Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, is going to be lecturing on British campuses. She has previously posted about “the Jewish lobby” and is alleged to have told a conference featuring Hamas leaders that they have “the right to resist”.

We will be holding demonstrations at universities where she is scheduled to speak to make clear that she is not welcome. Even if the UN refuses to #BanFran, Britain’s leading educational institutions should.

Please join us at:

We are also writing to the universities which are planning to host her.

By now, Ms Albanese’s indefensible past comments about “the Jewish lobby” and repulsive comparisons between the Nazis and the Jewish state are well known. There can be no excuse for inviting her to address students on campus in light of her views, which she has unrepentantly promoted for decades.

You can read more about her record here.

At a time when, according to our polling, almost one in ten 18-24 year olds have a favourable view of Hamas, an antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, universities need to be doing more to stop the spread of antisemitic extremism on campuses, not inviting those who appear to endorse it into their lecture theatres.

We are at a tipping point and Jewish students, who have been facing over a year of hatred on campus, need us.

Speakers like these help to fuel the activism on campuses that puts Jewish students at risk and radicalises the student body and the leaders of tomorrow. We will not let this pass without an answer.

Join us. Together, we can #BanFran!

Since students returned to campus, we have been standing with them

Students have been back on campus for several weeks now, and Campaign Against Antisemitism has been standing with them. Our campus tour is well underway, and we have launched our new Student Ambassadors programme, bringing together fearless, motivated students – Jewish and non-Jewish – for training in monitoring and combating antisemitism at their universities.

In addition to supporting students, we have also been monitoring developments on campuses and submitting complaints to universities.

By way of example, in recent weeks in London:

  • We wrote to UCL regarding anti-Israel protesters calling for intifada and chanting “From the river to the sea” on the anniversary of 7th October. We heard reports that students had to use the side entrance to the campus because demonstrators blocked off the main way in, and some told us how they did not feel safe attending lectures.
  • We wrote to Queen Mary University in relation to students surrounding a vigil for victims of 7th October on the first anniversary of the attack and chanting against them. That was not the only incident at the university.
  • We called out shocking signs at SOAS that read “Stop genocide baby killer Israel” and “You will never be free of us until Palestine is free of you!!”
  • At Goldsmiths, students chanted “From Gaza to Beirut all our martyrs we salute”, “From London to Gaza Globalise The Intifada” and “When people are occupied, resistance is justified.”
  • At London Metropolitan University, a lecturer published an effusive eulogy for the leader of Hamas who orchestrated the massacre of 1,200 people. Our lawyers are examining the case.

Last year, Jewish students faced the worst period of campus antisemitism. We will continue to do everything that we can to ensure that that this year is not a repeat, and that university authorities and regulators finally do their jobs.

Palestine Action and this weekend’s protests

The authorities have been too lax on Palestine Action.

Given the events of this weekend – during which Palestine Action activists allegedly smashed glass at Manchester University to steal two busts of Chaim Weizmann, a Reader in chemistry at the University who went on to become the first President of Israel, and vandalised the premises of Jewish charities in London – it is clear that Palestine Action will only continue to escalate its campaign of criminality, and the authorities are failing to stand in its way.

Whether that is due to an unwillingness to take action or an inability to do so due to the constraints of existing legislation, the result is that a group of petty vandals continue to terrorise the British public and, in particular, the Jewish community and its institutions. This has got to change.

We are talking to the Government and our legal team is reviewing existing legislation to assess its effectiveness in tackling what has become essentially a criminal organisation that wrecks businesses and charities, and terrorises the Jewish community.

The police and the Government must take urgent steps to ensure that Palestine Action faces enforcement action.

This latest vandalism comes in the same weekend when anti-Israel protesters in London invoked the age-old blood libel in a banner that read, “Israel enjoys killing kids. Never forgive. Never forget,” and when a sign was displayed at the protest that read, “Our media, TV, radio and government are controlled by Zionists.” This sort of rhetoric is regularly seen on the streets of London these days, another sign of what happens after a year of failed policing.

Still, there are some bright spots. A Met Police officer was filmed calmly explaining to an anti-Israel protester how wearing a T-shirt bearing a swastika and comparisons between Israel to the Nazis could be seen as offensive. The protester grew belligerent and started yelling at the officer who was trying to do his job. The police rightly detained the man. We will be writing to the Met to find out what further action they took.

Also at the regular anti-Israel march this weekend, police spoke to a man carrying a flag with the words “Free Palestine” and an inverted red triangle. In recent months, the inverted red triangle and its emoji variant have been used by some anti-Israel activists to signal support for proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hamas, inspired by the appearance of the symbol in Hamas propaganda videos to indicate targets for attack. It was encouraging to see that the police actually pulled this man aside.

Could it be that our police forces are beginning to recognise what may possibly count as more nuanced forms of support for banned terror groups? We will be writing to the Met to find out what the outcome of this interaction was and whether any arrests were made.

We are grateful to the volunteers of our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit, who continue to monitor anti-Israel protests and activities, week after week.

Problems in our politics persist

Concerns over antisemitism in our politics do not seem to go away.

Regarding the Conservative Party:

  • We observed that if Kit Malthouse MP thinks that making vague references to “humanity’s darkest period” and feigning ignorance blinds us to the Holocaust comparisons that he is almost certainly insinuating in recent comments to the House about Israel, he is wrong. Comparing the Jewish state to Nazis breaches the International Definition of Antisemitism, which has been adopted by the Conservative Party. We have called on the Conservatives to urgently require him to clearly reject such comparisons, or face full disciplinary action.
  • In an interview with a YouTube channel, former minister Sir Alan Duncan said of one of the Conservative leadership candidates, Robert Jenrick: “Now this man is an extremist. He does not believe in any kind of two state solution, although he says he does. He knows nothing about it. He takes his script entirely from the Conservative Friends of Israel and the Israelis, so he would be a disaster if he were leader of the Conservative Party.” Sir Alan was asked why he thinks that Mr Jenrick, whose wife is Jewish, is a supporter of Israel. He replied that “it is disgusting extremism born of ignorance. But there’s also family connections which have a Jewish link. But just because someone’s Jewish doesn’t mean that they have to agree with Netanyahu.” The suggestion that a politician’s political views are adversely dictated by the ethnic heritage of their spouse is surely beyond the pale of our politics. You can read about the full exchange and Sir Alan’s subsequent statement here. After already being investigated earlier this year in relation to antisemitism, Sir Alan – emboldened by the Conservatives’ recent appalling decision not to sanction him in relation to other antisemitism allegations – is at it again. We will be writing to the Conservative Party once more.
  • Baroness Warsi, who surrendered the Conservative whip following a complaint against her but who remains a member of the Party, recently shared a repulsive propaganda video that makes direct comparisons between Israel and the Holocaust, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. We are writing to the Conservative Party about her yet again.

Labour MPs, meanwhile, continue to upset members of the Jewish community and their allies, many of whom have written to us to share their frustrations with how their MPs have replied to their letters about the hostages, the suspension of arms licences to Israel and other issues.

These replies have included references to “hostages on both sides” and support for Gaza with no appreciation for the impact of the war on Israeli or British Jews. The levels of ignorance and ideological entrenchment are remarkable.

