On Wednesday, as MPs gathered in Parliament to vote, antisemitic genocidal language was projected onto Big Ben, the symbol of our democracy and often of our nation. Inside Parliament, the Speaker of the House of Commons broke with convention over a ceasefire vote, apparently due to threats against MPs.

Today, the Prime Minister described the intimidation as “toxic for our society and our politics”.

Ben Jamal, Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, encouraged thousands of protestors to “ramp up pressure on MPs” and flood into Parliament “so that they would have to lock the doors of Parliament itself”.

Then, on Saturday, they shut down Tower Bridge.

When will this count as sufficient “disruption to the life of the community” for Sir Mark Rowley to invoke his powers to ban this?

These scenes come just after Mike Freer, an MP for one of the most heavily-Jewish constituencies, decided to quit politics due, in no small part, to antisemitism and violence directed at him and his office.

We are offering free legal representation to MPs who have been subjected to antisemitic threats or intimidation, including obtaining court orders to unmask the authors of anonymous comments made online.

If our laws are now being made through the medium of threat and violence, our democracy itself is under attack, and those responsible for safeguarding it are in dereliction of their duty.

We have been raising the issue on television, radio, newspapers and social media, making clear our views on this important national debate. The events of this week must serve as a wake-up call.

Wiley Stripped of MBE

The Honours Forfeiture Committee has announced that is that it has stripped the antisemitic grime rapper Richard Kylea Cowie, known as Wiley, of his MBE, following calls to do so by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

In 2020, we wrote to the Honours Forfeiture Committee, which confirmed that, on our recommendation, it had opened a case against the artist, with a view to stripping Wiley of his honour, which he received in 2018. The case was opened following his antisemitic tirade in 2020.

It has taken nearly four years of perserverance and we have worked tirelessly to ensure that Wiley faces the full consequences of his unhinged antisemitic tirade.

Antisemitism has no place in the arts, and antisemites should not hold honours. We commend the Honours Forfeiture Committee for using its powers to hold Wiley to account. In doing so, it is declaring that anti-Jewish racists cannot be role models in our society.

This decision sets a precedent, which we hope will encourage more stringent scrutiny of individuals who are awarded our nation’s highest honours.

We continue to pursue legal action in relation to Wiley.

Home office contractor defaces Jewish birth certificate

A father received a copy of his six-month-old baby girl’s birth certificate back from the Home Office with his place of birth scribbled out and the paper torn. His place of birth was Israel, the world’s only Jewish state.

James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, swiftly responded to our call for an investigation, confirming that he has directed the Home Office to investigate and apologising on behalf of the Department.

It is understood that a major Home Office contractor, Sopra Steria, has suspended a number of staff members and is conducting an investigation.

This incident represents gross misconduct, and the company must remove the individuals responsible.

Throughout this ordeal, we have been supporting the family. The last thing any parent should have to worry about is their child’s birth certificate being vandalised just because their parent’s place of birth is the Jewish state.

Solicitor struck off and doctor who appeared on The Apprentice suspended

Farrukh Najeeb Husain, an immigration and employment solicitor, has been struck off.

A number of Mr Husain’s tweets were found to be antisemitic and offensive by a tribunal, following a case brought by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA).

The SRA claimed that Mr Husain’s conduct online was “offensive” and, in some cases, antisemitic. Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, gave expert witness testimony to assist the SRA in its case.

Meanwhile, Asif Munaf, a doctor who appeared on the current series of “The Apprentice” on the BBC has been suspended by the General Medical Council, following a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

His online rhetoric has included “slimy Zionist PR machine”, “odiously ogre-like Zionists”, “weaponising the Holocaust” and more.

These days, it seems that some people need reminding that supporting terrorist groups is a crime

Many of our supporters will be familiar with our digital vans, which we have previously used to raise awareness of the plight of the hostages held by Hamas.

This week, we decided to remind those who needed reminding that expressing support for Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which are proscribed terrorist organisations, is illegal under UK law.

After months of seeing expressions of support for these groups at weekly anti-Israel protests, we thought that we should make the message as plain and simple as possible. When we drove past one of these protests outside the Houses of Parliament, our van was attacked. It seems that not everyone was happy to be reminded.

Extreme advice

This week, there have been red faces at both the Met and the Ministry of Justice over taking advice from people with extreme views.

The Met has had to cut ties with Mohammed Kozbar, a member of an advisory body which helps to “shape police policy” over a year after an official extremism report found that he had described the founder of Hamas as “the master of the martyrs of resistance”.

We are enquiring quite how it took the Met so long to act, and what input the individual had on police policy, especially since the surge in antisemitic crime in the UK since 7th October.

Over at the Ministry of Justice, it turns out that for “World Hijab Day”, they invited Shreen Mahmood to speak. Her social media posts included saying that “Jews need to get in the queue behind Muslims” when a Jewish man complained about antisemitism, and reposting another account which had said n the wake of 7th October that Palestinians had “every right to defend” themselves, well before Israel had responded militarily to the mass rapes, murders and hostage-taking.

When exposed, she explained that Palestinians have the right to “struggle…by all available means” and that she would not want to “upset my valued brothers and sisters from the Jewish community”.

The Ministry of Justice plays an integral part of ensuring that the rule of law is maintained in our democracy, so why is it hosting someone who posted such views? We are writing to the Ministry to demand an investigation into how this was allowed to happen.

The events of this week have been extremely concerning for the health of our democracy. They must be a wake up call for us all. We will continue to do everything we can to draw attention to the threats that the Jewish community – and our country – is facing.

The Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has today struck off solicitor Farrukh Najeeb Husain after finding a number of his social media posts to be antisemitic and offensive.

The Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) investigated Mr Husain, an immigration and employment solicitor, following complaints regarding his conduct on X, which was reported to the regulator by Bevan Brittan, a law firm that employed him at the time.

The SRA claimed that Mr Hussain’s conduct online was “offensive” and, in some cases, antisemitic. Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, gave expert witness testimony to assist the SRA in its case.

Mr Husain represented himself over the course of the hearings, which began in September last year.

The tweets in question were directed at Simon Myerson KC, a barrister, and Hugo Rifkind, a journalist. Among the tweets were characterisations of Mr Rifkind as a “Zionist pig”, references to Mr Rifkind’s “eastern European kin” and the claim that Mr Myerson “wreaks of white privilege”.

Throughout the case, Mr Husain made several accusations against the SRA and Capsticks, a law firm that was representing the SRA at the tribunal. He claimed that the SRA was “weaponising new antisemitism” and subverting the International Definition of Antisemitism, and even accused the regulator of being “in bed” with Campaign Against Antisemitism. He also claimed that the solicitor acting on behalf of the SRA was an “imperialist” and asserted that she “bang[ed] on about the Holocaust because [she] wants to hide [her] country’s own crimes,” apparently referring to her British heritage.

During her cross-examination of Mr Husain, he said: “Mr Myerson is a fascist.”

Mr Husain extended his accusations also towards Mr Silverman during cross-examination and said: “It is you who are engaging in the antisemitic trope that there is a collection of Jews who are self-haters, who have turned against their nation and who are spouting conspiracy theories.”

Mr Silverman then asked the defendant if he was calling him an antisemite, to which Mr Husain responded: “Yes.”

Mr Husain also baselessly and conspiratorially accused Campaign Against Antisemitism of being set up and funded by a former Israeli diplomat.

Throughout the proceedings, Mr Husain was repeatedly reminded by the chairperson to conduct himself in an appropriate manner. In one instance, the tribunal panel addressed the defendant directly and accused him of “bordering on being abusive to Mr Silverman at times.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is the right sanction. Farrukh Najeeb Husain’s rhetoric online was vile, and there was no evidence of any regard or remorse for the hurt and disgust that he caused. The SRA was right to bring this case to restore confidence in the legal profession, and we were pleased to be able to contribute expert opinion at the hearing in order to inform the panel and bring about this week’s decision and today’s sanction. The SDT has shown that there is no place for antisemitism in English law.”

A solicitor’s tweets were found to be antisemitic and offensive today by a tribunal.

The Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has found a number of social media posts by the solicitor Farrukh Najeeb Husain to be antisemitic and offensive.

The Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) investigated Mr Husain, an immigration and employment solicitor, following complaints regarding his conduct on X, which was reported to the regulator by Bevan Brittan, a law firm that employed him at the time.

The SRA claimed that Mr Hussain’s conduct online was “offensive” and, in some cases, antisemitic. Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, gave expert witness testimony to assist the SRA in its case.

Mr Husain represented himself over the course of the hearings, which began in September last year.

The tweets in question were directed at Simon Myerson KC, a barrister, and Hugo Rifkind, a journalist. Among the tweets were characterisations of Mr Rifkind as a “Zionist pig”, references to Mr Rifkind’s “eastern European kin” and the claim that Mr Myerson “wreaks of white privilege”.

Throughout the case, Mr Husain made several accusations against the SRA and Capsticks, a law firm that was representing the SRA at the tribunal. He claimed that the SRA was “weaponising new antisemitism” and subverting the International Definition of Antisemitism, and even accused the regulator of being “in bed” with Campaign Against Antisemitism. He also claimed that the barrister acting on behalf of the SRA was an “imperialist” and asserted that she “bang[ed] on about the Holocaust because [she] wants to hide [her] country’s own crimes,” apparently referring to her British heritage.

During her cross-examination of Mr Husain, he said: “Mr Myerson is a fascist.”

Mr Husain extended his accusations also towards Mr Silverman during cross-examination and said: “It is you who are engaging in the antisemitic trope that there is a collection of Jews who are self-haters, who have turned against their nation and who are spouting conspiracy theories.”

Mr Silverman then asked the defendant if he was calling him an antisemite, to which Mr Husain responded: “Yes.”

Mr Husain also baselessly and conspiratorially accused Campaign Against Antisemitism of being set up and funded by a former Israeli diplomat.

Throughout the proceedings, Mr Husain was repeatedly reminded by the chairperson to conduct himself in an appropriate manner. In one instance, the tribunal panel addressed the defendant directly and accused him of “bordering on being abusive to Mr Silverman at times.”

