastonbury, the major trade union Unite has also banned screenings of the film on its premises.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Man who reportedly defended Hitler and handed out flyers to Larkhall schoolchildren fined for assaulting student

A man who reportedly defended Adolf Hitler and handed out flyers to schoolchildren has been fined £290 for assaulting a student in Larkhall, Scotland.  

Darren Hurrel, 21, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court where he admitted assaulting a fourteen-year-old boy last year.

A video on Twitter appears to show Mr Hurrel speaking with schoolchildren in which he says: “Hitler wanted a country for white people. He also wanted a country for every other people.

“And, obviously, there was a small group of people who controlled all of the media, all of the banks, and this small group…they promoted pornography, promoted cultural Marxism, and it destroyed Germany. Hitler took control of the media and the banks and put the interests of the German people first.”

When asked by a student “if the Holocaust is real,” Mr Hurrel replied: “No, it is not.”

His t-shirt appeared to be adorned with a Nazi sonnendrad, or sun wheel, symbol. 

Later on in the video, an apparent confrontation takes place between Mr Hurrel and a student, prompting him to decry “I’m here to help you.” His manner then becomes aggressive and he states: “What the f*** are you gonna do?”

Mr Hurrel admitted that he knocked the student down after being sprayed with a liquid.

Video footage shows Mr Hurrel being chased by a group of students as they threw cans and bottles at him.

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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Swastika carving found outside East London church

A carving of a swastika carving has been found outside St Dunstan’s Church in East London church.

The hate symbol was accompanied by the words “Hail [sic] Hitler”.

Tower Hamlets Council confirmed that the matter is being looked into as a matter of urgency.

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UCU Scotland President nonsensically claims Union is committed to fighting antisemitism seconds before rejecting the International Definition of Antisemitism and defending David Miller

In an absurd speech, the President of the University and College Union (UCU) Scotland nonsensically claimed that the Union is committed to fighting antisemitism just seconds before rejecting the International Definition of Antisemitism and defending the disgraced academic David Miller.

Mr Miller was fired by the University of Bristol over comments he had made about Jewish students, a month after Campaign Against Antisemitism commenced a lawsuit on behalf of current students against the institution and amidst a Jewish communal outcry.

He is a conspiracy theorist with a history of controversy relating to Jewish students. In one outburst, he asserted that “Zionism is racism”, declared his objective “to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world” and accused the Bristol University Jewish Society of being part of a worldwide Zionist conspiracy, adding that it is “fundamental to Zionism to encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”. At the same online event, Mr Miller also observed that the Jewish Society and the Union of Jewish Students are Zionist, thereby implying that Jewish students (and the wider Jewish community) inherently “encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”.

He also portrayed the Definition as an attack on free speech and accused the Israeli Government of engaging in an “all-out attack” on the global Left as part of an “attempt by the Israelis to impose their will all over the world”. In comments reminiscent of the darkest years of the United Nations, Mr Miller insisted that “Zionism is racism” and asked how “we defeat the ideology of Zionism in practice”, “how is Zionism ended” and about the way “to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world”.

In a video posted by the ‘Harry’s Place’ Twitter account, Jeanette Findlay, the Union’s President, said that the Union is “committed to anti-racism in all its forms” including antisemitism, before stating that “it is for that reason that we have rejected the IHRA Definition.”

Ms Findlay went on to erroneously claim that the Definition had been “widely discredited” and that its primary use was to defend Israel from criticism. 

Addressing Mr Miller’s release from the University, Ms Findlay said: “We are very clear in UCU Scotland in our opposition to the treatment of David Miller by the University of Bristol. I was personally horrified and shocked when I heard that he had been sacked.”

She described Mr Miller as the victim of a “vicious and sustained assault” before stating that “it is [the Union’s] greatest wish that he will be reinstated.”

UCU has a horrendous reputation in the Jewish community, and this is not the first time its Scotland branch has defended Mr Miller. 

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CAA to write to Brent Council after second memorial tree to Jewish refugees snapped in possible antisemitic incident

A second memorial tree to Jewish refugees has been snapped in what some locals are claiming is an incident of antisemitic vandalism in Wembley.

The Memorial Tree, dedicated by the Association of Jewish Refugees at King Edward VII Park in Brent in North London, has reportedly been snapped by hand.

The incident comes after the first memorial tree, planted in 2021, was also destroyed, and in May 2022 its plaque was smeared with dog excrement.

A replacement tree was recently planted and the plaque was positioned for protection behind wire fencing. It, however, has now also been targeted.

We are grateful to the members of the community who brought this to our attention.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The evidence suggests that this damage is deliberate, and, coming after a similar incident of vandalism against the previous memorial, represents a disturbing pattern of hate. The police must investigate. We shall also be writing to the local authority.”

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

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Following action from CAA, former barrister Ian Millard appears in court over five offences contrary to Communications Act

Following action from Campaign Against Antisemitism, the former barrister Ian Millard appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court today as he is set to be prosecuted for five offences contrary to section 127 (1)(a) Communications Act 2003 in relation to the posting of grossly offensive material relating to his assertions regarding the Jewish race on his blog.

The charges relate to five blog entries dated between May 2021 to April 2022. Mr Millard is said to have posted the entries to his website. The comments he is alleged to have made include:

  • “Where Jews exist in any but very small numbers, non-Jews will always be exploited, and can never be free. That is as true in Europe (and including the UK) as it is in the Middle East.” 
  • “Wherever Jews have power, non-Jews eventually become victims or slaves.”

In October 2016, the Bar Standards Board found Mr Millard to be guilty of professional misconduct due to his extensive use of Twitter as a vehicle to publicise his antisemitic and extreme right-wing views, leading to him being banned from the profession.

In April 2021, Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Director of Investigations and Enforcement handed a dossier of evidence collected from Mr Millard’s blog to Hampshire Police.

Nine months later, we were informed that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would be taking no further action. This decision was challenged via the Victims’ Right to Review scheme.

In April of this year, fifteen months after the submission to the scheme was made, we were informed that the CPS intended to prosecute Mr Millard.

Mr Millard, who confirmed that he will be representing himself in court, stated that he would be entering a plea of “not guilty” and is set to face trial later this year.

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“Heil Hitler” and swastika graffiti discovered in Poole

Graffiti of a swastika and the phrase “Heil Hitler”, as well as the logo of the British far-right National Front party, has been discovered in Poole.