We encourage you to continue writing to your MP – no matter their party and no matter their stated position – to express your views and show them that you are an active and interested constituent whose opinions matter. You may not change minds, but there is no harm and only good can come from engaging with your MP.

If you receive particularly supportive or egregious responses, please forward them to us at [email protected].

Jewish students have been facing the worst period of campus antisemitism over the past year.

From submitting complaints and publishing open letters, to organising targeted protests and publicising incidents, providing victim-support and launching our Student Ambassador programme, we will continue to do everything that we can to ensure that that this year is not a repeat of last year, and that university authorities and regulators finally do their jobs, and do right by Jewish students.

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, is going to be lecturing on British campuses. She has previously posted about “the Jewish lobby” and is alleged to have told a Hamas-organised conference that they have “the right to resist”.

We will be holding demonstrations at universities where she is scheduled to speak to make clear that she is not welcome. Even if the UN refuses to #BanFran, Britain’s leading educational institutions should. Join us at:

  • London School of Economics (LSE), 11th November, 11:30
  • School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), 11th November, 16:00
  • Queen Mary University of London (QML), 12th November, 11:00

We are also writing to the universities which are planning to host her. Should they come to their senses and reconsider the invitation, our protests will be called off.

Sign up at antisemitism.org/BanFran

Here is just a selection of Ms Albanese’s past rhetoric:

  • She has made innumerable comparisons between Israelis and the Nazis, in breach of the International (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism, which has been adopted by the British Government.
  • In 2022, she reportedly addressed a conference in Gaza in which she stated “You have a right to resist this occupation.” The conference was reportedly organised by Hamas and numerous spokespeople from both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were present. Both Hamas and the PIJ are proscribed as terrorist organisations by the UK Government.
  • Earlier this year, she was condemned by the French Foreign Ministry after she posted on X: “The victims of 7/10 were not killed because of their Judaism but in response to Israel’s oppression,” after President Macron described the 7th October attacks as “the largest antisemitic massacre of our century”.
  • A 2014 open letter that she posted on her Facebook account read: “America and Europe, one of them subjugated by the Jewish lobby, and the other by the sense of guilt about the Holocaust, remain on the sidelines and continue to condemn the oppressed — the Palestinians — who defend themselves with the only means they have.” This is also a breach of the Definition.
  • According to The Times of Israel, in 2014 in a now-hidden post on Facebook directed at the BBC, she wrote: “The Israeli lobby is clearly inside your veins and system and you will be remembered to have been on the big brother’s side of this orwellian [sic] nightmare caused once again by Israel’s greed.” Also a breach of the Definition.

Is this the kind of person that LSE, SOAS and QML want to be lecturing their students?

Do not let this go unanswered. Join us. #BanFran

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

This past Saturday, Stand Up to Racism and other ‘anti-racist’ groups gathered in London, ostensibly to protest a march organised by Tommy Robinson.

But there was plenty of racism on display among the so-called ‘anti-racists’, including signs and flyers demanding that “Zionism must be destroyed” and calling for an “End to Zionism”, claiming that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson are all “Israeli puppets”, and explaining “genocide maths” as “racism plus colonialism equals Zionism.”

Labour MPs and National Education Union leaders were among those in attendance. For those who like far-left ‘anti-racism’ maths, this seems like a more accurate equation: all anti-racisms are equal, but some are more equal than others.

The next day, the ‘anti-racists’ came to JW3, the Jewish cultural centre in North London, where a conference on Israel was taking place amid other regular programming. As members of the Jewish community entered the venue in order to attend that day’s events, they were forced to bypass an angry mob, who were screaming and chanting intimidatory slogans.

We have offered support to Jewish counter-demonstrators who were reportedly arrested by police, who otherwise allowed the anti-Israel protest to take place directly outside the entrance to the centre.

We are writing to the Metropolitan Police. Of course, this is the same Metropolitan Police whose officers do not seem to know that Hizballah is a terrorist organisation, even at a time when we know that Iran and its proxies pose a threat to Britain and the Jewish community.

After we publicised a video exposing ignorance among police officers, the Met rightly acknowledged the need for improved briefings for its officers. However, it feels like twelve months of excuses now while terror is being glorified on our streets, and British Jews are paying the price with unprecedented levels of antisemitism.

If you want to remind Hizballah supporters and forgetful police officers about the law of the land, our T-shirts and hoodies – with the caption “Hizballah Are Terrorists – It’s not an opinion. It’s the law.” – are available for purchase!

Show us the legal advice on UNRWA funding!

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has refused to reveal to us whether legal advice was sought or obtained in relation to the restoration of funding to the highly controversial United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), so we are now calling on Foreign Secretary David Lammy to publish the legal advice in the interests of transparency and consistency.

Last month, “in the interests of transparency” Mr Lammy published a summary of the legal advice in relation to the decision to suspend some 30 licences for arms exports to Israel following legal advice from the Attorney General, due to a supposed “clear risk” that they may be used in ways that breach international law.

We called on the FCDO to confirm whether legal advice had been sought or obtained in relation to the decision to resume UNRWA funding, but the Ministry has refused to tell us. We have therefore now written to Mr Lammy calling on him to do so, and to publish a summary of the advice.

It is time that, in the interests of transparency and consistency, Mr Lammy reassures the British public that legal advice identified no such risks in relation to taxpayer funding of UNRWA.

Watermelons on Big Brother

Last week, a Big Brother ‘housemate’ was seen wearing a t-shirt depicting the map of Israel as a watermelon – a symbol widely associated with anti-Israel sentiment. Many British Jews regard this symbol as a genocidal message similar to the slogan ‘From the River to the Sea’ which calls for the elimination of the world’s only Jewish state.

We therefore submitted a complaint to Ofcom in relation to its appearance on the programme.

After we did so – and others complained as well – the episode was removed from ITVX and re-uploaded, having been edited to remove the offending image.

A spokesman for Big Brother said that the show did not “allow any personal items into the house that could be deemed harmful,” adding: “We regret that the implications of this particular item of clothing were not fully understood in our bag checks or prior to broadcast of last night’s show. We apologise to any viewers who have been offended by the broadcast and assure viewers that Big Brother was unaware of the implications of the image.”

We are grateful to ITV for acting swiftly to ensure that this sort of programming is free from unnecessary political or threatening messaging.

How the British media sees Israel’s conflict with Iran and its terror proxies and supporters

In explaining Israel’s targeting of military infrastructure in Iran over the weekend, BBC News offered a backgrounder, with the anchor saying: “Let us just remind you now of exactly how we got here.”

What followed was several minutes in which Israel was portrayed as the solitary actor engaging in entirely unprovoked military action against Hizballah – which was not described as a terrorist organisation or explained in any way – and Iran, whose firing of the largest barrage of ballistic missiles in history against Israel was played down.

You can watch the full clip and read our analysis here.

Once again, the BBC’s failure to describe Hizballah as a terrorist organisation was not impartial but inaccurate. We will be writing to the BBC.

When the Jewish state is falsely portrayed, as in this BBC report, as needlessly aggressive and the methods and motivations of its enemies are whitewashed, it invites viewers to view Jews negatively and gives licence to antisemites to attack them. In this surge of antisemitism in Britain, the BBC is not innocent.