The SDT is expected to issue a more substantial judgment in due course, with any sanctions or penalties expected to be announced by the tribunal on Friday.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We welcome this judgment. Farrukh Najeeb Husain’s rhetoric online was vile, and there was no evidence of any regard or remorse for the hurt and disgust that he caused. The SRA was right to bring this case to restore confidence in the legal profession, and we were pleased to be able to contribute expert opinion at the hearing in order to inform the panel and bring about today’s decision. We expect the SDT to apply the appropriate penalties on Mr Husain to show that there is no place for antisemitism in English law.”

To contact Campaign Against Antisemitism in relation to providing expert opinion or training, please e-mail [email protected].

A new report shows an alarming surge in antisemitic incidents in the UK, particularly since the Hamas attack of 7th October 2023.

According to the report by CST, more than 4,000 antisemitic incidents were recorded in 2023, marking a significant increase from previous years. This spike in hatred has been attributed to the sheer volume of antisemitism following the Hamas attack of 7th October 2023.

Mark Gardner, Chief Executive of CST, described the situation as “an absolute disgrace”, emphasising the resilience of British Jews in the face of this surge in hatred. He stated: “British Jews are strong and resilient, but the explosion in hatred against our community is deeply concerning. It occurs in schools, universities, workplaces, on the streets, and all over social media.”

The report outlined a range of disturbing incidents, including 3,328 cases of abusive behaviour, 266 incidents of assault, 305 threats and 182 instances of damage and desecration. Alarmingly, almost a fifth of the recorded incidents involved perpetrators under the age of eighteen, highlighting the urgent need for education and intervention.

Furthermore, the report observed that, for the first time, at least one antisemitic incident was recorded in every single police region in the UK in the course of one year, demonstrating how widespread the problem has become.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The CST’s figures reveal the explosion in antisemitic hate crime that the Jewish community has experienced in the past several months. It is particularly notable that the surge in anti-Jewish racism began in the immediate wake of 7th October, indisputably demonstrating that antisemites in the UK were emboldened by Hamas’s massacre of Jews, and that is why we are seeing what we are seeing on our streets and campuses, in workplaces and cultural institutions and online. There is a sickness in our country, and the sclerotic and overly-generous reaction of our criminal justice system shows that our institutions have utterly failed to grasp the gravity of the threat that our society faces right now.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is happening on British campuses?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What does the David Miller judgment mean?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After weeks of resisting calls to impose restrictions on the weekly anti-Israel marches coursing through London, this week the Metropolitan Police Service finally agreed that enough is enough, and ordered protesters not to pass through Whitehall.

Then, under pressure, the Met reversed its decision, deciding that enough is not, in fact, enough, and that the protesters could march down Whitehall after all.

So, among the other rhetoric and signage, a flag, popular with Islamists, once again passed through the UK’s seat of government.

This is a humiliation for the Met and its Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, and serves as a reminder to the rest of us just how far our top police officers are willing to go to appease the mob.

To understand better the powers available to the Commissioner of the Met, the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary, watch this video here.

For one MP, enough is enough

The news this week that a senior MP and Government Minister is stepping down out of fear marks a dark time for democracy and the rule of law in Britain.

While the motivation behind the recent arson attack on Mike Freer’s constituency office is not yet clear, what is known is that the MP, who represents one of the country’s largest Jewish communities, has long been violently targeted by Islamist radicals and other extremists over his views on matters of Jewish interest, so much so that he has now announced his retirement, observing that “there is an underlying antisemitic part of the attacks.”

Regardless of political views, it should be deeply alarming to all people who care about our democracy that such fears are not only valid but can reach the point of driving elected MPs like Mr Freer out of public service.

We wish to thank Mr Freer for his longstanding and continuing support for the Jewish community, the fight against antisemitism, and Campaign Against Antisemitism, of which he has served as an Honorary Patron.

Alleged knife attack in Golders Green

Mike Freer’s announcement came just days after an alleged knife attack in his constituency.

On Monday, brave staff members of a kosher supermarket in Golders Green defended themselves against a man said to be wielding a knife in an alleged antisemitic incident.

We spoke with a member of staff involved, who told us that the suspect – appearing from footage to be a male dressed in a grey hoodie and grey tracksuit bottoms – entered the shop demanding to know the staff’s feelings on what was happening “in Palestine”.

One staff member refused to engage, explaining that he did not wish to discuss politics. He and another staff member then escorted the suspect out of the shop.

The suspect, shortly after, allegedly attempted to grab at one of the staff members’ neck. Defending himself with Krav Maga moves he remembered learning as a youth, the staff member tried to restrain him before hearing people around him yell “knife, knife”.

At this point, the staff member quickly backed away, and the suspect began moving towards him.

Thinking quickly, he grabbed a nearby shopping trolley, pushing it into the body of the suspect in order to create distance.

The staff member told us that he retreated into the shop, where the suspect then followed, before leaving and making his way across the road into a building.

He is alleged to have then left that building approximately five minutes later in a change of clothes, apparently wearing traditional Muslim garb, and began walking up the road.

One of the staff members then ran ahead of him so that he could view his face to confirm that this was the same man from minutes earlier.

Shortly thereafter, the suspect was apprehended by Shomrim North West London and the Metropolitan Police, and arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage and racially-aggravated affray.

He was then taken into custody, and has been charged.

We are continuing to support the victims and follow the matter closely.

Roger Waters dropped by record label following CAA exposé

It has been revealed that the music rights company BMG dropped the controversial rockstar Roger Waters shortly after we published our exposé on the musician, where we revealed that Mr Waters wanted to put “Dirty k***” on an inflatable pig and impersonated a Holocaust victim, among other allegations.

The decision, taken by BMG in the closing months of last year, was not accompanied by an explanation at the time.

The company, which is based in Germany, signed a publishing agreement with Mr Waters in 2016 and was scheduled to release a newly recorded version of Pink Floyd’s 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon last year, but withdrew and the re-recording was instead released by the UK-based record label Cooking Vinyl.

The split is reported to be unusual for a major publishing deal, and comes as Mr Waters’ reputation is in tatters following the release of our documentary. You can watch the film here.

The full documentary can be viewed at antisemitism.org/rogerwaters.

Vincent Reynouard to be extradited to France after action by CAA

Vincent Reynouard, a French Holocaust-denier, will be extradited from the UK after his application for leave to appeal was rejected.

Mr Reynouard, 54, a convicted Holocaust-denier, was awaiting a decision on his appeal after a court in Scotland granted an extradition request from France. Mr Reynouard was a fugitive in the UK who was caught following appeals from Campaign Against Antisemitism and our Honorary Patron, Lord Austin.

Mr Reynouard is a despicable Holocaust-denier who has repeatedly been convicted by French courts. For him to have evaded justice, only to settle in the UK as a private tutor teaching children, is intolerable, which is why we worked with French Jewish organisations to secure his extradition so that he faces the consequences of his abhorrent incitement.

We are delighted that those efforts have borne fruit, with the court granting the request to extradite Mr Reynouard and refusing his application for permission to appeal, so that he can face justice in France. This is not only the right judgement for the Jewish community, but also for the justice system. The UK cannot become a haven for those seeking to evade justice elsewhere. For antisemites in particular, the message is clear: you are not welcome in Britain.

Around the world, International Holocaust Memorial Day was marked with dignity and respect. But not everywhere.

Some, like Labour MP Kate Osamor, used the occasion to imply in a message to constituents that what is happening in Gaza is comparable to the Holocaust and, by strong implication, that Israel acts like the Nazis, a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Her apology rang hollow, as if she was unaware of the meaning of her own remarks. Clearly, her understanding of antisemitism is deficient and not in accordance with that of her Party, which has adopted the Definition.

We have called on the Labour Party to suspend her, and she must be required to undertake antisemitism training by a reputable provider.

Meanwhile, at anti-Israel demonstrations in the UK, protesters desecrated the solemnity of the day, not only by equating Israel to Nazis as well, but also in providing a masterclass in how a phenomenon like Holocaust-denial begins, as they cast doubt on, played down or outright denied the Hamas atrocities of 7th October.

Leicester Square attack

Not only are the police failing to police the weekly anti-Israel demonstrations adequately, but they are also failing individual Jews under attack.

Last weekend, in the early hours of the morning, three Jews were physically assaulted by ten men in Leicester Square, resulting in serious injuries. Incredibly, not a single bystanders assisted.

Although the victims called the police while the attack was underway, and notwithstanding that it was taking place in the heart of London, police officers only showed up after half an hour, by which time the perpetrators had fled the scene.

The Metropolitan Police must identify and arrest the attackers. The victims are also calling on the police to apologise for failing them when they needed them most.

Watch the victims speak out here.

“Generation hate”: frightening new polling published

Campaign Against Antisemitism commissioned King’s College London to survey British adults’ attitudes towards Jews, using YouGov.

The polling has revealed worrying levels of anti-Jewish prejudice among the British public, with particularly frightening rates among young people aged between 18 and 24.

Published in the week of Holocaust Memorial Day, the polling raises serious questions about whether lessons about the antisemitism that motivated the Nazis have really been learned by British young adults.

  • A quarter of British people over 64 believe that Israel treats the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews. Among 18-24 year olds, it is over a third.
  • Almost one fifth of the British public believes that Israel can get away with anything because its supporters control the media. Among 18-24 year olds, it is more than a quarter.
  • Compared to the general population (one in twenty), double the proportion of 18-24s (almost one in ten) do not believe that Jewish people are just as loyal to Britain as other British people.
  • Compared to the general population, more than double the proportion of 18-24 year olds are not as open to having Jewish friends as they are to having friends from other sections of British society.
  • While almost one fifth of the British public believes that Israel and its supporters are a bad influence on our democracy, that rises to over one quarter of 18-24 year olds.
  • 7% of Britons do not believe that Israel is right to defend itself against those who want to destroy it. That figure doubles to 14% of 18-24 year olds.
  • 14% of British people are not comfortable spending time with people who openly support Israel. Among 18-24 year olds, that figure rises to 21% – more than one fifth of the young population.
  • More than one in ten young Britons do not believe that Israel has a right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people.
  • More than one in ten 18-24 year olds believe that Jewish people talk about the Holocaust just to further their political agenda.