The graffiti was scrawled on the wall of the underpass at the Ashdown Roundabout, near Asda. 

Rabbi Maurice Michaels of Bournemouth Reform Synagogue said: “It’s horrendous, really, to think that here in Bournemouth where the various faiths all work together closely and amicably, we should find that antisemitism has reared its ugly head again. It will make some members of the Jewish community afraid to put themselves around the place, because graffiti of this nature can so often lead to violence. We’ve certainly seen that in other places.”

A spokesperson for Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council said: “BCP Council is determined to tackle anti-social behaviour and graffiti and vandalism are illegal, anti-social activities. We are working with Dorset Police, security and Anti-Social Behaviours officers to address this.”

Image credit: Martin Byrne

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After action by CAA, YMCA follows Glastonbury in cancelling screening of antisemitism-denial film on its premises

Following correspondence with Campaign Against Antisemitism, the YMCA has agreed to cancel the screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The screening of the film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie is understood to have been made through the charity’s online room-booking system by a third party, and not by the YMCA itself.

The news comes shortly after Glastonbury Festival agreed to cancel its screening of the film following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which led the public outcry.

The event’s ticket-booking page describes the screening as: “The film Labour Party doesn’t want you to see. This film looks at why and how in 2017 Jeremy Corbyn was stopped from being a PM.”

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

The event was due to have been chaired by Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, a co-founder of JVL.

Ms Wimborne-Idrissi was expelled from the Labour Party, apparently in relation to her involvement with the far-left “Resist Movement”, “Labour in Exile Network” and antisemitism-denial group “Labour Against the Witchhunt”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the YMCA for its swift and decisive action to cancel the screening, as soon as we brought it to the charity’s attention.

It has also been reported that, following our correspondence with Glastonbury, the major trade union Unite has also banned screenings of the film on its premises.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Former Pembrokeshire mayor responds to allegations of anti-religious prejudice

A former Pembrokeshire mayor has denied allegations of anti-religious prejudice following a backlash against a blog post from 2008. 

Andrew Lye, the former Mayor of Neyland Town Council, was accused of antisemitism and Islamophobia following the circulation of an extract from his blog, “Uncut”. 

According to reports, Cllr Lye claimed that the purpose of his blog was part of a campaign in opposition to female genital mutilation; it appears, however, that the blog also comments on male circumcision. 

An extract from the blog reads: “I was born with it and cannot understand why any religion should require its removal (I can understand if there is a medical need) because if God didn’t mean us to have one, he’d have created us without one.”

Fellow councillor Brian Rothero is understood to have called the blog “antisemitic and anti-Muslim” before proposing a vote of no confidence against Cllr Lye. Following the successful vote, Cllr Lye stepped down from his mayoral position.

Cllr Lye apologised for the offence caused by his blog, adding: “I am against all forms of abuse, whether it’s against girls or boys. I am not homophobic, racist, Islamophobic or antisemitic. I just believe in equality for all and that is why I am in politics.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

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Orthodox Jewish influencer Sarah Haskell opens up about antisemitic comments

Sarah Haskell, an online Orthodox Jewish influencer and artist with over 200,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where she opened up about the extent of the online antisemitism that she faces and the impact that it has on her.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

While Ms Haskell, creator of the online account ‘thatrelatablejew’, stated that she finds tremendous meaning in her work, she also noted that “the negative side is mostly antisemitic comments.”

She continued: “Every time I see these comments, it shocks me, because we’re in 2023, so you would think that antisemitism like this doesn’t exist anymore, but it very much does, unfortunately.”

Ms Haskell revealed that she will get comments about the Holocaust, as well as comments condemning Israel, even on posts that do not mention the country whatsoever.

“It’s just because I’m openly Jewish that they somehow feel I am the spokesperson for all Jewish people, when I rarely talk about politics on my page.”

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

She added that other comments involved “People trying to make fun of my appearance, like a Jewish nose, or saying I don’t look Jewish enough because I was born with blonde hair. Having all these stereotypes.”

In response, Ms Haskell often filters out comments. However, this requires her to manually approve each comment herself, meaning that she has to sift through hundreds of antisemitic comments personally.

“It just pushes me to keep doing what I’m doing, because if I was so heavily affected by every single comment that I was getting, I would not be doing what I’m doing today,” she says. “I just kind of brush it off and keep going along, because what they’re trying to do is silence Jewish voices, so by me stopping, that’s letting those commenters win. I’m just very proud to be Jewish online and will continue to be that positive representation.” 

When asked what advice she would give aspiring Jewish content creators, Ms Haskell said: “I would say you really have to think about it before you do it. Being online is fantastic. I love representing the Jewish people. I love being a positive representation and showing Jewish life, but you have to have a certain mental toughness because you will face antisemitism. Unfortunately, you just will. Especially if you’re being openly Jewish online. 

“My advice is, if you’re going to do it, be prepared, be mentally ready, and have a game plan of how you will handle those situations when they come up so that it doesn’t mentally affect you as hard.”

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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Laura Alvarez found in Facebook group full of antisemitic conspiracy theories and complaints about CAA

Laura Alvarez has been discovered to be a member of a Facebook group that is reportedly full of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

According to the JC, Ms Alvarez, the wife of the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, is a member of the Organise Corbyn Inspired Socialist Alliance group, which was created in February after Sir Keir Starmer announced that he was barring Mr Corbyn from standing as a candidate for the Labour Party.

Mr Corbyn had the Labour whip removed, which means that he has been indefinitely suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party. He remains a member of the Labour Party, however.

One member of the group posted an edited image of Sir Keir in front of an Israeli flag alongside a fake quotation that read: “We stand up for Israel, we stand up for Israeli people, we stand up for Israeli interests and we will always put them first.” An administrator of the group wrote: “This just goes to prove that [Sir Keir] has been well bought and paid for, by a foreign government!”

The administrator also shared an interview in the group in which Sir Keir insisted that Israel “is not an apartheid state.” In response, a member of the group wrote: “Israelis have recreated the genocide inflicted upon them by the Nazis [while] the whole world turns a blind eye.”

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

Another user complained about Campaign Against Antisemitism, describing us as “unhinged Zionists” and claiming that the group was “almost certainly a venture funded from Tel Aviv.” We and other groups were also accused of being “proxy Israeli agencies” who “exaggerated” antisemitism within the Labour Party to “assassinate” Corbyn.

Yet another wrote: “[Sir Keir] has been bought and paid for by the Zionists in the party.”