Please sign our petition calling on all broadcasters to call Hizballah what they are: terrorists.

The BBC is not alone in its dubious portrayal of what is happening in the Middle East or right here in Britain. Last weekend, Sky News gave national airtime to a ‘peaceful’ protester who claimed that Israel is “systematically targeting civilians” in Gaza.

Yet, we interviewed this same individual earlier this year, and he openly described Hamas as a “legitimate resistance organisation”. In fact, he even admitted that if he were a Gazan, he would probably join Hamas himself. In 2015, he also ran as an Independent Parliamentary candidate for Finchley and Golders Green, one of the most heavily-Jewish constituencies in the UK.

When people show you who they truly are, believe them. These are not peace marches. It’s time they stopped happening on our streets.

Meanwhile, The Guardian recently removed its appalling review of ‘One Day in October’, a documentary about the Hamas massacre on 7th October. In the review, the author lamented that, watching the documentary, “All our sympathies are with relatable Israelis…By contrast, Hamas terrorists are a generalised menace on CCTV, their motives beyond One Day in October’s remit.”

The review did not meet its editorial guidelines, according to the newspaper, but we’re wondering why. After all, we put together a selection of other articles which are still up on the newspaper’s website that apparently do meet The Guardian’s editorial standards.

Clearly, The Guardian’s editorial standards are deficient. Perhaps at long last, it is time that The Guardian acquired some moral standards.

Sukkot and Simchat Torah, which we celebrated over the past two weeks, were joyous occasions. But they were tinged with the memory of what took place at this time last year.

We remembered those murdered on these days twelve months ago, and mourned their absence. We also marked the absence of the over 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity.

Thanks to a contribution from a generous supporter, we were able to build and dedicate a sukkah to the hostages, and in particular recreated what the Bibas family sukkah may have looked like if Yarden (35), Shiri (33) and their beautiful children Ariel (5) and baby Kfir (1) were free to celebrate this wonderful festival with the rest of their people.

We continue to hope, advocate and pray for their safe return.

Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) commissioned YouGov to survey British adults’ attitudes towards Jews.

The polling has revealed very concerning levels of support for Hamas and antisemitic views, especially among young people in Britain.

As we mark one year since Hamas’ barbaric attacks in Israel, levels of antisemitism in Britain have never been higher.

Here are some key takeaways from the polling:

Views on Hamas

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

Antisemitic attitudes

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

The YouGov survey was designed in collaboration with Campaign Against Antisemitism and using the Generalised Antisemitism Scale, more on which below.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Extremism is becoming normalised in our country, and as ever Jews are the canaries in the coal mine. This week marks one year since the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, but here in Britain we need to turn our attention to the home front, where British society is changing before our eyes. Most alarming of all, our young people are becoming radicalised at a far greater rate than the rest of the population, sympathising with terrorists and espousing extreme anti-Jewish racism. If the authorities continue to let radicalism run rampant on campuses and on social media, it will not be long before we are looking over our shoulders at generation hate.”

Full results

(Figures in brackets represent the 18-24 answers)

Jewish people can be trusted just as much as other British people in business

  • Strongly agree 42 (47)
  • Agree 35 (30)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 18 (15)
  • Disagree 2 (4)
  • Strongly disagree 2 (5)

Jewish people are just as loyal to Britain as other British people

  • Strongly agree 33 (33)
  • Agree 33 (29)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 28 (30)
  • Disagree 4 (2)
  • Strongly disagree 2 (6)

I am just as open to having Jewish friends as I am to having friends from other sections of British society

  • Strongly agree 58 (66)
  • Agree 31 (24)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 9 (6)
  • Disagree 1 (3)
  • Strongly disagree 1 (1)

Compared to other groups, Jewish people have too much power in the media

  • Strongly agree 3 (4)
  • Agree 7 (12)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 42 (29)
  • Disagree 26 (31)
  • Strongly disagree 22 (24)

Jewish people talk about the Holocaust just to further their political agenda

  • Strongly agree 2 (2)
  • Agree 5 (8)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 26 (26)
  • Disagree 29 (29)
  • Strongly disagree 38 (35)

Jewish people chase money more than other people do

  • Strongly agree 3 (4)
  • Agree 9 (6)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 42 (35)
  • Disagree 21 (26)
  • Strongly disagree 25 (30)

I am comfortable spending time with people who openly support Israel

  • Strongly agree 12 (9)
  • Agree 23 (12)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 46 (38)
  • Disagree 13 (22)
  • Strongly disagree 6 (19)

Israel has a right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people

  • Strongly agree 20 (14)
  • Agree 37 (25)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 34 (44)
  • Disagree 5 (10)
  • Strongly disagree 3 (8)

Israel is right to defend itself against those who want to destroy it

  • Strongly agree 19 (10)
  • Agree 43 (31)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 30 (36)
  • Disagree 4 (11)
  • Strongly disagree 3 (12)

Israel and its supporters are a bad influence on our democracy

  • Strongly agree 7 (22)
  • Agree 15 (21)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 47 (39)
  • Disagree 19 (13)
  • Strongly disagree 11 (5)

Israel can get away with anything because its supporters control the media

  • Strongly agree 5 (12)
  • Agree 13 (21)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 44 (42)
  • Disagree 24 (18)
  • Strongly disagree 13 (7)

Israel treats the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews

  • Strongly agree 12 (22)
  • Agree 21 (26)
  • Neither agree nor disagree 41 (39)
  • Disagree 16 (6)
  • Strongly disagree 10 (7)

Since last year there have been regular marches in many city centres in support of Gaza. If you were due to visit a city centre when you knew a large pro-Palestinian march was due to happen, would it put you off from visiting?

  • It would make me less likely to go 59 (35)
  • It wouldn’t make any more or less likely to go 27 (34)
  • It would make me more likely to go 4 (16)
  • Don’t know 10 (14)

Do you have a favourable or unfavourable view of Hamas?

  • Very favourable 1 (1)
  • Somewhat favourable 2 (8)
  • Somewhat unfavourable 19 (17)
  • Very unfavourable 49 (33)
  • Don’t know 29 (40)

From what you have seen or heard, do you think the attacks that Hamas launched on Israel on 7th October 2023 were justified or unjustified?

  • Justified 7 (16)
  • Unjustified 61 (35)
  • Don’t know 32 (49)

The British Government currently classifies Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Do you think they are right or wrong to class them as terrorists?

  • Right to class them as terrorists 64 (53)
  • Wrong to class them as terrorists 7 (13)
  • Don’t know 29 (34)

It has been reported that Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis in the attacks on the 7th October 2023. From what you have seen or heard, do you think these reports are…

  • Broadly true 55 (39)
  • Broadly untrue 7 (13)
  • Not sure 38 (48)

Background and Methodology

The twelve statements – which include six relating to Judeophobic antisemitism and six relating to anti-Zionist antisemitism – together comprise the Generalised Antisemitism Scale.

The Generalised Antisemitism Scale was devised by Dr Daniel Allington of King’s College London, Dr David Hirsh of Goldsmiths, and Dr Louise Katz (then) of the University of Derby. The research behind the Generalised Antisemitism Scale has been peer reviewed.