Other findings from the survey:

  • More than one in ten British people believe that Jewish people chase money more than other people do.
  • Only three quarters of British people believe that Jewish people can be trusted just as much as other British people in business.
  • More than one in ten Britons believe that, compared to other groups, Jewish people have too much power in the media.

The rhetoric that we are seeing online, on television and on our streets is radicalising the British public, but it is the rates of antisemitism that we have discovered among 18-24 year olds that are most frightening. This is generation hate.

On the occasion of Holocaust Memorial Day, our country needs an urgent rethink about how we teach about antisemitism. If young people cannot see the relationship between the genocidal antisemitism of the Nazis and the genocidal antisemitism of Hamas, and, as a society, we refuse to talk about how our attitudes towards Israel and its supporters are influenced by antisemitic prejudice, then we are clearly not talking about antisemitism properly.

Our education is failing the next generation, and our society is suffering as a result. It is British Jews who are paying the price.

The YouGov survey was designed and analysed by experts at KCL on behalf of Campaign Against Antisemitism. Total sample size was 2,084 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 8th-11th December 2023 by YouGov plc. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). The full results, background information and methodology can be found here.

This weekend saw the memory of the Holocaust appropriated to abuse the Jewish community. What would the British soldiers who liberated the Nazi death camps make of Britain today?

Vincent Reynouard, a French Holocaust-denier, will be extradited from the UK after his application for leave to appeal was rejected on Friday.

Mr Reynouard, 54, a convicted Holocaust-denier, was awaiting a decision from the court on the appeal after a court in Scotland granted an extradition request from France. Mr Reynouard was a fugitive in the UK who was caught following appeals from Campaign Against Antisemitism.

His extradition hearing followed several preliminary hearings and false starts to allow time for the content of videos, which were alleged to have been made by Mr Reynouard, to be translated into English, as well as other delays due to ill health on his legal team.

Mr Reynouard continued to post updates on his far-right blog, Sans Concession, despite being incarcerated as he awaited his extradition hearing.

The extradition request was granted after the court considered that the postings for which Mr Reynouard was found guilty in France would also be crimes in the UK under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

In a different case in 2018, Campaign Against Antisemitism secured a legal precedent that Holocaust-denial is “grossly offensive” and therefore illegal when used as a means by which to hound Jews. When it is delivered via a medium of communication, it can fall within the purview of the Communications Act. That English precedent has effectively been replicated in Scottish law in this case now as well.

Mr Reynouard was sentenced  to jail for four months on 25th November 2020 by a court in Paris and again in January 2021 for six months, in addition to fines. His latest conviction is in relation to a series of antisemitic postings on Facebook and Twitter and a 2018 YouTube video for which fellow French Holocaust denier, Hervé Ryssen (also known as Hervé Lalin), received a seventeen-month-jail term earlier that year.

However, Mr Reynouard fled the country before serving his sentence and settled in the UK, where he reportedly worked as a private tutor teaching children mathematics, physics and chemistry. Private tutors are not required to undergo background checks.

In November 2022, he was finally arrested near Edinburgh. In the intervening months, Campaign Against Antisemitism has been cooperating with French Jewish groups seeking Mr Reynouard’s extradition to France. Along with Lord Austin, an Honorary Patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, we corresponded with police forces and prosecutors in the UK and Interpol in an effort to locate Mr Reynouard and bring him to justice.

Scottish police arrested him at an address near the Scottish capital, where he was apparently living under a false identity. He was brought before a judge on the same day and refused to consent to his extradition to France.

Early last year, Mr Reynouard appeared in court where he was served with a second arrest warrant, as the French authorities had allegedly made an error in their application for the initial arrest warrant. Paul Dunne, Mr Reynouard’s lawyer, said of Mr Reynouard: “He does not consent to his extradition to France.”

Mr Reynouard faces a sentence of almost two years in a French prison, in addition to any further sentence in relation to other ongoing proceedings. It is possible that his time in prison in the UK may reduce the length of his custodial sentence in France.

The Office Central de Lutte Contre les Crimes Contre l’Humanité, les Génocides et les Crimes de Guerre (OCLCH) — the arm of the French gendarmerie that specialises in hate crime and war crimes — has been leading the investigation.

Mr Reynouard’s first Holocaust denial conviction was in 1991 for distributing leaflets denying the existence of the gas chambers at concentration camps. Holocaust denial has been a criminal offence in France since 1990. He has been convicted on numerous occasions and his subsequent sentences include multiple prison terms and a €10,000 fine.

Mr Reynouard is alleged to have ties to Catholic fundamentalist groups that deny the Holocaust. In a recent analysis of the French far-right, the newspaper Liberation claimed that Mr Reynouard and Mr Ryssen are key members of a network of propagandists dedicated to the denial and distortion of the Holocaust.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Vincent Reynouard is a despicable Holocaust-denier who has repeatedly been convicted by French courts. For him to have evaded justice, only to settle in the UK as a private tutor teaching children, is intolerable, which is why we worked with French Jewish organisations to secure his extradition so that he faces the consequences of his abhorrent incitement.

“We are delighted that those efforts have borne fruit, with the court granting the request to extradite Mr Reynouard, and refusing his application for permission to appeal, so that he can face justice in France. This is not only the right judgement for the Jewish community, but also for the justice system. The UK cannot become a haven for those seeking to evade justice elsewhere. For antisemites in particular, the message is clear: you are not welcome in Britain. Good riddance, Mr Reynouard.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Manchester marches against antisemitism

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

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

“Filthy animals and Zionist control”

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

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

You can also watch Part Two and Part Three.

Are the police doing enough?

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

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

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

​You can judge for yourself here.

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

Proscription of Hizb ut-Tahrir

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

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

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

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

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

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

Following action from Campaign Against Antisemitism, the former barrister Ian Millard was convicted on Friday at Southampton Magistrates’ Court of 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.

However, Mr Millard was only prosecuted following seven years of work by Campaign Against Antisemitism, due to a reluctance to prosecute from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The charges relate to five blog entries dated between May 2021 and April 2022. Mr Millard posted the entries to his website.

In one post on 10th May 2021, Mr Millard wrote: “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.”

On 15th May 2021, Mr Millard wrote: “I lived on and off in the USA, mostly in the early 1990s though I did also spend time there in 1999, 2001 and 2002. Many Americans are fine people, but the mass media there is almost, not quite, 100% owned and operated by Jews. TV, radio, film, newspapers, magazines, book publishing. Americans have little choice but to see the world largely through the Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli lens. Fact. They are also brainwashed from childhood with ‘holocaust’ propaganda and fake history.”

In another, dated 20th November 2021, Mr Millard posted an image of an arm — which had a Star of David emblazoned on the sleeve — holding a hammer above a computer with the words “free speech” on it. Above the image, text read: “Wherever Jews have power, non-Jews eventually become victims or slaves. Look at history. The ridiculous thing is that, in the UK, many of those who oppose Jewish supremacism in Israel or occupied Palestine, effectively support the Jewish lobby in Europe, eg in the UK itself; they pay lip-service to the ‘holocaust farrago’, in particular, and applaud the Zionist efforts to destroy free speech.” 

Defending himself in court, Mr Millard admitted to ownership and editorial control of the blog, but did not admit to posting the offending posts. He did, however, state that he agreed with all the sentiments expressed in the posts. 

During the course of his time on the stand, Mr Millard attempted to portray himself as the victim of a Jewish plot to crush free speech, telling the court that the CPS had been able to highlight only five blog posts out of more than 1,600 that he had published. A cursory glance at his blog reveals that it is strewn throughout with antisemitic conspiracy theories and imagery glorifying Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. 

He went on to brag about how he had visitors to his blog from all over the world. 

When confronted with the opinions expressed in his posts, he maintained that they were “perfectly acceptable”.

Attempting to defend his Holocaust-denial, he said: “There’s history and there are views of history and people are entitled to adopt whichever view they want.”

He further professed that there were “a great number of hoaxes” around the Holocaust, going on to lament: “It’s the only history that’s acceptable and I disagree with that.”

Mr Millard told the court that “Jewish control of media is pervasive.” 

He also made the claim that British politics is controlled by Zionists, citing as evidence of this the fact that the Star of David — the flag of Israel — had been projected onto 10 Downing Street as a display of solidarity with the Israeli public following the 7th October Hamas terror attacks.

Parroting the far-right antisemitic Great Replacement conspiracy theory, he asserted during his cross-examination that “They [Jews] are trying to get more immigrants into the country and the truth is coming out.” 

While insisting that he could not recall if he had written any of the posts, owing to the fact that he allegedly blogs daily, he also said: “It’s not about whether I’m right or wrong. It’s about freedom of expression.”

He maintained that he had never set out with an intent to offend and that while some of the posts were “shocking”, they were not against the law and in fact merely satirical. 

CPS Prosecutor Philip Allman noted that the offending was “at the high end of culpability”, while Judge Peter Greenfield condemned the posts as “Grossly offensive to Jews and a multiracial society.”

“This is antisemitic…it’s Holocaust-denial, and therefore it is grossly offensive,” Judge Greenfield said. 

While Campaign Against Antisemitism is pleased that justice has finally been delivered, the road to it was made less easy resulting from repeated setbacks by the CPS.

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. Following the hearing, Campaign Against Antisemitism carried out a detailed investigation of Millard’s Twitter account. It was found that over a lengthy period he had tweeted a large quantity of opinions and images that were virulently antisemitic and promoted Nazi ideology.

In November of that year, Campaign Against Antisemitism reported Mr Millard to Essex Police, providing a substantial dossier of evidence in support of the complaint and by the following May, the police sent a file to the CPS, recommending that Mr Millard be charged with inciting racial hatred. 