A further post claimed that Jews do not suffer racism, only “prejudice”, an received hundreds of likes. The group member wrote: “Why are Jewish people regarded as a race?…To stifle criticism of the actions of Israel.” Another member said in reply: “[Jewish people] are not Semites, they are Israeli Zionists who are from Eastern Europe.”

The Organise Corbyn Inspired Socialist Alliance group is attempting to select a candidate to run in Sir Keir’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency against the Labour leader and to raise half a million pounds to back the challenger’s campaign.

It is alleged that Ms Alvarez commented on a photograph of Sir Keir that was posted in the group, writing “disgusting creature”.

According to Sky News, Ms Alvarez has been a member of the group “since day one” and has sent the group’s administrators her “good wishes”.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The posts in this group are utterly repugnant. These comments constitute a repository of antisemitic tropes and antisemitism-denial, the likes of which were at the core of Labour’s scandal of racism against Jews. No prominent individual should have anything to do with a group like this, let alone be a member.

“It goes without saying that the claims made against us in the group are ludicrous, and are borne of the same conspiracist mentality that infected Labour in the Corbyn years. Far-left antisemites have been forced to return to the sewer whence they came. Peeping down there is never pretty.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

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Leeds tenant sentenced after bombarding landlord with antisemitic e-mails following eviction notice

A Leeds tenant has been sentenced after pleading guilty in connection with antisemitic e-mails to her landlord following an eviction notice.

Julie Ann Rycroft, 66 and now of Garforth, was accused by a judge at Leeds Crown Court of having “lost all sense of rationality” after she sent 148 e-mails over four months. The substance of the e-mails was, according to the prosecution, “grossly offensive, antisemitic and racially aggravated.”

Ms Rycroft, who has no previous convictions, had been living in a rented property in Rothwell in early 2020 when the premises were taken over by a new landlord, who issued her with a Section 21 notice, effectively declining to renew her lease.

She then proceeded to send e-mails and voicemail messages to the landlord’s solicitor, calling the landlord a “bastard” and “a piece of s***,” while also making references to him being Jewish.

She reportedly ignored a warning from West Yorkshire Police in September 2020, and in November 2020 admitted sending the e-mails but denied being racist, insisting that the language merely reflected “how she talked” and explaining that it arose from the stress of the eviction. However, she then sent a significant batch of offensive e-mails in the first half of 2022.

She was then arrested in July 2022, admitting again that she had sent the e-mails but denying that they were racially-aggravated.

She eventually pleaded guilty, however, to two counts of racially-aggravated harassment and one of simple harassment.

Judge Simon Batiste said that her conduct merited a custodial sentence, but, despite observing that she had “little victim awareness” and “little or no remorse”, gave her an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. In addition, she was given ten rehabilitation days and a ten-year restraining order, banning her from contacting the landlord or the employees of the property’s management company.

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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UN finally issues mild condemnation of antisemitism

77 years since it was established, the United Nations has finally passed a resolution that includes a condemnatory reference to antisemitism.

The joint UK-United Arab Emirates resolution –  Security Council resolution 2686 on Tolerance and International Peace and Security – expressed “deep concern” at discrimination, including antisemitism.

The four-page resolution made a solitary reference to antisemitism in one paragraph, which read: “Expressing deep concern at instances of discrimination, intolerance and extremism, manifesting in the form of hate speech or violence based on race, sex, ethnicity or religion or belief, such as but not limited to persons belonging to religious communities, in particular cases motivated by Islamophobia, antisemitism or Christianophobia, and other forms of intolerance which may occur in the lead up to, during, and in the aftermath of armed conflict, and in that regard, recognising the efforts of the United Nations system to address hate speech at the national and global level.”

The resolution was passed by the fifteen-member Security Council on 14th June.

The UK’s Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador James Kariuki said: “Freedom of religion or belief, including the freedom not to have a religion, is a fundamental human right. And yet religious minorities have time and time again been specifically targeted.”

A spokesperson for the UAE said: “Among a number of other firsts, resolution 2686 is the first UN Security Council resolution to directly refer to antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Christianophobia, and also the first resolution to acknowledge that hate speech, racism, and extremism have the potential to stoke tensions, fuel grievances, and descend into conflict. The resolution acknowledges these phenomena as threat-multipliers and really is an unprecedented step forward for the Council.”

While the inclusion of a condemnation of antisemitism in a UN resolution for the first time in over three-quarters of a century is momentous, the resolution cannot reasonably be said to represent a recognition of the scale of the rise in anti-Jewish racism in recent years, let alone decades, nor of the UN’s role and that of many of its members in enabling it.

The resolution comes after the UN delayed a conference on combating antisemitism amid concerns from groups around the world, including Campaign Against Antisemitism, that the UN might fail to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism and thereby undermine the fight against the world’s oldest hatred.

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

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Arrest made following report of Jewish passengers abused on bus in Manchester

An arrest has been made following a report that Jewish passengers were abused on a bus in Manchester.

The alleged incident occurred on the 98 bus Go North West bus service from Shudehill station to Bury when a man reportedly verbally assaulted Jewish passengers before spitting on the driver. 

Greater Manchester Police Traffic wrote on Twitter: “We won’t tolerate this, the offender was located dancing at a bus stop on the route and we obliged by waltzing him off to custody.”

Image credit: Greater Manchester Police Traffic

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Online troll taunted sister of Hillsborough disaster victim, including tweet about “Jewish rapists”

An online troll who taunted a woman whose brother died in the fatal 1989 crush at Hillsborough Stadium has been sentenced.

Zakir Hussain, 28, had pleaded guilty to five counts of sending messages on a public communication network that were grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene, or menacing character. He was handed a fourteen-week jail sentence, suspended for a year, following a slew of abusive Twitter messages he posted in April 2020.

London’s Stratford Magistrates’ Court heard how the tweets targeting Louise Brookes were timed to coincide with the anniversary of the infamous disaster, with one comment referring to “Jewish rapists”.

In another tweet, he threatened to vandalise her brother Andrew’s grave with urine and faeces.

In addition to the suspended sentence, District Judge Shanta Deonarine ordered Mr Hussain to undertake 200 hours of community work and pay £500 compensation to Ms Brookes, stating that “I do find there was substantial distress caused.”

Ms Brookes spoke candidly of the effect that the trolling had taken on her mental health.