In particular, in developing the Generalised Antisemitism Scale, they were guided by the International Definition of Antisemitism, which Campaign Against Antisemitism, together with other Jewish communal institutions from around the world, has long campaigned to be widely adopted. Further background on the Generalised Antisemitism Scale can be found here.

Our survey of British adults were conducted by YouGov Plc. The surveys were administered online to members of YouGov’s panel of over 1,000,000 British adults who have agreed to take part in surveys. E-mails were sent to adult panellists who fulfilled the requirements of the sample, inviting them to take part in the surveys, and providing a link to the survey. YouGov normally achieves a response rate of between 35% and 50% to surveys however this does vary depending on the subject matter, complexity and length of the questionnaire.

The total sample size was 2,615 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2nd-5th August 2024 by YouGov plc. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

YouGov ensured that there were no duplicate responses and that all respondents were adults living in Great Britain.

The responding sample was weighted according to age and gender, social grade, political attention level, education, and region, in addition to past voting behaviour, to provide a representative reporting sample. The profile is derived from the Census as well as the mid-year population estimates and Annual Population Survey published by the Office for National Statistics.

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, we reflect on a year of tragedy for the Jewish people, a multi-front war against the Jewish state, skyrocketing antisemitism around the world, and over one hundred hostages still in captivity.

The international community has failed the Jewish people, and at home the authorities in Britain have failed the Jewish community.

Over the past year, we have raised awareness of the hostages on billboards and digital vans, exposed antisemitism on weekly anti-Israel marches, made scores of reports to the police, regulators and broadcasters about antisemitic incidents and rhetoric, supported more victims than ever, kept antisemitism on the front pages, engaged with ministers and political parties on legislation, supported students and arranged groundbreaking events, including the largest gathering against antisemitism in living memory.

But it is still not enough. That is why, on the cusp of the Jewish New Year – the Festival of Judgment – we rededicate ourselves to the fight for justice for British Jews.

You can help. If you want assistance pursuing justice in a case of antisemitism on the street or at work, on campus or online, please e-mail us in confidence at [email protected]. Only by raising our voices and seeking justice can we make a change.

The “peaceful” protests continue

The anti-Israel protests are continuing on our streets and on some campuses.

We are continually being told that these protests are peaceful, but our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit begs to differ.

Call Hizballah “terrorists”

Like Hamas, Hizballah is a proscribed antisemitic genocidal terror group. But you wouldn’t know this from Britain’s broadcasters, including the biased BBC.

We are therefore calling on our broadcasters to call Hizballah what they are: terrorists. Please sign the petition to make your voice heard!

Come discuss the future of British Jewry with us

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

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

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

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

This 7th October, we remember

Rosh Hashanah is immediately followed by remembrance for the first anniversary of the 7th October massacre over the weekend and into next week.

We are proud to support the cross-communal commemoration event on at 14:30 on Sunday 6th October in Hyde Park in solidarity with Jews in Israel and calling, once more, for the swift and safe return of the hostages.

With your help, we will continue fighting

However difficult this past year has been, we are also reminded of the strength and resilience of the Jewish community. It is thanks to your support that we are able to continue to fight.

Please consider making Campaign Against Antisemitism the recipient of your Rosh Hashanah donation. Your contribution, no matter the size, will help us to defend our community.

May the Jewish people know no more sorrow, and may the new year be one of happiness, joy and justice.

Despite having over eleven months of experience in policing weekly anti-Israel protests, the Metropolitan Police Service is still missing the mark.

Many of our supporters will have seen images online of anti-hate activist Mark Birbeck, who was recently arrested after holding a sign at an anti-Israel protest stating that under UK law, Hamas is a terrorist organisation.

Mr Birbeck’s bail conditions prevented him from entering the City of Westminster on the day of Israel-related protests, attending Israel-related protests and contacting Niyak Ghorbani, who was also arrested after holding a sign bearing the same simple statement of fact.

In order to avoid breaching his bail conditions, on the night of an Israel-related protest last week outside the Foreign Office, Mr Birbeck stood on the Lambeth side of Westminster Bridge with his sign in order to give people a “gentle reminder” that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation.

We decided to keep him company, and film what happened.

Following a bail application at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, Mr Birbeck’s bail conditions were overturned. However, disgracefully, Mr Ghorbani is prohibited from attending any Israel-related protest on a Saturday without obtaining prior permission from the police.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has provided the legal defence for both Mr Birbeck and Mr Ghorbani throughout their ordeal. We will continue to provide free legal defence to those who are improperly arrested whilst standing up to antisemitism. It comes at a significant cost, but it is the least that we can do for those who stand with Jews amid this outpouring of antisemitism.

The question is, why is it necessary?

All the while, at the very same protest, anti-Israel demonstrators in London chanted for the complete eradication of the only Jewish state with calls for a return to “1948”. And their only solution? To “globalise the Intifada” through armed “resistance” — a phrase synonymous with terror, violence, and the murder of innocent Israelis.

This isn’t about coexistence; it’s about the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state.

Damning report on policing of protests released

The Policy Exchange think tank has released a damning report into the policing of anti-Israel protests. The report reinforces what we have been saying all along and echoes a number of our legislative and policy recommendations.

The Met has failed abysmally in its policing of these demonstrations and ordinary people trying to go about their lives have had their rights curtailed.

According to the report:

  • 80% of British adults believe that the police should intervene if protesters are holding banners containing racist or derogatory slogans.
  • 78% of British adults believe that the police should intervene if protesters are climbing on buildings or public monuments.
  • 78% of British adults believe that the police should intervene if protesters are holding banners or chanting slogans that are threatening or implying violence to specific groups of people at home or abroad.
  • 71% of British adults would not go through with their plans to travel with small children if a major protest were to take place in a nearby town or city centre. This rises to 88% when answered by over-65s.

Matt Twist, Assistant Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, admitted: “When we look back at the policing of protests over the past eight months, we know we didn’t get everything right, particularly in the early stages in October.”

Next month will be one year since anti-Israel protesters took over our streets on a regular basis. Real change is long overdue. The British public deserves better.

The full report can be read here.

Making sure that the Foreign Secretary hears our voices

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently wrote to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, after it was announced that the UK would suspend some 30 licences for arms exports to Israel, to ask whether legal advice had been sought in relation to the restoration of funding to UNRWA, and for a summary of that advice similarly to be published.

We asked our supporters to write to the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, the Solicitor General, Sarah Sackman, and the Attorney General, Lord Hermer.

Following our call to action, three Labour MPs, including the Solicitor General, wrote to the Foreign Secretary, noting that “constituents have been in touch and expressed deep concern and upset” at the decision. The full letter can be read here. He has yet to respond.

Thank you to those who wrote to your MPs, and to those who shared with us the responses that you received.

Our call to advocate for the hostages

We will soon mark one year since Hamas abducted 251 Israelis and other nationals from Israel and took them into captivity in Gaza. Over 90 hostages remain in Gaza, including four who have been held by Hamas since before October 2023.