Seventeen months later, in October 2018, the CPS instructed the police to obtain Mr Millard’s Twitter account in its entirety, rather than just the antisemitic tweets that were included in the complaint. By this time, his account had been terminated by Twitter, and he had transferred his social media activities to Gab — a US-based platform used heavily by the far-right and which has a policy of non-cooperation with requests for information about its users. Given that it was now impossible for the police to provide the evidence requested by the CPS, the investigation was closed. 

By this point, Mr Millard had subsequently turned his attention to his personal blog. In April 2021, based on the content of the blog, Campaign Against Antisemitism, for the second time, handed a dossier of evidence collected from Mr Millard’s blog to Hampshire Police.

However, nine months later, we were informed that the CPS would be taking no further action, citing “evidential difficulties which have arisen which present a conflict of evidence.” 

In January 2022, we challenged this decision via the Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) scheme. Six months later, Lord Austin, an Honorary Patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions about the matter and subsequently received a reply stating that our VRR submission was being taken seriously and had been handed to counter-terrorism police, which had requested further evidence from the police.

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

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We are pleased that, after seven years, Ian Millard has finally been found guilty of these crimes. Holocaust-denial and antisemitic conspiracy theories have no place in decent British society. British Jews are under assault from antisemites in real life and online, and the fact that a former barrister could commit acts of anti-Jewish racism is utterly abhorrent. 

“It is lamentable that, not for the first time, the CPS initially tried to avoid prosecuting and then dragged its feet after we brought criminal antisemitic behaviour to its attention. What hope are Jewish people in this country supposed to have if the CPS refuses to prosecute individuals spewing antisemitic bile? Justice has been served, albeit much later than it should have been. The reluctance of the CPS in prosecuting individuals like Mr Millard sadly just reinforces the importance of our work.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The hostages

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

So we bought our own van.

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

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

Broadcasters must call Hamas terrorists

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

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

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

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



Yesterday, for the third week in a row, central London was turned into a no-go zone. 100,000 people coursed through the centre of our capital. Last week they called for jihad, this week they called for a violent intifada, shouting “From London to Gaza we’ll have an intifada.”

Past intifadas were campaigns of violence, including suicide bombings. We do not want one in London. The law cannot be enforced in crowds as huge as the ones we are seeing. There is mass criminality on the streets of London.

That is why we are demanding that Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, uses his powers under section 12 of the Public Order Act 1986 to bring this situation under control.

Section 12 powers allow the police to limit the size and duration of marches if they pose a serious risk. So far, Sir Mark has only opted to limit the route and the wearing of masks, but even that has not been enforced.

Londoners, including British Jews, are afraid to enter central London during these marches because there are people on the marches openly engaging in support for terrorism, extremist chanting, and incitement to religious hatred.

Police officers are outnumbered 100 to 1, and have even been hospitalised.

Sir Mark must use his section 12 powers to limit these marches to instead be static protests of no more than 20,000 people in a location such as Trafalgar Square, with sufficient police numbers to enforce the conditions without putting brave officers and Londoners in danger.

Enough is enough. Together we are calling on Sir Mark to make this the last week that masked extremists control our streets. Sign the petition now.

The situation is particularly severe because over the past three weeks, the Met has documented an unprecedented 1,350% surge in antisemitic hate crimes, and greeted it with lax policing, too few arrests, and excuses on social media — all to the incredulity of the Jewish community, the mainstream media and the Government.

As Jews, we are enormously grateful to the police for protecting our Jewish community and for keeping our cities safe. But over this recent period, our cities have felt less and less safe for Jews – and for many of our fellow citizens.

It adds insult to injury when the police take so little action against offenders spewing racist hate but still find the time to stop our digital vans from displaying the faces of children taken captive by Hamas, to raise awareness of their plight, from driving around London.

We therefore gathered on Wednesday outside New Scotland Yard to show the depth of feeling and call for the police to take action. Along with speakers including Lord Ian Austin, an Honorary Patron of CAA, the leader of Christian Action Against Antisemitism, and the Israeli author and activist Hen Mazzig, so many of you joined us and had your voice heard. We came as friends of the police, to ask the police to uphold the law. We need to see arrests, not excuses.

The next day, the Home Secretary chaired a meeting with us and other representatives of the Jewish community. Whilst we cannot reveal what was discussed, we can confirm that our focus remained on ensuring that arrests and prosecutions materialise, and that the Met use their section 12 powers.

Londoners cannot and will not tolerate a situation in which every weekend the streets become an exhibition of such extremism. The Met is creating the conditions in which not only London’s Jews but all Londoners could be placed in serious danger. Extremists rarely limit themselves to extreme language. We need action by the authorities responsible for keeping Britain safe.

The media

We continue to call out media outlets for their incorrect and inflammatory coverage, and we are among those at the forefront of the campaign to pressure the BBC to report accurately and impartially, including by calling Hamas what they are: terrorists. If you wish to join the tens of thousands who have signed the petition, please add your name.

It is time for the BBC to hear the strength of feeling directly from the Jewish community and to justify its appalling coverage. Courtesy of CAA, for the first time, a member of the BBC’s Executive Committee will be speaking at an open event for the Jewish community, and you are invited. To reserve tickets, please visit antisemitism.org/bbc.

Enough is enough: The police must act to defend the Jewish community against those who want to harm us, before it is too late.

Since last weekend, we have been leading a campaign to raise awareness of the plight of the hostages held by Hamas, including through billboards and digital vans that travel around London displaying the images of some of the child captives. We have also taken action against those who tear down or deface the leaflets and posters that have been put up around the city.

We expected that there may be pockets of opposition to the vans from terrorist-sympathisers and their fellow travellers in London. What we did not anticipate was opposition from the Metropolitan Police Service.

For the full story of this outrageous incident, join the millions who have watched our Chief Executive recount the episode, which was also covered across the national media.

Since the incident, we have engaged with the Metropolitan Police — in addition to our work with the Government — but the outcomes with the police have been unsatisfactory. This adds to our disappointment with current policing policy. It is time to take action.

The volunteers of our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit continue to gather evidence from the demonstrations around the country, bearing witness to the Metropolitan Police’s own findings that antisemitic hate crime in London is up by a scandalous 1,350%.

Instead of arrests, however, the Met has been making excuses for hate. The force permitted a rally by Hizb ut-Tahrir to go ahead; it announced, contrary to the view of the Home Secretary, that the chant “From the River to the Sea Palestine will be free” is not hate speech unless it expressly targets a Jewish institution; and it ignores calls for “Jihad” and “Intifada” by demonstrators; among other shortcomings.

While failing to take action against those expressing sympathy for terrorists or calling for violence, as shown here, the Met did find the time to order that our vans shut down their display of the faces of children taken hostage by a proscribed terrorist group. The protesters hurling abuse at our volunteers, just feet from watching police officers, were not apprehended.

In 2014, Campaign Against Antisemitism was founded when the community witnessed that the authorities barely lifted a finger to combat antisemitism on our streets. We made our voices heard then outside the Royal Courts of Justice, but only towards the end of that surge in antisemitic incidents. This time, we must make our voices heard earlier, to shape how the Met polices our streets over the coming weeks.

We will be rallying outside New Scotland Yard this Wednesday at 18:30. The rally will be held at New Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2JL, and the nearest Underground stations are Westminster and Embankment.

The BBC

We have been among those at the forefront of the campaign to pressure the BBC to report accurately and impartially, including by calling Hamas what they are: terrorists.

The BBC must be made to understand that not only is it doing a disservice to viewers, listeners and readers by not reporting in accordance with its guidelines, but its coverage has a real-life, adverse impact on British Jews.

We co-sponsored a rally outside Broadcasting House, which was covered by all the major broadcasters and press, backed a petition signed by tens of thousands (please do sign if you haven’t already), physically projected a powerful message onto Broadcasting House itself to shame the BBC, and recorded a special episode of our podcast with Noah Abrahams, a courageous and principled young sports journalist who has quit the BBC in protest at its failure to describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation (listen now).

We also called out the BBC for referring to the recent Brussels attack as terrorism while refusing to do the same for Hamas. After its hypocrisy was exposed, rather than accept that it must finally describe Hamas as a terror group, the Corporation quietly and disgracefully changed its Brussels coverage instead.

The BBC is not the only media outlet that we have held to account in recent days. Among the most egregious was the satirical magazine Private Eye. Perhaps appropriately, our response to its appalling front cover involved satirising their unfunny attempt at satire.

We have also reviewed material and submitted complaints relating to other broadcasters and newspapers, and continue to do so.

It is time for the BBC to hear the strength of feeling directly from the Jewish community and to justify its appalling coverage. Courtesy of Campaign Against Antisemitism, for the first time, a member of the BBC’s Executive Committee will be speaking at an open event for the Jewish community, and you are invited. To book tickets, visit antisemitism.org/bbc.

We are fighting back. Now it is the turn of the police to rise to the occasion in these challenging times and uphold the law against those who want to harm the Jewish community.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A court in Scotland has granted an extradition request for the convicted Holocaust-denier Vincent Reynouard, a French fugitive in the UK who was caught following appeals from Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Mr Reynouard, 54, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today for his extradition hearing, which followed several preliminary hearings and false starts over the past year, to allow time for the content of videos, alleged to have been made by Mr Reynouard, to be translated into English, as well as other delays due to ill health on his legal team.

Mr Reynouard continued to post updates on his far-right blog, Sans Concession, despite being incarcerated as he awaited his extradition hearing.

Today, the extradition request has been granted, as the court considered that the postings for which Mr Reynouard was found guilty in France would also be crimes in the UK under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

In a different case in 2018, Campaign Against Antisemitism secured a legal precedent that Holocaust-denial is “grossly offensive” and therefore illegal when used as a means by which to hound Jews. When it is delivered via a medium of communication, it can fall within the purview of the Communications Act. That English precedent has now been replicated in Scottish law today as well.

He will be extradited within ten days of the seven-day period in which he can appeal.