She told the court. “I suffer with depression, anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD. I have been prescribed by my GP to take Prozac and propranolol to try and control my depression, anxiety and panic attacks. I am taking the highest dose allowable,” before going on to say that there were some days that she “seriously considered killing myself because I just can’t take anymore”.

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After CAA leads public outcry, Glastonbury Festival cancels screening of antisemitism-denial film

Glastonbury Festival has agreed to cancel the planned screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, after we wrote to the organisers and the event’s primary sponsor, leading a public outcry. 

The Festival’s website said of the film, titled Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie, that it “explores a dark and murky story of political deceit and outrageous antisemitic smears.” A trailer of the film showed one interviewee questioning whether Mr Corbyn was brought down by an “orchestrated campaign”.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation Jewish Voice for Labour; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to the Festival, and also to the Festival’s Official Connectivity Partner, Vodafone, with whom it announced a “multi-year partnership” earlier this year, explaining the genesis and purpose of the film and arguing that Festival-goers should be allowed to enjoy the live performances without fear of indoctrination from antisemitism-deniers, which would serve only to alienate Jewish ticket-holders.

A spokesperson for Glastonbury said: “It’s become clear that it is not appropriate for us to screen it [the film] at the Festival.Glastonbury is about unity and not division, and we stand against all forms of discrimination.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Following our letter to Glastonbury and the public outcry, we are pleased to see that the antisemitism-denial film ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn: The Big Lie’ will no longer be screened at the Festival. The film should never have been considered for screening, as this kind of gaslighting of the Jewish community was at the heart of why the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that the Labour Party had illegally created a hostile environment for Jews. This is the right decision, and a win for music-lovers who want to enjoy performances free from propaganda.”

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CAA writes to Glastonbury Festival and its partners over planned screening of pro-Corbyn propaganda film

Campaign Against Antisemitism is writing to Glastonbury Festival and its partners over the Festival’s planned screening of a propaganda film about the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The Festival’s Official Connectivity Partner is Vodafone, with whom it announced a “multi-year partnership” earlier this year, and its Official Media Partners are listed as the BBC and The Guardian. 

The Festival’s website links to a description of the film, titled Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie, which says that it “explores a dark and murky story of political deceit and outrageous antisemitic smears.”

Also linked is a trailer of the film, in which one interviewee questions whether Mr Corbyn was brought down by an “orchestrated campaign”.

The film’s contributors include a who’s who of controversial figures such as Jackie Walker, who has previously stated that Jews were “chief financiers” of the African slave trade; the filmmaker Ken Loach, who caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. Both were expelled from the Labour Party; Graham Bash, the Political Officer of the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation Jewish Voice for Labour; and Moshe Machover, a professor and Holocaust revisionist. All have been expelled from the Labour Party, although Mr Machover was readmitted.

Also involved is Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Mr Corbyn who, in 2005, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

The film is narrated by comedian Alexei Sayle who claimed in 2014 that BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who is Jewish, supported the murder of children following an article and radio interview in which she had decried antisemitism amongst anti-Israel activists.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Festival-goers should be allowed to enjoy the live performances without fear of indoctrination from antisemitism-deniers. Screening a film which not only denies that antisemitism in the Labour Party was a serious problem but actively paints a picture of a nefarious campaign being orchestrated against someone who allowed antisemitism to run rampant, has no place at an arts festival, and only serves to alienate Jewish ticket-holders. Glastonbury Festival and its sponsors must ensure that such propaganda is not shown.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.

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Yiddish LGBTQ+ cafe in Glasgow closes down, citing antisemitic incidents 

A Glasgow eatery, self-described as a “queer Yiddish anarchist café”, has closed down, citing antisemitic incidents as one of the reasons for its closure.

On the website of the Pink Peacock cafe, a statement describes the “burnout” of its staff, in part due to antisemitism.

The statement read: “We have received a frankly astonishing amount of antisemitic vitriol over the last three years from self-described leftists who have doxxed us, harassed us online and off, and spread rumors about us being ‘landlord’ ‘bosses’ ‘profiting off the holocaust’ and ‘s***ing in mailboxes’.” 

It added that “Several of our members have moved away or are planning to move soon, in part due to the Jewish isolation, unchecked antisemitism in Scotland and the impact of this harassment.”

Earlier this month, the cafe tweeted about how attempts were made to alienate staff members due to their Jewishness.

The cafe wrote: “One really persistent element of antisemitism we face is the idea that jews are not part of the community. We’re foreigners and outsiders regardless of where we come from. For example, our mentions are full of people saying that ‘the community’ is glad we’re closing.”

It continued by saying that its Jewish staff members constantly faced accusations of being “rich”, “middle class” or “gentrifiers”. 

“Of course, gentrification is when rich foreigners move into the neighbourhood, and jews are foreign, and jews are rich!” the cafe wrote. 

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Durham student who reportedly called Jews “apex predators in capitalism” accepted to PhD programme

A student at Durham University who reportedly called Jews “apex predators in capitalism” in social media group chats has been accepted to study for a PhD at the institution.

Hugo Lunn reportedly shared posts that included phrases such as “Hitler would be more efficient if he privatised his death factories” and “the Jewishtocracy.” Another post apparently appeared to mock a student who had been offended by the claim that “the only reason the Holocaust was bad is because the Jews did not consent to being gassed,” saying of the student that “he got triggered, the cuck.”

“Cuck” is a far-right term used to refer to white men who are viewed by the far-right as traitors to their race and gender.

Mr Lunn, who is taking a PhD in medieval history, is understood to have made the comments in the chat group of the Durham University Free Market Association, of which he was President. After details of the discussion emerged following a complaint to the University in 2020, the Association was shut down by the Students’ Union.

The University investigated the comments in the summer of 2020, two months after Mr Lunn had completed his undergraduate degree.

Mary Kelly Foy, the MP for the City of Durham, said: “These comments are extremely concerning, and the University’s leadership and multifaith student body will agree that such abhorrent views have no place on their campus. I am proud to represent such a diverse University and as such I have raised my serious concerns with the University. I expect they will always act to ensure the safety of students and workers and that any such remarks would be swiftly investigated and decisive action taken.”

A spokesperson for Durham University said: “In 2020, in response to concerns raised, we undertook an investigation under our Non-Academic Misconduct Procedure. Our misconduct procedures apply only to members of Durham University. At that time, the individual named by the Jewish Chronicle was not a student at Durham University. We did take action against two other individuals, who were at that time Durham University students. As there was no investigation against the individual, because they were not at that time a student at Durham University, there was no record to be kept and no record to consider when they later applied for further study with us. We are looking into this matter urgently and considering what actions we may take.