Thank you to our many supporters who wrote to their MPs, educating them and urging them to advocate for the hostages and ensure that their plight is not forgotten within the walls of our Parliament.

If you have yet to share a particularly supportive or hostile response from your MP, please let us know by e-mailing [email protected].

Unfortunately, there are still many people out there who deny that Israelis are being held hostage by Hamas.

We recently obtained and published footage of someone defacing posters of the hostages. The incident occurred in Hampstead, North London and we encourage anyone with further information to contact us at [email protected].

What is the biggest threat to an antisemite?

In the wake of 7th October, Jewish student life on campus was turned on its head.

That is why we hosted our first ever student panel where Jewish university students spoke about their experiences of antisemitism on campus in Britain following Hamas’ 7th October terrorist atrocities in Israel.

Our audience heard stories from our five panellists that were at the same time moving, troubling, and at times, inspiring.

Gili, one of the students on our panel, spoke of the importance of being a proud Jew on campus. He also emphasised how vital support from fellow students is against those who aim to intimidate Jews on university campuses.

One of the attendees wrote to us after the event to thank Campaign Against Antisemitism and tell us that whilst it was “sad hearing what [the students] are facing at university…the love that they have for their Judaism and the strength they have in standing up to antisemitism is wonderful”.

Education is a crucial part of the fight against antisemitism. Our work has never been more important.

Thank you to our audience for dedicating your time to learning more about what Jewish students are facing, and thank you to our panellists for bravely sharing your stories.

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

Become a Student Ambassador!

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

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

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

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

Applications close on 30th September so make sure that you apply soon!

We need you

We are hiring two paid positions in diverse areas of our work.

Are you a lawyer? Are you disgusted with surging antisemitism? Do you want to hold antisemites to account?

We are seeking an experienced solicitor or barrister to become our new General Counsel.

Our in-house General Counsel will be at the forefront of the fight against antisemitism, using this unique position to hold antisemites to account and force the authorities to fulfil their duty to protect British Jews.

For more information, please visit antisemitism.org/jobs/general-counsel.

Are you skilled in creating impactful videos? Do you want to help combat Jew-hatred?

Campaign Against Antisemitism is looking for a Video and Content Creator to join us in the fight against antisemitism.

The Video and Content Creator will play a critical role in shaping visual narratives that educate, inform and inspire action against antisemitism.

To find out more, go to antisemitism.org/jobs/video-and-content-creator/.

Are you a medical professional, or a recent patient?

We are collecting testimonies on antisemitism in the medical field.

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

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

After eleven months, we are still calling on the police, our ministers and members of Parliament to stop making the same mistakes. But it is clear that public dissatisfaction with these failures is growing and decision-makers are beginning to listen.

We will continue to make our voices heard and remain unrelenting in our fight against anti-Jewish racism.

The recent riots and counterdemonstrations have come to define this summer. But as they appear to cool off and the country finally gets a break, it remains to be seen whether the Jewish community will get any respite.

As we head into the new academic year and new Jewish year, we are ready for the fight ahead.

Riots, racism and “anti-racism”

Over the last few weeks, the criminal justice system has been woken from its slumber to confront the riots and hooliganism that have been plaguing the cities of Britain.

The rioters

We wrote about how far-right forums, which were being used to organise the riots, were targeting Jews, with messages in one far-right Telegram channel, for example, saying that they “support neither brown nor Jew”, and that Hitler was “the only politician since Roman times to truly care for his people”.

“The Jewish people fabricated the Holocaust – ensuring they would never again be questioned by Europeans while they destroyed their homelands… Today Jewish media, NGOs, finance, business, entertainment and a huge overrepresentation in government, are doing the same all over Europe,” said another.

The counter-demonstrators

While we applauded the strong response by the authorities to the riots, there were two things that we could not help but notice.

The first was that many of the so called “anti-racist” counter-demonstrators exhibited their own flavour of extremism, for which they have not suffered any consequences. The disgraced former academic David Miller, asserted that “the riots have been instigated by the Zionist asset, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon,” in reference to far-right activist Tommy Robinson, while a former Parliamentary candidate for George Galloway’s Workers Party also reportedly shared content claiming that “Tommy Robinson is on Israel’s payroll”.

A video circulated online in which a man claimed that the rioters and Muslims should not be at odds with one another as the rioters are only targeting Muslims because of their “Zionist-backers”. The LBC presenter James O’Brien signposted this video, only to quickly apologise, claiming that he had not watched it in full. A user on X wrote in a post that received over three million views: “What’s happening in England is the perfect example of how Zionists manipulate the media to pin [sic] Christians and Muslims Against each other.” The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) charity also blamed “Zionist financiers” for the riots in a letter to the Home Secretary, and we have submitted a complaint to the Charity Commission.

Perhaps the best example was the “Finchley Against Fascism” WhatsApp messages that we exposed, in which so-called “anti-racist” activists not only referred to Zionism as “fascism” and “racism”, but, astoundingly, the activists were so blinded by their hatred of ‘Zionists’ that they would refuse their help in opposing the rioters.

Opposition to the far-right does not whitewash the racism of the far-left.

We supported the urgent action against the violent riots on our streets, but we have remained vigilant against some of the extremists amongst those counterprotestors who have also themselves been marching on our streets for months and are now trying to portray themselves as anti-fascist moderates.

The criminal justice system

The second thing that we could not but notice over the past few weeks was how, whereas nine months of one type of extremism on our streets was apparently not enough to wake up the criminal justice system, a few days of another type of extremism was. Accordingly, we have called for the resources mobilised to combat the riots now to be trained on the other extremists too.

Those espousing any extremist ideology must be made to face the full force of the law. If we are selective, our society will suffer.

To the authorities, we say that if you believe there to be no double standard in the policing, prosecution and sentencing of the current rioters over the past three weeks versus the violent or antisemitic anti-Israel demonstrators over the past year, at the very least you still need to reckon with why that perception has arisen.

That perception is not limited to the hooligans and thugs who have rightly been bearing the full consequences of their actions: it is widely shared by many law-abiding Britons across the country and by many in the Jewish community, who have suffered the most from failures in policing over the past year.

For ten months, they have been frustrated and let down by a lethargic criminal justice system that was apathetic and at times even hostile to the challenges that they faced; now they see how quickly the system can be mobilised when there is the institutional and political will to do so. Why has that been lacking for so long?

We cannot tackle extremism through double standards. Every type of extremism must be confronted by the full force of the law, no matter the perpetrators.

Reginald D. Hunter at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

A Jewish Israeli couple was reportedly hounded out of comedian Reginald D. Hunter’s show two Sundays ago at the Edinburgh Fringe, whilst audience members shouted insults at them.

The show was described by a reporter for The Telegraph reviewing the performance as “the ugliest Fringe moment [he] had ever witnessed”.

The alleged incident was triggered when Mr Hunter apparently made a joke in which he compared the State of Israel to an abusive wife, who, in a Channel 5 documentary, had accused her husband of being abusive. He is reported to have remarked: “My God, it’s like being married to Israel.”