Mr Reynouard was sentenced to jail for four months on 25th November 2020 by a court in Paris and again in January 2021 for six months, in addition to fines. His latest conviction is in relation to a series of antisemitic postings on Facebook and Twitter and a 2018 YouTube video for which fellow French Holocaust denier, Hervé Ryssen (also known as Hervé Lalin), received a seventeen-month-jail term earlier that year.

However, Mr Reynouard fled the country before serving his sentence and settled in the UK, where he reportedly worked as a private tutor teaching children mathematics, physics and chemistry. Private tutors are not required to undergo background checks.

In November last year, he was finally arrested near Edinburgh. In the intervening months, Campaign Against Antisemitism has been cooperating with French Jewish groups seeking Mr Reynouard’s extradition to France. Along with Lord Austin, an Honorary Patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, we have corresponded with police forces and prosecutors in the UK and Interpol in an effort to locate Mr Reynouard and bring him to justice.

Scottish police arrested him at an address near the Scottish capital, where he was apparently living under a false identity. He was brought before a judge on the same day and refused extradition to France.

Earlier this year, Mr Reynouard appeared in court where he was served with a second arrest warrant, as the French authorities had allegedly made an error in their application for the initial arrest warrant. Paul Dunne, Mr Reynouard’s lawyer, said of Mr Reynouard: “He does not consent to his extradition to France.”

Mr Reynouard faces a sentence of almost two years in a French prison, in addition to any further sentence in relation to other ongoing proceedings.

The Office Central de Lutte Contre les Crimes Contre l’Humanité, les Génocides et les Crimes de Guerre (OCLCH) — the arm of the French gendarmerie that specialises in hate crime and war crimes — has been leading the investigation.

Mr Reynouard’s first Holocaust denial conviction was in 1991 for distributing leaflets denying the existence of the gas chambers at concentration camps. Holocaust denial has been a criminal offence in France since 1990. He has been convicted on numerous occasions and his subsequent sentences include multiple prison terms and a €10,000 fine.

Mr Reynouard is alleged to have ties to Catholic fundamentalist groups that deny the Holocaust. In a recent analysis of the French far-right, the newspaper Liberation claimed that Mr Reynouard and Mr Ryssen are key members of a network of propagandists dedicated to the denial and distortion of the Holocaust.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Vincent Reynouard is a despicable Holocaust-denier who has repeatedly been convicted by French courts. For him to have evaded justice, only to settle in the UK as a private tutor teaching children, is intolerable, which is why we worked with French Jewish organisations to secure his extradition so that he faces the consequences of his abhorrent incitement.

“We are delighted that those efforts have borne fruit today, with the court granting the request to extradite Mr Reynouard so that he can face justice in France. This is not only the right judgement for the Jewish community, but also for the justice system. The UK cannot become a haven for those seeking to evade justice elsewhere. For antisemites in particular, the message is clear: you are not welcome in Britain. Good riddance, Mr Reynouard.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Jewish News

A former Royal Air Force cadet, who was responsible for far-right graffiti, was sentenced in court on Thursday.

Aristedes Haynes, 17, of Cwmavon in Wales, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to one year and 220 days’ imprisonment in youth custody with a further one year on licence.

Mr Haynes previously pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a terrorist document, three charges of distributing a terrorist document and three charges of criminal damage in June. Earlier this month, the teenager admitted to two separate acts of vandalism in 2022 on a Windrush memorial in Port Talbot. The graffiti consisted of a swastika, text that read “Nazi zone” and “1488”, and a racial slur. 

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

My Haynes was previously revealed to have a troubling history of engagement with far-right ideology, which included being banned from Instagram for posting Nazi content; owning a copy of Mein Kampf, which was bought for him by his mother; and having an online search history of extreme far-right material. 

A video had also been shown to the court in which the teenager posed with an air rifle and called himself, “Hitler’s strongest soldier”. 

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

Following his arrest, police found knives, a gasmask, a KKK flag, a swastika flag and an air rifle among Mr Haynes’ possessions. Police also found a diary belonging to Mr Haynes in which he expressed his desire for a “race war” as well as a to-do list with items such as “burn a building down, maybe bomb it”, “kill someone”, “join a Nazi militia”, “get a gun or make one” and “get buff as hell”.

Mr Haynes had previously remained anonymous to the public; it was determined, however, by Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, that it was within the public interest to identify the defendant. 

Mr Justice Baker also remarked that the defendant’s “parents and others were naive in their approach to the views they had witnessed”.

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

Image credit: South Wales Police

A group sparked backlash after attending a local festival dressed as Nazis.  

The festival, where attendees are encouraged to wear period dress, is an annual 1940s-themed event, held in Sheringham, Norfolk.

Attendees of the event confronted the group, which reportedly met at a local pub before beginning their march, by shouting to them that they were not welcome. Some members of the group were seen to be wearing swastikas, whilst others wore clothing that indicated an affiliation with the SS. 

Marshalls at the event reportedly attempted to get the group to leave before local police stepped in and escorted the group away from the festival. 

An anonymous group member said: “There was no offence intended… and we left when asked to do so.” He also claimed that the men in the group were from a history group. 

Of the costumes, Guy Walters, a historian and author of books relating to the Second World War, said on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter: “People who dress like comedy SS clowns from ‘Allo Allo’ teach us nothing, absolutely nothing, about the Second World War. They’re just flabby Nazi wannabes, who deserve the utmost ridicule.”

Mike Keller, a witness to the event, said: “It was a lovely family atmosphere and very friendly, when suddenly from nowhere there were ten-fifteen men dressed in authentic SS uniform literally marching in unison. It was deeply offensive.

“These men were not milling about and blending in among people. They were marching and making a demonstration. It was frightening. My father was from a Jewish family who lost his parents and brothers and sisters in death camps. He was fortunate to escape with my uncle via Kindertransport, so having to see this with my son was mortally offensive and a disgraceful act.”

A spokesperson for Sheringham Town Council said: “Sheringham Town Council has been made aware that on the Saturday there was an incident in the town that was managed by the police. Sheringham Town Council will consult with the police, North Norfolk Railway and others to determine what happened and what action may be taken to prevent a recurrence.”

A spokesperson for Norfolk Police said: “A police officer on patrol in Sheringham came across a confrontation in the high street on Saturday at about 5.30pm, involving a man and a group of people who had been attending an event. The officer intervened and quickly resolved the incident. One man reported being assaulted and this is being investigated further. No one was injured during the incident.”

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

Image credit: Guy Walters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr Wheeler remains in custody until his sentencing in November.

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

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

Image credit: Wiltshire Police

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Counter Terrorism Policing North East

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Antisemitic vandalism has been found in North Bethesda, Maryland. 

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

The vandalism has since been covered up. 

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

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

A comedy agent reportedly berated a Jewish comedian about how “Jews exaggerate antisemitism”.

The alleged incident occurred in a bar on the last day of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, also known as the Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s largest annual performing arts festival.

Bennett Arron, a Welsh comedian and writer who in 2018 performed at a Campaign Against Antisemitism comedy fundraiser, wrote of his “upsetting” experience on X, formerly known as Twitter, where he said the incident had “really spoilt what had been a wonderful Festival”.

“Bit upsetting. The Agent of some well known comedians decided to scream at me in a bar, in front of my family who had come to celebrate my success at the Fringe, that Jews exaggerate antisemitism and that other minority groups have real justification for complaint but not Jews,” he said.

Continuing, he wrote: “He also went on to scream that Jews should never have been given Israel and that Jews smeared Jeremy Corbyn. When I asked if we could discuss this another time as he was upsetting my family, he shouted “See THEY always do this!” It really spoilt what had been a wonderful Festival.”

Mr Arron was met by support from other comedians.

Geoff Norcott posted that it was “Horrible to read of these kind of comments in 2023,” while Felicity Ward wrote: “This is so awful. The confidence of the abuse given the time and place is even more upsetting. To feel bold enough to do it publicly without fear of any real reprimand is disgusting. I’m really sorry you and your family had to endure this.”

Robert Popper, creator of the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner, said: “Nasty. Sorry this had to happen to you. I wonder if his clients know. And what they’d think about it.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Jewish comedians should not have to live in fear about being harassed by antisemitism-deniers. It is utterly appalling to hear that Bennett Arron was subjected to such vile abuse, and it is even more concerning to learn that someone within his own industry might be responsible. Individuals working in comedy would do well to remember that racism against Jews is no joke. We have since been in touch with Mr Arron to offer our support.”

Two identifiably Jewish men were reportedly accosted whilst they were on their way to attend a Sabbath service at a synagogue in Finchley on Saturday 26th August.

The alleged victims were two men in their 70s and were both wearing kippot (skullcaps) and and carrying bags containing tallit (prayer shawls). Whilst the men were walking down Chessington Avenue towards Finchley United Synagogue, also known as Kinloss Synagogue, a car, believed to be a small black hatchback, stopped beside them. 

The driver, described as being a man of Middle Eastern appearance wearing a baseball cap who was approximately 30 years of age, was said to have rolled down his window before asking one of the men if he could ask them a question.

He then allegedly proceeded to show them a photograph on his phone of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before asking: “You know who this is?” 

One of the men responded to the driver by saying “I haven’t a clue….never seen him before,” before asking his friend to take a look who then gave the same reply.

Seemingly infuriated, the driver apparently began shouting at the pair before speeding off.

If you have any information about this incident, please e-mail [email protected].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Lake County Sheriff’s Office

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A man has been charged with a hate crime after he allegedly assaulted a Jewish man at a subway station.

On Saturday, a Jewish man, who was walking with his son, was first approached by a 61-year-old man, at Storkower Strasse subway station in the Prenzlauer-Berg district of Berlin. The suspect allegedly spoke to the victim in a “disrespectful manner”, before the victim and his son ignored him and continued on their route. 

When they returned to the same station in the afternoon, however, they encountered the same man, who allegedly punched the victim in the neck and said an antisemitic insult. 

Shortly after, the suspect was found by police, who charged him with a hate crime. It is understood that the man was determined to be inebriated at the time of the arrest, following the administration of a breathalyser test. 