“At the same time we are reaching out to communities affected by these comments to offer our support. We condemn any incidents of antisemitism in the strongest possible terms and are working hard to counter all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism.”

According to the JC, Mr Lunn refused to comment on the record.

Durham University has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities.

If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].

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Jewish educator Tyler Samuels on how the Spanish Inquisition led to Jewish life in the Caribbean

Tyler Samuels, a Canadian-based Sephardic Jamaican Jew whose educational Jewish history content focuses on the Jews of the Caribbean and Canada, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he spoke about how Jewish life in the Caribbean was the result of Jews fleeing persecution during the Spanish Inquisition.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

Mr Samuels said that when Spanish and Portuguese Jews fled to Caribbean islands, the islands were under the occupation of Spain, although the laws of religious observance were not fully enforced. Regardless, Jewish life was not allowed to flourish, and texts from that time reportedly referred to Jews in the area as “not real Christians”, the educator said. This led to Jews in the Caribbean remaining fearful.

Following the English invasion of Jamaica, Jews were able to practice openly and a wave of Sephardic Jewish immigration began. By 1720, a reported eighteen percent of Jamaica’s population was Jewish.

However, according to Mr Samuels, antisemitism was still prevalent. Jews living in Barbados, for example, “went through a lot of oppression and persecution under the British colonial government.”

He added: “Apparently, there was even a ghetto established for them at one point.”

While Jews living in Jamaica had a far different experience, they were still subject to economic discrimination, he said. 

He said of Jewish families in the Caribbean: “Yes, they had some rights, but whether they were living under Dutch, or British, or even French colonial rule, they always had to fight for the little bit of human rights, when they had gone through so much of the Inquisition.”

According to Mr Samuels, there is today a “thriving Jewish community in Jamaica,” with the synagogue in Kingston, built over one hundred years ago, welcoming Jews of many backgrounds. 

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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Identifiably Jewish man reportedly subjected to verbal abuse on London Underground

An identifiably Jewish man was reportedly subjected to threatening gestures and verbal abuse on the London Underground.

The suspect was described as being a man of slim build, approximately six feet tall, and wearing dark clothing.

The alleged incident occurred on 12th June at 14:45 on the Piccadilly Line from Hyde Park Corner, and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: 6542093/23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

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Trial of defendants in “Khaybar” chant case inexplicably delayed until four years after alleged incident

The trial of two men who have been charged with stirring up racial hatred after they reportedly performed the “Khaybar” chant at a London protest in 2021 has inexplicably been delayed until four years after the alleged incident.

A trial date set for May 2025 was decided this afternoon at Isleworth Crown Court.

Last month, the defendants pleaded “not guilty” at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

The chant “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud” can be translated in English as “Jews, remember the battle of Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning.”

The “Khaybar” chant is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE. The chant has been heard in numerous anti-Israel rallies in Britain and abroad.

Khaldoun Ahmad El-Ali, 27, and Mohammad Jihad Al Safi, 25, had the charges brought against them after they were identified by CST.

The pair have been released on unconditional bail until the preliminary hearing scheduled for later this year.

A CST spokesman said at the time: “CST welcomes these charges and thanks the police for all the work they have done on this investigation following our original complaint. We hope this sends out a powerful signal regarding chanting on anti-Israel protests.”

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Jewish residents reportedly harassed with “Hitler” and “Free Palestine” comments in communal garden

Jewish residents in Stamford Hill have reportedly been harassed with comments such as “Hitler” and “Free Palestine” from people in their communal garden.

The suspects are believed to live in flats on Holmleigh Road.

The alleged incident occurred on 10th and 11th June and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: 4615739/23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

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Swastika graffiti discovered in Bournemouth 

Swastika graffiti was discovered in Bournemouth by a Jewish family on holiday this past weekend.

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

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 8220/12JUN23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

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Jewish women reportedly targeted with antisemitic abuse on London bus

A man reportedly made Jewish women the targets of antisemitic abuse on a London bus.

The alleged incident was said to have taken place on 9th June at 14:00 on the 106 bus towards Stamford Hill, and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 4080/11JUN23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

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Solihull man who shared neo-Nazi material about Jews sentenced to prison

A man who shared neo-Nazi material about Jews has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of stirring up hatred.

Richard Osborne, 53 from Solihull, shared far-right content which took aim at Jewish people and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

He received a sentence of three years and ten months after he pleaded guilty to two counts of publishing material intended to provoke racial hatred and homophobia.

He also expressed support for the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action. The group was proscribed by the British Government following repeated calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

In a search of Mr Osborne’s home, police discovered a shotgun under his bed and he was charged with possession without a license. Additionally, a baton that was made from a metal bar was found in his car, leading to a further charge of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

During a court appearance last month, Mr Osborne pleaded guilty to all charges.

Detective Superintendent Anastasia Miller, from Counter-Terrorism Police West Midlands, said: “By pleading guilty, Osborne admitted he held extreme far-right views and through our investigation we were able to provide clear evidence he supported white supremacists as well as a proscribed far-right group banned by the Government. Someone who holds extreme views against those that don’t look like him or hold the same views is not welcome in our society. 

“Today’s sentence should be a clear message to those who intend to spread hate and terror, we will continue to work with partners and the CPS to protect our communities by pursuing and prosecuting such individuals. We work tirelessly to counter terrorism. Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and security of the people who live, work and visit the West Midlands area.”

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

Image credit: West Midlands Police

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Elderly Jewish man walking with wife and grandchild reportedly punched in the eye by cyclist in London

An identifiably Jewish man, who was walking with his wife and nine-month-old grandchild, was reportedly punched in the eye by a cyclist in north London. 

It was also reported that the man was treated by Hatzola, the Jewish volunteer medical service, before having to go to the hospital for further treatment.

The alleged incident was said to have taken place on 8th June at 15:15 on the River Lea pathway, at the bottom of Saw Mill Way, and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 3715/11Jun23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

Image credit: Google

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“This is what you deserve”: Identifiably Jewish children allegedly victims of assault

Two identifiably Jewish children have allegedly been made the victims of an assault.

The suspect, described as a man in a white top, reportedly wiped his dirty hands on one of the children’s clothes before saying: “This is what you deserve.”