The Jewish couple, who were in the front row of the audience and said that they were Israeli, responded by shouting “not funny” at the comedian. Audience members reportedly responded by shouting “genocidal maniac”, “you’re not welcome,” “baby-killers”, “f* off” and “free Palestine” at the couple. It is understood that Mr Hunter responded to the couple, saying: “I’ve been waiting for you all summer, where the f* you been? You can say it’s not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish…Look at you making everyone love Israel even more.” After the couple left the show, Mr Hunter reportedly quipped: “That tells me that I still got voltage.”

This is not the first time that the comedian has courted controversy in relation to the Jewish community. In 2006, also during the Edinburgh Fringe, he received backlash after making a joke about Holocaust-denial. At the recent performance, it is understood that he compared the moment to his 2006 controversy and made reference to being unable to access an article in a Jewish newspaper about the incident. He is alleged to have said: “Typical f***ing Jews, they won’t tell you anything unless you subscribe.” He reportedly then added: “It’s just a joke.”

We have spoken with the Jewish couple, as well as additional witnesses. The couple, noting that nobody in the audience came to their aid, told us that they were left in fear of violence. We are writing to venues currently scheduled to host Mr Hunter to ensure that they are fully aware of his conduct at the Edinburgh Fringe. We are encouraged to see that the first venue has decided to cancel his planned appearance. Our lawyers are exploring legal options and we urge anyone present at the show to contact us in confidence at [email protected].

We are also contacting Police Scotland, which opened and then closed an investigation, with additional evidence for them to review.

While Mr Hunter has released a statement in which he stated that he “regrets any stress caused”, the word “sorry” and a fulsome apology were noticeably missing. His social media activity since the incident does not indicate remorse. The victims reject this non-apology from Mr Hunter. The venue’s statement portraying the incident simply as audience members “choosing to leave” is appalling and wilfully overlooks the facts. Their claims that staff supported the couple during their exit do not chime with the victims’ accounts whatsoever. Our lawyers are also considering legal action in relation to the venue.

We will continue to support the victims and ensure that Mr Hunter faces the consequences of his actions.

This incident may remind some of another incident earlier this year, involving comedian Paul Currie. Incidentally, Mr Currie was also performing at the Fringe, having been booted by numerous other venues following our letters. We are aware of reports that he “banned Zionists” from his Fringe show. Our lawyers are also looking into that.

Are you a medical professional, or a recent patient?

We are collecting testimonies on antisemitism in the medical field.

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

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

Meanwhile, Dr Wahid Shaida, who referred to the 7th October Hamas terrorist attacks as “resistance” and then denied that they even occurred, has had his suspension lifted by NHS England.

While working as a GP, Dr Shaida also chaired meetings for the Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which has since been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the British Government. We have written to NHS England and to the GMC about this shocking decision.

We also wrote to the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) regarding the scheduling of its annual conference over Rosh Hashanah. Although unable to change the date at this late stage, the RCGP did at least apologise and regret the clash.

University encampments

For months, we have seen hideous anti-Israel encampments erected on campuses across Britain, physical embodiments of the exponential rise of Jew-hatred in our universities, which were already hotbeds of antisemitism.

We have been closely monitoring what different universities have done to address (or not address) the encampments. The full report can be read here, or the specific responses of universities can be read below:

These encampments have had a grossly detrimental effect on the Jewish campus experience, and it is shameful that, exceptions notwithstanding, universities did not quickly act to remove them and sanction participants in line with their codes of conduct and legal duties.

In addition to the impact on Jewish students, several wider student activities are also known to have been disrupted by the encampments, hampering learning and student life on campus.

Some universities moved faster than others to address the encampments, some capitulated to the anti-Israel protesters while others held firm. In all cases, precedents have been set.

Some universities have had regard to the effect on Jewish students and staff; some seem not to care. Several seem more concerned with the commercial impact of the encampments – removing them as summer open days approached – than they did with the welfare of current students, which is particularly galling.

We will continue to expose antisemitic activity on university campuses, hold universities to account and support Jewish students.

While we are on the subject of encampments, Minouche Shafik has had to resign as President of Columbia University after becoming one of the symbols of the Ivy League’s abysmal treatment of Jewish students and its failure, if not refusal, to tackle antisemitism.

The prospect of her now coming to work for David Lammy in the Foreign Office is, at best, tone deaf. At worst, it is a slap in the face to Jews on both sides of the Atlantic, who are hearing the message that failing to tackle antisemitism and abuse of Jews has no impact on your career advancement, and apparently qualifies you to craft foreign policy, including in relation to the Jewish state.

Become a Campaign Against Antisemitism Student Ambassador!

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

Student Ambassadors will work closely with our Education Officer and wider team to help us expose and challenge the rising tide of antisemitism overwhelming UK university campuses. The contributions of our students is more important now than ever before to the fight against antisemitism.

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

Book now to hear Stories from Students

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

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

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

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

Media bias and the BBC

Two recent incidents — one in Gaza that reportedly killed Gazans and one in the Golan Heights that killed Israeli children — illustrated media bias at the BBC more clearly than ever. The screenshots below speak for themselves, and you can read our full analysis here.

Notwithstanding the struggle to get the BBC to report fairly – with more than 200 people from across the television and film industry writing to the Corporation demanding that it open an urgent investigation into alleged “systemic problems of antisemitism and bias” – there are occasionally admissions and reversals.

For example, you will recall that, a few weeks ago, BBC Newsnight allowed a panelist – the climate activist Mikaela Loach – to say: “The Lancet yesterday, in one of their reports, said that the death toll [in Gaza] is probably more likely to be more than 186,000 people.” The host did not challenge this assertion – which was false on multiple levels – but we did. Following our complaint, the BBC has acknowledged that the widely-propagated “186,000” is “not a statement of fact”.

We also complained about a recent BBC Four Front Row radio segment in which the actress and provocateur Miriam Margolyes referenced “vile Jews”. The BBC did not apologise but agreed to “remove it from the programme”.

This summer will be remembered as one of riots being confronted by a determined criminal justice system, in stark contrast to the policing that we have seen over the past year. But it remains to be seen whether the extremists will now call it a day or be back in force on our streets and campuses, online and in our workplaces, as the country returns from the summer break.

Last night at a protest outside Downing Street, amid the sort of docile policing that we have come to expect in situations like these, an anti-Israel crowd provided passersby with a whole panoply of antisemitic rhetoric and incitement to violence.

They called for the ethnic cleansing of Jews, chanting that ‘Palestine is Arab, Zionists out!’ They screamed for ‘Intifada’, yearning for more of the violent campaign of terror that left over 1,000 Jews dead in recent decades. They shouted ‘No Zionists here!’ whether oblivious to or in full knowledge of the fact that the overwhelming majority of Jews are Zionists. They accused Israel of ‘harvesting Palestinian organs’, a popular reinvention of the ancient blood libel. Then they heard from Eddie Dempsey of the RMT union and Liz Wheatley of Unison, who apparently felt comfortable in this sort of crowd.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “After almost a year of this rhetoric at such demonstrations, it stretches credulity that these union leaders did not know or anticipate that such chanting would feature. If their unions wish to distance themselves from this language, they must immediately discipline these individuals and set out steps to ensure that in future their representatives do not risk being associated with these messages, which have undoubtedly contributed to the unprecedented surge in antisemitism over the past ten months.”