Last week, an investigation was announced into a suspected arson attack on a Holocaust street library box in Berlin. 

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

Multiple antisemitic hate crimes have been reported in Jewish neighbourhoods in Brooklyn, New York.

On 16th August, two men on a motorbike snatched a kippah from a Jewish man’s head in the heavily-Jewish neighbourhood of Borough Park. Police are attempting to identify the two suspects through CCTV footage.

The next day, a suspect riding a Citi Bike slapped a 43-year-old man who was wearing identifiably Jewish clothing on Wallabout Street in Williamsburg. Later that day, on the same street, a Jewish woman was slapped in the head. 

South Williamsburg is a heavily Jewish area, with a large Hasidic community. 

New York has seen multiple antisemitic incidents over the past few months, including a local synagogue vandalised with graffiti and a separate incident where swastikas were drawn in a park in nearby Long Island.

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

A woman in Germany has been fined after she sent an antisemitic e-mail to the Director of the Hanover State Opera. 

The fine of €1,200 (£1022) was issued by the Hanover District Court in relation to a message that was sent to Laura Berman, the Director at the opera house, via an online contact form. 

In the e-mail, the unnamed defendant was alleged to have written a complaint of a performance at the opera house and related this to Ms Berman being Jewish. 

The defendant initially rejected the proceedings against her but then accepted the penalty order, which stipulates that she must pay €40 per day for 30 days. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A judge has described Abdullah Qureshi’s crimes as “terrible events for the entire Jewish community” before handing down his sentence in relation to racially aggravated assaults that Mr Qureshi committed against religious Jews two years ago.

On 7th April 2022, Mr Qureshi, 30, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates’ Court to two counts of assault by beating and one count of grievous bodily harm with intent. The charges related to a series of assaults on 18th August 2021 in Stamford Hill in which five religious Jews in the North London neighbourhood were violently attacked.

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

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism then revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had dropped the racially/religiously aggravated element of those charges as part of a plea deal with Mr Qureshi. After we, Shomrim, CST and other communal organisations made representations to the CPS, it agreed to reinstate the aggravated elements, but Mr Qureshi appeared in court to resist the reinstatement of the aggravated element. In August last year, Stratford Magistrates’ Court agreed to reinstate the racially/religiously aggravated element to the charges against Mr Qureshi, and, at a further hearing at Thames Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded not guilty. In November 2022, Mr Qureshi was found guilty of the reinstated racially/religiously aggravated charges that the CPS initially dropped, before intervention by Campaign Against Antisemitism and other groups.

In December, Mr Qureshi was expected to be sentenced, but this was postponed following concerns surrounding his mental health. The court heard that Mr Qureshi suffered from anxiety and depression and that he had been hearing “internal voices” which ordered him to carry out the attacks. In February of this year, His Honour Judge Noel Lucas QC ordered an interim hospital order under Section 38 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Such an order is given when a person has been convicted but a court has been advised by doctors that the person has a mental health issue that requires hospital treatment before sentencing should occur. 

On 29th June, Mr Qureshi appeared at Wood Green Crown Court, where the court heard the first of two medical reports on his condition, with a view to hearing the second in August.

Today, Mr Qureshi appeared at the same court via video link. He was asked if he wanted representation and declined, as he has done on previous occasions.

Also appearing by video from elsewhere was Dr Purvesh Madhani, who reported that he and a second doctor had considered sentencing options under the law and concluded that a prison sentence would not be appropriate in view of Mr Qureshi’s mental illness. Instead, they recommended an order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act order, along with a section 41 restriction. Dr Madhani said that “I have come to the conclusion he has symptoms…[namely] delusions and hallucinations that make me feel that a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia [is appropriate].”

Mr Qureshi argued against the s.41 restriction on the basis that he had not reoffended since the original incidents (albeit that much of that time has been spent in hospital). Dr Madhani accepted this but also noted that on one occasion Mr Qureshi had to “receive treatment without your consent”. The doctor also observed that Mr Qureshi does not understand the link between his mental health issues and the crimes that he committed.

Nicki Roberson, appearing via video link for the CPS, revealed that, at the time of Mr Qureshi’s arrest, his father expressed concerns about his mental health. She also read out victim statements. One victim not only suffered trauma himself from the assaults at the hands of Mr Qureshi, but his four eldest children also had to attend therapy for a year. Another victim – a fourteen-year-old who cannot be identified – said in his victim statement that “I felt scared…I said nothing as I was shocked” and that “this must not happen to anyone.” Yet another victim related in his statement that he had been punched by Mr Qureshi in his right ear “with tremendous power” and his ear was “burning for months”, leaving him in “excruciating” pain. He is still “jumpy at the slightest noise” and his GP has diagnosed him with PTSD and referred him to a specialist. One of the victims suffered financial loss due to being unable to work for a period.

It also emerged that Mr Qureshi has two previous convictions, including one under the Public Order Act in relation to violence outside a nightclub in Swansea City Centre. Once locked in a prison cell, he had also grabbed the throat of a police officer.

Ms Roberson described Mr Qureshi’s attacks in Stamford Hill as having involved a “significant degree of planning” and argued that the crimes possessed a “high level of religious aggravation”. She sought a restraining order for an indefinite period for the victims, barring Mr Qureshi from contacting them by any means, prohibiting him from coming within 100 metres of them, and also banning him from the London Borough of Hackney.

Mr Qureshi denied travelling from his home in Yorkshire just to commit the offences, insisting that “there was no planning.” He also expressed contrition several times, saying. “I am deeply sorry for any harm that I have caused” and “My actions were totally unacceptable.” However, he also claimed that “I was drunk and I was angry.”

Judge Kalyani Kaul KC observed that there has been widespread coverage of the attacks in the Jewish media, and that this must have caused “a deep sense of shock and insecurity” for the Jewish community. She said that “these sorts of attacks make waves” that are ultimately greater than the attacks themselves, describing the crimes as “terrible events for the entire Jewish community”. The Jewish community, she said, “should not be subject to discrimination or hurt,” adding that attacks such as these “encourage divisiveness…[and] mistrust…from Jewish people to wider society”. She declared that these attacks affect not only the Jewish community “but all of us”.

She noted of one of the victims that “his life has been changed forever, both in terms of his physical health and how he conducts his life” and, with regard to another victim, that it was “only by the good grace of G-d” that he was not injured further. The judge was also not persuaded by Mr Qureshi’s contrition, concluding that “I’m not convinced you fully take responsibility,” and rejected his drunkenness defence: “[it was not] simply a question of being drunk, hitting out and not really knowing what you’ve done.”

Judge Kaul declared that she would have liked to issue a prison sentence but was unable to under law. “If it had been a sentence I could pass,” she said, it would have been in the region of five years’ custody, but “I’m not passing that sentence because I can’t.” Instead, she ruled that “I am satisfied you are suffering from a mental disorder” specifically “paranoid schizophrenia”, and issued orders under section 37 with a section 41 restriction, because “there is a great risk you will commit further offences if you are not detained.” She also granted the restraining order for a period of ten years.

Under this hospital order, Mr Qureshi will be sent to hospital and can only be discharged with the consent of the Justice Secretary.

We are grateful to Nicki Roberson and District Crown Prosecutor Varinder Hayre for helping to bring about today’s outcome.

Varinder Hayre, District Crown Prosecutor and London North’s Hate Crime Lead, said: “Qureshi, who travelled from West Yorkshire, carried out a series of antisemitic attacks on the Jewish community. The only thing which connected his victims was their Jewish faith. Hatred of any kind has no place in society. This sentence should serve as a strong deterrent to those thinking of committing similar crimes.

“I would like to thank the three victims for coming forward and supporting the prosecution. I am very pleased that we have achieved justice for the victims who were badly affected by this unprovoked, antisemitic, religiously aggravated hate crime. Indeed, no one in our society should be targeted because of who they are or what they do. Hate crimes – including antisemitism – have a corrosive effect on society. We will always prosecute where there is sufficient evidence to do so.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are very satisfied that Abdullah Qureshi has finally been sentenced for crimes committed almost two years ago. Justice requires perseverance, and we worked to help ensure that Mr Qureshi was identified and caught, the correct charges were brought against him, he was prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and he was sentenced appropriately. This sentence helps to redress the serious harm caused to his victims by these awful crimes.

“Today’s sentence also vindicates efforts made by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Shomrim, CST and others to pressure the Crown Prosecution Service into reinstating the aggravated charges after they were initially dropped. The CPS claimed that it did not have sufficient evidence to make out the antisemitic element of the crimes, but we disagreed and the court found that we were right to do so. We are grateful to the CPS for making the case forcefully since then and bringing about this outcome.

“Today a judge has robustly reiterated the impact of these abominable crimes both on the victims and on the Jewish community more widely. The CPS must recognise that victims of antisemitic crimes cannot be made to accept deficient legal outcomes, and perpetrators are on notice that we will not stop until Jewish victims have justice.”

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.

Antisemitic graffiti has been found in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 synagogues in the United States have been evacuated after receiving bomb threats and hoax calls.

The calls were made to synagogues across twelve different states over the course of four weekends, it is understood. It is believed that the incidents are part of a coordinated effort by a single group of online trolls. 

One of the synagogues targeted, Beth Torah Jewish Temple in Fremont, California, received a bomb threat at around 20:00 last Friday and had to evacuate its premises. Following the evacuation, police searched the building but found no suspicious items or people.

Then, on Saturday, congregants of Temple Beth Tikvah, a synagogue in Fullerton, also in California, were forced to evacuate the synagogue after a bomb threat was made at around midday. The caller reportedly said that the bomb would detonate twenty minutes after the call.

The moment that the leaders of the prayer service received news of the call was captured on a livestream of the Shabbat service that was taking place at the time.

Following the evacuation, police found no explosive devices on the premises. 

Of the call, the synagogue’s Rabbi, Mati Kirschenbaum, said: “Sadly, this is something that many temples, many Jewish houses of worship…have to live with.”