The alleged incident was said to have taken place on 8th June at 17:15 on the corner of Cranwich Road and Denver Road and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD 3715/11Jun23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

Image credit: Google

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Jewish women and children reportedly chased and assaulted by man yelling antisemitic slurs in Stamford Hill

Jewish women and children were reportedly chased and assaulted by a man yelling antisemitic slurs in Stamford Hill.

The suspect has been described as being a man of around 25 years of age.

The alleged incident was said to have taken place on 31st May at 9:30 outside Berry’s The Kosher Food Store and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: 4614772/23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

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Jewish man reportedly struck after being accosted for cigarette

A Jewish man in Stamford Hill was reportedly struck after being accosted for a cigarette.

The suspect, who is also accused of yelling antisemitic slurs, has been described as being a slim, short man of around 25 years of age who wore a blue jacket and black trousers.

The alleged incident was said to have taken place on 1st June at 9:30 on the corner of Stamford Hill and Linthorpe Road and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: 4614532/23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

Image credit: Google

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Jewish man allegedly assaulted leaving synagogue in North London

A Jewish man was allegedly assaulted whilst leaving a synagogue in the north London area of Stamford Hill.

He was said to have been shoved by a slim man around 25 years of age in a blue jacket who yelled “F*** Jew”.

The alleged incident was said to have taken place on 3rd June at 12:10 and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CRIS: 4614771/23

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.

Campaign Against Antisemitism works closely with Shomrim, with whom we have an information-sharing agreement.

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CAA launches witness appeal following video of man swearing and saying “f*** Jews” on London bus

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a witness appeal following video footage of a man swearing at someone and saying “f*** Jews”.

This incident reportedly took place this past weekend on the 56 bus to St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is in touch with the victim and providing assistance. Those with information should e-mail [email protected].

The footage was originally uploaded by StopAntisemitism.org.

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Jewish TOWIE star reveals antisemitic abuse

A Jewish cast member of the reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) has revealed on a podcast that she has received antisemitic messages.

Courtney Green, 27, who was one of the stars of TOWIE’s seventeenth season, said that while she has enjoyed aspects of fame, she has also received unwanted attention from antisemites.

She said that the messages, which were sent through social media to her and her family, were “heartbreaking”.

She added: “I never thought it would happen to me.” 

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MPs condemn Roger Waters as his London concerts see further comparisons between Israelis to Nazis and unhinged rants 

As Roger Waters made further comparisons between Israelis to Nazis and embarked on unhinged rants during his London concerts this past Tuesday and Wednesday, Members of Parliament have expressed condemnation. 

The MPs’ criticism came as Campaign Against Antisemitism and other communal groups have placed pressure on the venues hosting Mr Waters.

On Tuesday at London’s O2 Arena, the musician railed against Labour Party MP Christian Wakeford, who last month posted a letter to Twitter in which he said that Mr Waters’ upcoming Manchester performance should be called off.

Mr Waters, stopping during his performance to embark on a rant to the thousands of paying concert-goers, said that Mr Wakeford was “working for his “masters in the Foreign Office in Tel Aviv”, before calling him a “cripple”. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to Manchester’s AO Arena over their hosting of Mr Waters next week.

Mr Waters went on to defend the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, shouting: “I’ve watched other people be cancelled. I watched Jeremy Corbyn be cancelled by the Israeli lobby. That was what happened in 2019 and if it hadn’t happened we might have had the first decent Labour prime minister for f***ing 50 years, because he cared about the working classes.” 

This echoed sentiments expressed by Mr Waters’ during a recent concert at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, when he claimed that “They’re trying to cancel me like they cancelled Jeremy Corbyn and Julian Assange” and that the furore was “all coming from Tel Aviv, promise you”.

On Wednesday, members of Campaign Against Antisemitism captured evidence of the former Pink Floyd star comparing Anne Frank, one of the most famous child victims of the Holocaust, to Rachel Corrie, a person killed accidentally by the Israeli Defence Forces.

Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is antisemitic.

This is not the first instance of Mr Waters breaching the definition in this way. He recently drew criticism for brandishing the name of Frank next to Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist who was killed in crossfire between terrorists and Israeli security forces last year in the Palestinian Authority.

Towards the end of Wednesday’s performance, Mr Waters’ plunged into another unhinged rant, for which he seems to have become known, this time declaring that he loves all of his “brothers and sisters…irrespective of their ethnicity, or religion or nationality…well with one possible exception.” He then responded to former Pink Floyd lyricist Polly Samson’s charge that he is “antisemitic to [his] rotten core” in a tweet from February, telling his laughing fans: “All I have to say about Polly Samson is: imagine waking up to that every morning.” 

Outside of the O2 Arena, Campaign Against Antisemitism interviewed fans of Mr Waters to find out what they thought about his comments, resulting in accusations of antisemitism being “weaponised” and admiration expressed for Mr Corbyn. The interview can be watched here.

Amidst the news surrounding Mr Waters’ incendiary comments, he appears to have gained the support of known antisemites.

David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard, took to the social media platform Gab where he appeared to defend Mr Waters. In a similar fashion, the antisemitic hate preacher and conspiracy theorist David Icke used his own platform to display empathy for Roger Waters.

However, MPs have expressed their condemnation of Mr Waters. Labour Party leader Sir Keir Stamer said that while “many people will think of Roger Waters as famous for being a member of one of the most important bands in history,” he is now “more synonymous with spreading deeply troubling antisemitism”.

Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said in regard to Mr Waters’ recent remarks that “antisemitic rhetoric like this is completely shameful and totally inappropriate.”

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, said that Mr Waters fell short of the “societal expectation placed on people with a significant public profile to behave responsibly and not abuse their platform.”

Barbara Keeley, the Labour Party MP for Worsley and Eccles South, also sharply criticised Mr Waters, stating that his “actions and comments are completely unacceptable and are antisemitic”. 

Recently a spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that Mr Khan “fully understands the significant concerns from within the Jewish community and condemns the use of antisemitism imagery”.

Additionally, the US State Department  said that Mr Waters’ performance “contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimised the Holocaust,” adding that “The artist in question has a long track record of using antisemitic tropes to denigrate Jewish people.”

Disgracefully, however, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, praised the musician on social media, tweeting that the criticism of Mr Waters, who she described as “an immense artist and true icon of our time, a champion of human rights and justice” is “absolutely shocking.”