Far-right forums, which are being used to organise riots, are reportedly being used to target Jews. 

A series of far-right riots across Britain began in response to the murder of three children in Southport last week, which was falsely attributed to an asylum-seeker.

The first riot in Southport, which began as an anti-immigration protest, was organised on a forum which is allegedly partially run by a neo-Nazi. According to the CST, the neo-Nazi is alleged to have previously incited attacks on synagogues abroad and was also reported to the police last year for suspected involvement in violent antisemitism. 

Messages in “Southport Wake Up”, a far-right Telegram channel, have reportedly said that they “support neither brown nor Jew” and claimed that “our nation is our land and our people.” Another message in the channel described Hitler as “the only politician since Roman times to truly care for his people”. In the same message, they wrote: “The Jewish people fabricated the Holocaust – ensuring they would never again be questioned by Europeans while they destroyed their homelands […]

“Today Jewish media, NGOs, finance, business, entertainment and a huge overrepresentation in government, are doing the same all over Europe.

“The fight will be long brothers, but we will succeed. Never capitulate.”

It is also understood that Matthew Hankinson, a convicted neo-Nazi, whom a judge previously described as a man with a “deep hatred of ethnic minorities and Jews”, attended the riot in Southport. Mr Hankinson was sentenced in 2018 for membership of National Action, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the British Government following pressure by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. 

At one of the riots, a man was spotted with a swastika tattooed on his back. 

The riots, which have led to asylum centres and police stations being set on fire and have targeted offices of immigration lawyers, have occurred in numerous cities, including Liverpool, Plymouth and Belfast, and have sometimes led to violent pushback from counter-protesters who have also been making inflammatory statements in relation to Jews. 

For example, there have been reports of counter-protesters chanting, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.” The genocidal chant ‘From the River to the Sea’, which is regularly heard at anti-Israel protests, refers to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and, whether intended or not, is widely understood to represent a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a Palestinian state. It is reasonably interpreted to be a call for the annihilation of half the world’s Jews, who live in Israel. 

There have also been claims that ‘Zionists’ are responsible for the far-right riots in an attempt to target Muslims.

Prof. David Miller, an academic obsessed with anti-Jewish conspiracy theories, who was fired by the University of Bristol in 2021 one month after Campaign Against Antisemitism commenced a lawsuit on behalf of students against the institution, said online: “The riots have been instigated by the Zionist asset, Stephen Taxley-Lennon (‘Tommy Robinson’), who has been working for the State of Israel since 2009 as part of the so-called ‘counterjihad’ Islamophobia movement established by the state.”

Mehmoona Ameen, a former Parliamentary candidate for George Galloway’s Workers Party, also reportedly shared content that claims that “Tommy Robinson is on Israel’s payroll”. It is understood that Ms Ameen has a history of sharing inflammatory rhetoric online, including an image of a mural which features Jewish bankers beneath a pyramid playing Monopoly on a board carried by straining, oppressed workers.

A video has also circulated online in which a man claims that rioters are targeting Muslims because of their “Zionist-backers”, and that the rioters and Muslims should not be at odds with one another. 

Similarly, a user on X wrote in a post that received over three million views: “What’s happening in England is the perfect example of how Zionists manipulate the media to pin Christians and Muslims Against each other.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth of Jews controlling the media,” is an example of antisemitism. 

For months, we have seen hideous anti-Israel encampments erected on campuses across Britain, physical embodiments of the exponential rise of Jew-hatred in our universities, which were already hotbeds of antisemitism.

So, what action have universities taken?

University of Birmingham

  • Already one day after an encampment was set up on campus on 9th May, University of Birmingham’s Director of Legal Services issued the protesters with a warning: “Your occupation at the premises is a trespass. The University requires you to leave the premises immediately. Failure to do so will result in the University taking legal action and/or reporting your trespass to law-enforcement officers without further notice.”
  • On 11th June, the Vice-Chancellor issued a statement: “The rights to protest and to freedom of speech do not include setting up a camp and occupying University land, to the detriment of the rest of the University community.”
  • On 10th July, the University secured a High Court order “for the possession of campus land,” which was the site of the encampment.
  • The next day, bailiffs reportedly arrived at the encampment and removed it from the University’s campus.

University of Nottingham

  • On 5th July, after the encampment had been at the University of Nottingham for nearly one month, the University asked for a possession order against protesters in the encampment on campus. In written submissions, the University’s legal representative, Katharine Holland KC, argued that the encampment was “unlawful” and that the University had “a duty to safeguard university assets”.
  • On 10th July, the University secured a High Court order “for the possession of campus land,” which was the site of the encampment.
  • On the same day, the University served protesters with eviction notices. The protesters packed up the encampment, with only a few remaining until bailiffs arrived.

London School of Economics

  • On 14th June, one month after students set up the encampment, London School of Economics obtained an interim possession order, which required protesters to leave the occupied site of the encampment.
  • District Judge Kevin Moses acknowledged the students’ right to protest, but also said: “What it does not do is give parties an unfettered right to occupy other parties’ premises with a view to protesting, particularly when they are required to leave.”
  • On 27th June, the University was granted an indefinite possession order, forbidding students from setting up encampments.


Organisers of the encampment responded, calling the move “an extremely concerning act of repression”.

University of Bristol

  • On 1st July, two months after the encampment was set up at the University of Bristol, the Vice-Chancellor of the University confirmed that the University had “taken legal action to disperse the encampment.”
  • In a statement, the Vice-Chancellor said: “Some individuals linked to the encampment have gone beyond what is an acceptable expression of their views. The behaviour of some has become aggressive, abusive, and has involved allegations of physical assault and damage to property.”
  • At a hearing in Bristol County Court, the University was refused an immediate possession order and, instead, another hearing was scheduled for 19th July.

On 11th July, organisers of the encampment announced the decision to close down the encampment, stating: “The thousands of pounds in legal fees […] is better spent given to Palestinian mutual aid funds.”

University of Oxford

  • Following a sit-in at the University of Oxford’s offices on 23rd May, which resulted in a lockdown and sixteen arrests, a spokesperson for the University said: “It is clear that the actions of some of the protesters involved in the encampment have created a deeply intimidating environment for many members of our community, including our Jewish students and staff and members of the local Jewish community.”
  • On 27th June, nearly two months after students erected an encampment, the University published an open letter, asking students to “vacate university land” and stating that if the encampment is not “disbanded” by 7th July, the University would apply for a possession order.
  • The letter also states that the University has “listened to [the protesters] and other student and staff concerns during our meetings this year. [The University] has acted as a result of these meetings.”
  • The letter also committed the University to several academic initiatives, including, a “review of the University’s investment policy” and a commitment “to work on a collegiate University crisis scholarship scheme for students normally resident in Gaza and the West Bank”.

On 7th July, students shut down the encampment and said in a statement online: “Admin shut down our camp to distract from their complicity in this genocide. They will not shut down our movement.”