The ADL has also reported that two of its offices were targeted in similar attacks. 

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

Image credit: Google

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A white supremacist was arrested and charged with threatening the jury, judge and witnesses at the trial of the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooter, Robert Bowers.

Hardy Carroll Lloyd, 45, from West Virginia, was charged with witness tampering, obstruction of justice and transmitting threats. He is accused of making comments calling for Mr Bowers’ release and threatening anyone involved in convicting him at his trial.

Mr Lloyd also allegedly wrote on 14th May on the Russian social media site VKontakte: “Free Robert Bowers Now!!…We need to support anyone who kills jews [sic].” 

On 17th May, three days later, he is claimed to have posted: “Robert Bowers did Pgh [Pittsburgh] a Favour. Any juror who finds him guilty is guilty of anti-White racism.” In an e-mail to local news stations, Mr Lloyd allegedly threatened to release personal information about jurors, announcing that he was “taking pictures of ALL cars and people who leave the courthouse”.

Mr Lloyd is also alleged to have placed or had others place for him stickers in predominantly Jewish areas that directed readers to a website claimed to be his and which is full of antisemitic abuse. The criminal complaint lodged against him argues that some stickers were themselves antisemitic, featuring symbols such as swastikas.

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

Image credit: Texas Department of Public Safety

An Orthodox Jewish Mayor in Florida is in FBI protection after receiving neo-Nazi death threats against him and his family.

Shlomo Danzinger, the Republican mayor of the town of Surfside, has been placed in 24-hour police protection, along with his wife and four children, after receiving a death threat from an unnamed individual. 

On 4th August 2023, the Mayor received an e-mail which claimed to represent “The Fourth Reich”, a neo-Nazi movement which supports the reincarnation of the Nazi Party and its genocidal ideology.

Mr Danzinger told local news: “Essentially, the e-mail said that perhaps it would be appropriate for the writer to come by my house and teach my family a lesson.” 

Upon receipt of the e-mail, Mr Danzinger immediately sent it to local law enforcement which determined that it was a credible threat. The issue was then sent to the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which collectively decided that the most suitable course of action was to place Mr Danzinger and his family under police protection in their home until the threat is diminished. 

Mr Danzinger is the first Jewish mayor of Surfside and has stated that, as the threat is antisemitic in nature, he intends to prosecute the perpetrator if given the opportunity. 

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

A man who downloaded bomb-making material was sentenced to two years and six months’ imprisonment on Monday. 

David Bodill, 29 from Buxton, was convicted and sentenced at Manchester Crown Court after being charged with one offence under section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.  

Mr Bodill was initially arrested on 2nd March 2022 after police discovered that he attempted to buy potential explosive-making materials.    

Following his arrest, police found chemicals that could be used to make explosives at his home, along with a notepad that contained instructions on how to make such explosives. 

Police also found concerning material on Mr Bodill’s laptop, which contained videos from extremist Islamist terror groups and far-right groups that featured beheadings and bomb-making instructions. 

Mr Bodill was due to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 22nd October the same year but failed to attend. 

It was then discovered that he had fled to Bulgaria, when he told police that he had no intention of returning to the UK. Mr Bodill was arrested by the Bulgarian authorities in January, earlier this year, and was subsequently extradited to the UK. 

Of the conviction, Detective Sergeant Frank Fraser of Counter Terrorism Policing East Midlands said: “The substances and downloaded bomb making materials possessed by David Bodill are very concerning. Not only had he researched and written his own notes on bomb making but had also searched for and downloaded extreme footage from various terrorist groups.

“While he did not appear to have any significantly extreme political views his interest in such matters – combined with his bomb making materials and handbooks – makes for a dangerous individual.”

He added: “We welcome both the verdict and sentence and hope it sends a clear message that we will do all we can to ensure the safety of our communities. We have seen an increasing number of people being exposed to extremist material online and I would urge anyone who has any concerns about any of the family or friends who may be exhibiting concerning behaviour to report it.”

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

Image credit: Derbyshire Constabulary 

An Israeli model was allegedly asked to leave an Egyptian hotel after its staff discovered her background.

Shay Zanco, who was in Egypt to accompany the American rapper Travis Scott on his tour, was reportedly asked to leave the hotel once staff discovered that she was an Israeli Jew, one day after her arrival. 

Of the incident, Ms Zanco said: “I was very stressed and felt really humiliated. In the four years I’ve been [in the spotlight], I’ve never felt antisemitism or faced any problems because I’m Jewish and Israeli…this time it was something different. I left the hotel straight to the airport and caught the only flight there was to Paris, even though I had a photo shoot in Barcelona.”

According to Egyptian media, an official from the Chamber of Hotel Establishments of the Tourism Ministry in Egypt confirmed that the hotel was found to be unlicensed for tourism following an investigation. 

He also said that hotels are not permitted by the Ministry to bar tourists from their premises based on nationality and confirmed that action will be taken against the business under Egypt’s Hotel Establishments Law.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Google

German authorities are investigating the possibility of an antisemitic motive after an Israeli man was attacked by three men in Berlin. 

The victim, a nineteen-year-old Israeli tourist, told police that he was walking with an eighteen-year-old woman whilst talking on the phone in Hebrew. 

A car then stopped next to the victim. Three men came out of the car and began speaking to the victim in German, which he did not understand. 

It is claimed that the men proceeded to attack the victim, and allegedly kicked and beat him before they got back into the vehicle and drove away.

The victim contacted the local authorities once he had arrived at the hospital. 

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

Comments parroting antisemitic tropes about Jewish wealth and greed were hurled at a barrister on Friday afternoon.

Barrister and author Jamie Susskind stated on Twitter that he experienced an antisemitic incident in a dry cleaner in the North London area of Highbury, which left him “shaking with anger”.

According to Mr Susskind, as he requested the cost of an alteration, a man in the shop shouted: “You’ve all got enough money haven’t you?” 

Mr Susskind said that the man then said: “And you lot already own half of Manhattan. That not enough?”

When Mr Susskind asked if the man was referring to Jewish people, he “responded by making the shape of a large hooked nose with his hand”.

Mr Susskind wrote of the incident on Twitter but implored people not to assume which shop it was.

“There are two dry cleaners in that stretch of road so please do not leap to conclusions about which one it was. If you live locally and would prefer to know, so you can avoid it, please DM me,” he tweeted.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has worked with Mr Susskind in the past.

Earlier this year, we assisted a Jewish victim of unfair dismissal to vindicate his complaint against his former employer and achieve a major compensation package. The victim was assisted by Jamie Susskind, as counsel, and by Asserson Law Offices, as solicitors.

In 2018, the neo-Nazi leader Jeremy Bedford-Turner was sentenced to twelve months in prison after being unanimously convicted by a jury of incitement to racial hatred over a speech he gave in 2015 at a demonstration called to protest against the “Jewification” of Golders Green.

The verdict was a humiliation for the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after they blocked Mr Bedford-Turner’s prosecution for two years, forcing Campaign Against Antisemitism into a long legal battle which culminated in the CPS having to reverse its decision not to prosecute. Campaign Against Antisemitism was represented pro bono by Mr Susskind, as well as leading counsel Brian Kennelly QC and solicitor David Sonn, to whom we are immensely grateful, and without whom Mr Bedford-Turner would have escaped justice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Google

A group of students from Leibler Yavneh College in Melbourne were verbally attacked on a bus by a man before he pulled out a knife. 

The incident began when a man on the bus began talking about “Jews, money and drugs”; he proceeded to become louder and could be heard describing himself as a Nazi. 

According to one of the students on the bus, the man then pulled out a knife that was “approximately six inches in length”, at which point they alerted the driver and other passengers. 

It is claimed that once the students managed to leave the bus, the man chased after them for a short distance. 

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

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

Image credit: Google

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

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

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

The incidents are being investigated by the local authorities. 

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

Image credit: Google

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Robert Bowers, the individual who committed the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, has been sentenced to death.

Mr Bowers, 50, opened fire inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on 27th October 2018 – a Shabbat morning – armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and multiple handguns. 

From the three congregations sharing the building that Shabbat morning – Dor Hadash, New Light, and the Tree of Life – eleven worshippers were killed and six were injured, including four police officers.

The trial concluded last month, with Mr Bowers being found guilty on all 63 charges, which include eleven counts of “obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death.”

Other charges included willfully causing bodily injury because of actual or perceived religion, use and discharge of a firearm to murder and use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Mr Bowers’ social media footprint demonstrated a history of fueling antisemitism and expressing hateful rhetoric. Mr Bowers was said to be particularly active on the platform Gab, where in his bio he asserted that “Jews are the children of Satan.”

During the trial, Rabbi Jonathan Perlman took the witness stand, reportedly wearing the same skullcap that he wore the day that Mr Bowers attacked the synagogue, which the police only recently returned to Rabbi Perlman after holding it as evidence for years.

The jury deliberated for approximately ten hours over two days. 

Antisemitic stickers were reportedly found in a Pittsburgh park the day the trial began, and have since been removed. 

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority in the United States are motivated by antisemitism.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Google

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

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

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

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

The incidents are being investigated by the local authorities. 

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

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

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

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

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

Police shot a man after he opened fire with a handgun outside Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. 

The man reportedly tried to enter the school’s premises but was unable to do so due to the double security doors.

He then fled the scene in a pick-up truck, which was later located with the suspect inside the vehicle by local law enforcement. 

When approached by police, the armed man is understood to have gotten out of the truck. Police then shot at the suspect and wounded him before he was taken to hospital. 

Of the failed attack, Dan Crow, Assistant Police Chief of The Memphis Police Department, said: “Thankfully, that school had a great safety procedure and process in place and avoided anyone being harmed or injured at that scene.”

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

Image credit: Google

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

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

The vandalism is currently under investigation by local law enforcement. 

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

Image credit: Google

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Google

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.

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.”

A man from Mississippi has been arrested following his alleged targeting of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in Pennsylvania. 

The charges faced by Donavon Parish, 28, relate to a series of phone calls that were said to have been made during April and May last year.