Anti-Israel demonstrators congregating outside of Mr Waters’ Manchester concert were seen chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently launched a petition calling on venues to stop hosting Mr Waters owing to his long history of baiting Jews, which he has now taken to the next level. You can sign the petition here.

In 2022, in an October episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Mr Waters denied being an antisemite, before going on to address a past concert in which he unveiled a balloon pig with a Star of David, alongside other various symbols, emblazoned on its side. He said: “Well, it’s a symbol of an oppressive state. I am lumping you in but it’s not just you.”

He continued: “But that is just me criticising the policies of your government and I’m afraid the Star of David does represent the nation that is committing the crime of apartheid every day, and murdering Palestinians every day. Men women and children, every single day. So yeah, I did [put the Star of David on the side of a pig], and I’m unapologetic about it.”

Mr Waters openly criticised the International Definition of Antisemitism, complaining that “It’s not just me…they smear anyone, anyone, who dares to suggest there’s something bad about their policies. So that’s why the [Definition] is so bad, and so dangerous.”

Taking issue with one of the examples in the Definition, the musician went on to say that the Definition “can’t mean” that the State of Israel should not be criticised for behaving “like people in the past…towards Jews in Northern Europe.” 

In 2021, Mr Waters claimed that antisemitism is a “smear sword wielded at the behest of the Israeli Government”, stating: “The antisemitism smear sword that was wielded at the behest of the Israeli government, [was] specifically aimed at Jeremy Corbyn because he was left wing and he might turn into a political leader on the left in the United Kingdom who would actually stand up for human rights in general but specifically the rights of working people to represent themselves and have unions.”

In 2020, the musician said that Zionism needs to be “removed” and also said that American leaders are puppets of the Jewish billionaire Sheldon Adelson. Mr Waters has also claimed that Israel teaches America how to “murder the blacks”. He later apologised for this latter remark.

In 2013, he reportedly claimed that there is a “Jewish lobby” in the music industry.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It says something about Roger Waters that he incessantly needs to insist that he is not an antisemite. He has a penchant for breaching the International Definition of Antisemitism, has claimed that antisemitism is used as a ‘smear’, and has a long history of baiting Jews. That record has now even attracted the positive attention of the former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke and antisemitic hate preacher David Icke. That might have given any other celebrity some pause.

“That Mr Waters’ latest show includes a visual equation of Israelis to Nazis, which extends his record of making such comparisons, is all the more reason for venues to steer clear of him. Artistic freedom does not justify hate.”

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“Jewish communities are not oppressed”: CAA interviews Roger Waters’ fans to disturbing results

Campaign Against Antisemitism has published an interview with fans of Roger Waters, the Jew-baiting musician and former Pink Floyd member, about their thoughts on Mr Waters’ recent comments, resulting in accusations of antisemitism being “weaponised” and admiration expressed for the antisemitic former Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn. 

The interview, filmed outside of London’s O2 Arena, can be watched here.

One interviewee said that “the weaponisation of antisemitism has gone too far…not just [with] Roger Waters. With everybody. Especially with Jeremy Corbyn as well.”

The man continued: “There was a problem with antisemitism in the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn was not a part of that.”

Another person echoed those sentiments, claiming: “They’re trying to Corbynise Roger Waters.”

A woman who was asked if she felt Mr Waters had crossed a line in his comments or actions, which has included repeated comparisons between Israelis to Nazis, responded that he was not antisemitic as he was the “voice of the oppressed”.

Asked whether that included Jews, she said: “No, the voice of the people from the Jewish communities are not oppressed.” 

Another interviewee bizarrely blamed the outrage at Mr Waters on “Jerusalem’s power”.

“Because Jerusalem has lots of power,” she said, “no one tells anything because, unfortunately, those are like, kind of very political agreements and if you have enough power, no one will say anything if you are putting your power above another community.”

She confirmed that she felt that “because of Israeli power, people are afraid to speak out”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism and other communal groups have placed pressure on the venues hosting Mr Waters.

On Tuesday at London’s O2 Arena, the musician railed against Labour Party MP Christian Wakeford, who last month posted a letter to Twitter in which he said that Mr Waters’ upcoming Manchester performance should be called off. Mr Waters, stopping during his performance to embark on a rant to the thousands of paying concert-goers, said that Mr Wakeford was “working for his “masters in the Foreign Office in Tel Aviv”, before calling him a “cripple”. 

Mr Waters went on to defend Mr Corbyn, shouting: “I’ve watched other people be cancelled. I watched Jeremy Corbyn be cancelled by the Israeli lobby. That was what happened in 2019 and if it hadn’t happened we might have had the first decent Labour prime minister for f***ing 50 years, because he cared about the working classes.” 

This echoed sentiments expressed by Mr Waters’ during a recent concert at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, when he claimed that “They’re trying to cancel me like they cancelled Jeremy Corbyn and Julian Assange” and that the furore was “all coming from Tel Aviv, promise you”.

On Wednesday, members of Campaign Against Antisemitism captured evidence of the former Pink Floyd star comparing Anne Frank, one of the most famous child victims of the Holocaust, to Rachel Corrie, a person killed accidentally by the Israeli Defence Forces. Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is antisemitic.

This is not the first instance of Mr Waters breaching the definition in this way. He recently drew criticism for brandishing the name of Frank next to Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist who was killed in crossfire between terrorists and Israeli security forces last year in the Palestinian Authority.

Towards the end of Wednesday’s performance, Mr Waters’ plunged into another unhinged rant, for which he seems to have become known, this time declaring that he loves all of his “brothers and sisters…irrespective of their ethnicity, or religion or nationality…well with one possible exception.” He then responded to former Pink Floyd lyricist Polly Samson’s charge that he is “antisemitic to [his] rotten core” in a tweet from February, telling his laughing fans: “All I have to say about Polly Samson is: imagine waking up to that every morning.” 

In 2022, in an October episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Mr Waters denied being an antisemite, before going on to address a past concert in which he unveiled a balloon pig with a Star of David, alongside other various symbols, emblazoned on its side. He said: “Well, it’s a symbol of an oppressive state. I am lumping you in but it’s not just you.”

He continued: “But that is just me criticising the policies of your government and I’m afraid the Star of David does represent the nation that is committing the crime of apartheid every day, and murdering Palestinians every day. Men women and children, every single day. So yeah, I did [put the Star of David on the side of a pig], and I’m unapologetic about it.” Mr Waters openly criticised the International Definition of Antisemitism, complaining that “It’s not just me…they smear anyone, anyone, who dares to suggest there’s something bad about their policies. So that’s why the [Definition] is so bad, and so dangerous.”