During the calls, the defendant is alleged to have made several references to the Holocaust and said: “Heil Hitler”; “all Jews must die”; “we will put you in work camps”; “gas the Jews” and; “Hitler should have finished the job.”

It is understood that one of the targeted businesses was called fifteen times. 

If convicted, Mr Parish faces up to 50 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release and a fine of $2.5 million. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Leanna Wellerding

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

A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to sending threats of attack to a synagogue. 

Omar Alkattoul, 19, pleaded guilty at a federal court in Trenton, New Jersey, yesterday to “transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce”.

Mr Alkattoul allegedly shared his manifesto, entitled, “When Swords Collide”, on social media. It is understood that in the document itself, he wrote: “I am the attacker and I would like to introduce myself,” and “the motive of this attack is hatred towards Jews and their heinous acts”. 

The manifesto was reported to the authorities by one of the recipients of the document.

When questioned by the police, the defendant reportedly said that the manifesto was written whilst he was “live action role playing” and “imagining being Al-Qaeda”. 

Mr Alkattoul is due to be sentenced on 14th November, where he faces up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. 

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

Image credit: Google

A Hasidic man was reportedly asked if he is Jewish before being stabbed in a violent Brooklyn attack.

The victim, a Chabad Hasid dressed in religious garb visiting from Israel, was walking through the heavily-Jewish neighbourhood of Crown Heights in New York City on Shabbat morning at 02:00, when, according to a police report, he was approached by two men who asked if he was Jewish.

The two men then allegedly stabbed the victim in the arm with a screwdriver, leaving him with a small puncture wound. He returned home and called medics who took him to hospital, where his condition was described as stable, and he was later released.

Yaacov Behrman, a representative of Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters in Crown Heights, said: “On Friday night, around 2am, a visiting student from Israel was stabbed in the arm with what appears to be a screwdriver. The victim informed me that he was briefly hospitalised. The attack was carried out by two males.” He added that the attack “is currently being investigated as a hate crime. According to the victim, he was questioned about his Jewish identity. Despite being visibly traumatised, the victim expressed gratitude for not having sustained more severe injuries. This incident is deeply concerning, and we have full confidence in the NYPD’s ability to conduct a thorough investigation and apprehend the perpetrators.”

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

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.

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.

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 

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.” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

A body that monitors antisemitism in Germany reported that 2,480 antisemitic incidents occurred in 2022.

The Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism, or RIAS, also reported that despite the overall number of incidents decreasing slightly in comparison to 2021, there were nine incidents of extreme violence, representing the highest ever number since national records started being taken in 2017. 

Felix Klein, the German Government’s Commissioner to Combat Antisemitism, highlighted Germany’s cultural sector as being particularly problematic. 

For example, last year the Director of Documenta, the quinquennial art festival held in the German city of Kassel, resigned after the fifteenth edition of the festival displayed works that contained inflammatory references toward Jews.

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

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

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

A Melbourne fire department chief, who was investigated after a photo of him performing a nazi salute was discovered, has returned to work.

Jewish fireman Aaron Starkey filed a federal complaint against Chief Jody Kohler in late April in connection with the photograph.

Mr Starkey had previously complained about the photograph to his union president, but claimed that nothing was done about it.

The City of Melbourne released a statement explaining its decision to reinstate Chief Kahler: “The inappropriate photograph was apparently taken approximately fifteen or sixteen years ago (it appears in the summer of 2007), and that those involved were not intentionally acting with any kind of racist or antisemitic intent or bias.”

Mr Starkey’s attorney reacted to the decision, saying: “MFD [Melbourne Fire Department] has decided to not hold anyone accountable for this behaviour: Not the subject in the photo, the person(s) who took the photo, or the person(s) that disseminated it. The date that the photo was taken is irrelevant because the person in the photo is employed as a Battalion Chief. This is a sad day for the MFD, city leadership, and the residents of the City of Melbourne.”

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

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.

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.

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.

Swastika graffiti has been discovered in a park in Clifton, New Jersey.

City Manager Nick Villano said that the spray-painted symbols were discovered on the door of a portable toilet and on picnic tables.

The park is located near Mesivta of Clifton, a Jewish high school.

The vandals are yet to be found.

Officials have stated that this was one of many antisemitic incidents reported in recent weeks. 

Former City Council candidate and local resident Stephen Goldberg said: “We need to get serious about addressing antisemitism”, adding that Clifton should adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism.

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

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.

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

Ansemitic graffiti has been discovered on a synagogue and private home in Taunton, Massachusetts. 

Police Chief Edward J. Walsh said that it appears that the two locations were targeted by the same vandals. 

The Rabbi of the synagogue, Agudath Achim, said: “In our 115 years of history, this has never happened, and now, sadly, we’ve become another statistic of antisemitism and hate that is prevalent in Massachusetts.”

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism.

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

Swastika graffiti has been discovered in a special-needs children’s gym in Tucson, Arizona. 

Destiny Wagner, owner of local gym We Rock the Spectrum, filed a police report and the graffiti has since been cleaned. 

Mrs Wagner reportedly said that she often works with the Jewish community, and felt that the graffiti was “personal.”

The vandals are yet to be found. 

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism.

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

Image credit: Destiny Wagner

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.

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

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”.

Four young men have been put on trial, charged with plotting terrorist attacks at Jewish sites in France. 

Prosecutors have stated that the group conspired together via a group chat titled “Operation WaffenKraft”. The Waffen-SS was the paramilitary branch of the Nazi Party.

The targets discussed on the group chat allegedly included the office of the anti-Jewish discrimination league (LICRA) and the headquarters of the Jewish council (CRIF). 

The group’s alleged leader, Alexandre Gilet, was a volunteer deputy police officer who was arrested after authorities discovered that he had ordered equipment that could be used to make explosives. Investigators reportedly found “regularly used” weapons, including two assault rifles, and lab equipment in his home.

Prosecutors also claim to have found photographs that appear to show the four suspects practising shooting in a forest in the summer of 2018.

According to a report by the French Jewish Community Security Service, antisemitic incidents in France have skyrocketed.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism in France and throughout Europe.

A teenager in Pickford, Michigan has been arrested for allegedly threatening to attack a synagogue.

Seann Patrick Pietila, 19, was charged with transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure another. 

Prosecutors claim that Mr Pietila planned to target the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue in East Lansing.

Mr Pietila allegedly made these threats on social media, on which he also reportedly espoused neo-Nazi rhetoric and celebrated the 2019 Christchruch mosque shootings.

After arresting Mr Pietila at his home, the FBI reportedly found weapons, knives, a Nazi flag, tactical equipment and provisional plans for attacking the synagogue on 15th March 2024.

Shaarey Zedek’s Rabbi Amy Bigman of Shaarey Zedek stated: “We wanted our congregation to know that federal, state and local authorities are aware of the situation that didn’t happen because our law enforcement was on top of things, which we are thankful for.”

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism.

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

Argentina is seeking an international arrest warrant for four Lebanese citizens suspected of involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires.

The July 1994 attack resulted in the death of 85 and injured hundreds, after a truck containing explosives crashed into the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA).

The four men, Hussein Mounir Mouzannar, Ali Hussein Abdallah, Farouk Abdul Hay Omairi and Abdallah Salman, are accused of being “employees or operational agents” of the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group Hizballah, which is believed to have carried out the attack.

According to court documents, Mr Salman is suspected of “the coordination of the arrival and departure of the [Hizballah] operational group” that conducted the attack.

There have long been accusations of failure and corruption on the part of the Argentine authorities in delivering justice for the victims of the heinous AMIA bombing.

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

The trial of the suspect in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting has concluded, with Robert Bowers being found guilty on all 63 charges, which include eleven counts of obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death.

Other charges included willfully causing bodily injury because of actual or perceived religion, use and discharge of a firearm to murder and use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Mr Bowers, 50, opened fire inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on 27th October 2018 – a Shabbat morning – armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and multiple handguns. 

From the three congregations sharing the building that Shabbat morning – Dor Hadash, New Light, and the Tree of Life – eleven worshippers were killed and six were injured, including four police officers.

Mr Bowers’ social media footprint demonstrated a history of fueling antisemitism and expressing hateful rhetoric. Mr Bowers was said to be particularly active on the platform Gab, where in his bio he asserted that “Jews are the children of Satan.”

During the trial, Rabbi Jonathan Perlman took the witness stand, reportedly wearing the same skullcap that he wore the day that Mr Bowers attacked the synagogue, which the police only recently returned to Rabbi Perlman after holding it as evidence for years.

Jurors deliberated for less than one day, and will now consider whether he should receive the death penalty. 

Antisemitic stickers were reportedly found in a Pittsburgh park the day the trial began, and have since been removed. 

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Nearly five years ago, the peace of the Jewish Sabbath was shattered when a terrorist targeted innocent worshippers at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Robert Bowers, a murderous and obsessive antisemite, has rightfully been found guilty today. While nothing can repair the pain inflicted, we await news of his sentence in due course, and hope that a forceful message will be sent to others like him who wish Jews dead. May the memories of those who fell be a blessing.”

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

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

A rabbi was harassed while leaving a school board meeting in Naples, Florida. 

Rabbi Adam Miller, Senior Rabbi at Temple Shalom, reported that he was yelled at and followed by two men whose tone was “very hateful and angry.”

“Judaism is wrong” and “You’re on the path to sin,” were amongst the phrases that Rabbi Miller detailed in his police report.

Rabbi Miller explained that he had attended the meeting as he felt that it was necessary to speak out against candidate Charles Van Zant, who has reportedly argued that “unchurched, uncultured Americans” were a cause of the country’s “moral decline.”

The men who accosted him are said to have been wearing badges supporting Mr Van Zant.

Rabbi Miller has described what he views as a “rising concern” about antisemitism: “We keep seeing these things, and nothing’s really being addressed.”

According to the FBI, over 60 percent of hate crimes against a religious minority are motivated by antisemitism.

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

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.