Taking issue with one of the examples in the Definition, the musician went on to say that the Definition “can’t mean” that the State of Israel should not be criticised for behaving “like people in the past…towards Jews in Northern Europe.” 

In 2021, Mr Waters claimed that antisemitism is a “smear sword wielded at the behest of the Israeli Government”, stating: “The antisemitism smear sword that was wielded at the behest of the Israeli government, [was] specifically aimed at Jeremy Corbyn because he was left wing and he might turn into a political leader on the left in the United Kingdom who would actually stand up for human rights in general but specifically the rights of working people to represent themselves and have unions.”

In 2020, the musician said that Zionism needs to be “removed” and also said that American leaders are puppets of the Jewish billionaire Sheldon Adelson. Mr Waters has also claimed that Israel teaches America how to “murder the blacks”. He later apologised for this latter remark.

In 2013, he reportedly claimed that there is a “Jewish lobby” in the music industry.

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In deeply troubling move, Jewish Greens appoint expelled Labour councillor Jo Bird as senior official

The Jewish faction of the Green Party has appointed a controversial expelled Labour Party councillor as a senior official.

Jo Bird, who re-joined the Labour Party in 2015 when Jeremy Corbyn was running for the Party’s leadership, has a long history of controversy relating to Jews, including renaming ‘due process’ in the Labour Party as “Jew process”, for which she was suspended; supporting the expelled Labour activist and friend of Mr Corbyn, Marc Wadsworth, who was thrown out of the Party after a confrontation with Jewish then-MP Ruth Smeeth; and worrying about the “privileging of racism against Jews, over and above — as more worthy of resources than other forms of racism.”

Elected to Wirral Council in August 2018, Cllr Bird has been a member of Jewish Voice for Labour, the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, and she has described Labour’s institutional antisemitism as based on mere “accusations, witch-huntery and allegations without evidence”.

Cllr Bird appears to have been expelled from Labour for her association with the proscribed antisemitism-denial group, Labour Against the Witchhunt.

Cllr Bird then joined the Green Party last year, after Campaign Against Antisemitism long warned of the danger of controversial activists who have left the Labour Party joining the Greens instead.

She has now been appointed as co-Secretary of Jewish Greens, which describes itself as the “first port of call within the Party for educational purposes and Jews and Judaism.” It also promotes antisemitism training for Green Party members.

Cllr Bird is described on the Jewish Greens’ website as “a councillor on the Wirral, coming from a long tradition of Jewish eco-socialists, passionate about equality, justice and fighting all forms of racism. Her grandfathers fought fascism in Europe as soldiers in the British army.”

Zack Polanski, the Deputy Leader of the Green Party and Treasurer of Jewish Greens, reportedly defended the appointment, telling Jewish News: “As the first Jewish Deputy Leader in British politics, I’m really proud of the work of Jewish Greens in the Green Party, working together to tackle antisemitism in society. Jewish Greens have our own internal democratic process to choose our executive and are doing important work.”

Last year, Ken Livingstone tried to join the Green Party but was prevented from doing so.

Our polling of British Jews found that the Greens were second only to Labour in how many respondents felt that the Party was too tolerant of antisemitism (43%).

Campaign Against Antisemitism has extensively documented alleged antisemitism among officers of the Green Party of England and Wales, including the Party’s former Equalities and Diversity Coordinator who now holds the International Coordinator portfolio, on which the Green Party has failed to act.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

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Dr Barbara Molas talks to CAA about acting as the expert witness in notorious antisemite Alison Chabloz’s failed appeal

Dr Bàrbara Molas, an expert on far-right ideology, online radicalisation, and prevention who works as a Research Fellow at the Current and Emerging Threats Programme at The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where she spoke about her experience acting as an expert witness at the failed appeal of the notorious antisemite Alison Chabloz, where she analysed the lyrics of one of Ms Chabloz’s songs for the court.

The two-day appeal hearing at Southwark Crown Court in February followed last year’s two-day trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court which concerned a video of the scene in the classic Oliver Twist film when Fagin, a fictitious Jewish criminal (a character that has come under significant criticism over the past century for its antisemitic depiction), is explaining to his newest recruit how his legion of children followers pickpockets. Ms Chabloz uploaded the video and sings an accompanying song of her own about how Jews are greedy, “grift” for “shekels” and cheat on their taxes.

The video appeared to be either a bizarre fundraising effort for her mounting legal costs due to numerous charges she has faced, including several ongoing prosecutions in which Campaign Against Antisemitism has provided evidence, or an attempt at mockery of Campaign Against Antisemitism for pursuing her in the courts.

During her appeal, Ms Chabloz tried to suggest that the video was part of a personal quarrel, as she had suggested throughout her trial, to no avail. 

Dr Molas told Campaign Against Antisemitism that her task in analysing the lyrics was essentially a “decoding exercising”, owing to the fact that Ms Chabloz “tried to manipulate the lyrics in ways that, for those in circles that endorse antisemitic ideas and far-right ideologies, would have been very easy to identify and very easy to relate to.”

The far-right expert said that she explained to the court that “it’s not just using coded language for humorous discourse or conversations, but actually using coded language to reinforce prejudices against the community that was targeted at that time, helping normalise those prejudices.”

Dr Molas said that the trial and appeal “allowed [her] to understand the extent of how coded language could be used to further the normalisation of antisemitism.”

While Dr Molas said that she found the task to be of interest, she also admitted that she had concerns for her personal safety, and revealed that she was provided support beforehand.

Ms Chabloz is a virulent antisemite and Holocaust denier who has an extensive record of using social media to publicise her hatred for Jews and to convert others to her views about Jewish people. Following a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which was later continued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Ms Chabloz became the first person in Britain to be convicted over Holocaust denial in a precedent-setting case.

Ms Chabloz is fixated on the idea that the Holocaust did not occur, and that it was fabricated by Jews and their supporters as a vehicle for fraudulently extorting money in the form of reparations. This forms the basis for her second obsession: that Jews are liars and thieves who are working to undermine Western society. Ms Chabloz is also connected to far-right movements, at whose meetings she gives speeches and performs her songs, in the UK and North America. She is currently banned from entering France, where Holocaust denial is illegal.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

We are seeking to recruit a Video and Content Creator to join our London office

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