Newcastle University

  • On 21st June, nearly two months after an encampment was set up at Newcastle University, the University threatened to take legal action against the anti-Israel protesters.
  • A spokesperson for the University said: “What began as a peaceful student-led demonstration has become a focus for disruptive activism attracting people who are not connected with the university. This has resulted in the targeting of university activities, people and property.”
  • Protesters responded two days later, posting a photo on Instagram of a letter of “notice to quit”, with the caption: “Today we issued a ‘Notice To Quit’ to the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. They can sit in their ivory tower and issue pseudo legal forms to us, but this will only anger us more. WE ARE NOT MOVING. YOUR NOTICE TO QUIT DOES NOT SCARE US.”
  • On 19th July, organisers of the encampment announced their decision to “decamp”, whilst still accusing the University of being “complicit in genocide”.

SOAS

  • On 9th July, just over two months since it was established, police arrested seven people at the SOAS encampment on suspicion of possession of drugs, assault of an emergency worker and the obstruction of police. Three of the people arrested were students at the University.
  • In a statement issued on 12th July, the University said it “had no involvement” in the police arriving at the encampment three days prior, but announced that because of “these actions”, it was supporting the University of London’s decision to seek legal assistance to dismantle the encampment.
  • In the same statement, the University said that it was aware of some behaviour resulting in “many members of the staff and student body feeling unsafe”. It also said that “this kind of behaviour is a reflection of anti-democratic, populist behaviour that is incompatible with SOAS’ values, and potentially with the law.”

According to a social media post by protesters, the University served them with “accelerated proceedings for eviction” on 30th July.

Queen Mary University

  • On 6th June, only weeks after the encampment was set up, Queen Mary University began legal proceedings in the High Court. After the first hearing date the next day, however, proceedings were adjourned until July.
  • In its application notice to the Court, the University cited concerns about the proximity of the encampment’s rallies on 1st and 3rd July to the Novo Cemetery, Jewish Sephardi cemetery on the University’s campus.
  • On 10th July, the Court granted the University a possession order.
  • On 11th July, members of the encampment put out a statement on Instagram which claimed that they had met with the University’s management, which told them that “they are not willing to negotiate with [them] and are unlikely to meet with [them] again unless [they] do not leave on [their] own accord.”


Protesters on the encampment refused to comply with the court order, resulting in bailiffs arriving at the site to evict them on 12th July.

University College London

  • On 4th June, just over a month after students set up an encampment at University College London (UCL), the University’s Provost issued a statement, with reference to an “end of year awards event”: “A group of students that have been protesting on the Main Quad with tents and banners deliberately targeted these student events. Their activities were intimidating and escalatory, including the physical assault of members of UCL security staff, damage to property, and reports of unacceptable antisemitic tropes in chants. I want to assure you that we are taking immediate action against this behaviour and have instigated disciplinary proceedings against those students involved.”
  • In the same statement, the Provost announced that the University had had to postpone and cancel other events.
  • On 15th July, the Provost said: “We have formally advised the protestors that we intend to follow the course of action taken by many other UK universities with similar protests in place and apply for a court order to remove them if they do not choose to go of their own volition.”

The encampment remains on the University’s campus.

University of Cambridge 

  • On 31st May, weeks after an encampment was set up, the Pro-Vice Chancellor for the University of Cambridge issued a statement, which said: “We were glad to meet our students as we have been willing to do from the first day of the protest. While we understand some will see it as a negotiation, we see it as a constructive dialogue with our students.”
  • The University also announced that it had rearranged degree ceremonies in May, due to the expansion of the encampment into Senate House Yard. 
  • On 23rd July, the University agreed to a number of commitments, which are “contingent on the encampment closing down”. This includes “working with the Task Force and the Working Group to review [its] approach to responsible investment” and “reviewing the guidelines that inform academic and industry research ties and collaborations with companies including those falling within the arms/defence category […] in dialogue with the Working Group and Task Force”. 
  • Towards the end of its statement, the University said: “We are also aware that the students would like their views to be represented in the consideration of these important issues and have proposed to set up their own task force, which will form part of the working group that we intend to establish. We welcome this engagement. We expect that this task force will elect its own members, and will be self governing. Members of the task force will become part of the wider working group, which will be expected to make recommendations to subsequent meetings of the relevant governance committees that oversee policies in relation to research, investments and partnerships.”

The encampment at the University remains, but organisers have said that they “are planning to undertake a process of decamping” following the University’s statement. 

University of Leeds

  • Six weeks after the encampment was set up, the University of Leeds announced that it was commencing legal proceedings.
  • On 4th June, the Leeds University Union cancelled the student Summer Ball due to “safety concerns”.
  • In a statement, the Interim Vice-Chancellor and President said: “The behaviour of the protestors and occupiers of the Ziff Building, including the wearing of face coverings, harassment of staff, and vandalism and graffiti on buildings has created an atmosphere that is significantly intimidating to many in our community and which the University deems unacceptable.”
  • Later in June, the encampment shut down, after 47 days in total.

Organisers of the encampment said in a statement that they had “achieved much” and vowed to “be back in September”.

Goldsmiths University

  • On 1st May, protesters entered the library at Goldsmiths University, expanding the already five-week-long encampment on campus, despite the University’s security staff trying to prevent entry, occupying two floors of the building.
  • After just two days, the University announced that its senior management team was “working to meet a set of commitments” and encampment organisers declared “victory” on the group’s social media.
  • The University agreed to several of the protesters’ demands: to rethink the University’s supposed adoption of the International (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism (it had been adopted alongside a controversial, competing and contradictory definition, rendering the adoption useless from the point of view of fighting antisemitism); to rename a lecture theatre after a Palestinian journalist; and even to create an installation to “memorialise” the anti-Israel protesters’ “occupation”.

Goldsmiths is in the middle of an independent inquiry into antisemitism, which will doubtless need to address the encampment and the University’s capitulation to protesters’ demands.

These encampments have had a grossly detrimental effect on the Jewish campus experience, and it is shameful that, exceptions notwithstanding, universities did not quickly act to remove them and sanction participants in line with their codes of conduct and legal duties.

In addition to the impact on Jewish students, several wider student activities are also known to have been disrupted by the encampments, hampering learning and student life on campus.

Some universities moved faster than others to address the encampments, some capitulated to the anti-Israel protesters while others held firm. In all cases, precedents have been set.

Some universities have had regard to the effect on Jewish students and staff; some seem not to care. Several seem more concerned with the commercial impact of the encampments – removing them as summer open days approached – than they did with the welfare of current students, which is particularly galling.

We will continue to expose antisemitic activity on university campuses, hold universities to account and support Jewish students.

If you wish to report an incident to us, please send us an e-mail [email protected] in confidence.

The Labour Party arrives in Government as levels of anti-Jewish racism have skyrocketed and rocked the Jewish community for months. Our polling of British Jews is proof of the widespread fear that antisemitic extremists in our country are now completely out of control, with the effects of their hatred most visible on our streets and our campuses.

So far, precious little has been done to tackle this outpouring of hatred and we are making urgent proposals to the new Government, seeking firm action to halt the surge of Jew-hatred in Britain.

Labour has had to confront rampant antisemitism in its midst in recent years, and we hope that at this time of need it will do what is necessary to confront antisemitism in society, and defend this country’s Jewish community.

Two other noteworthy local results were in Islington North and Rochdale:

Jeremy Corbyn comfortably won his London seat as an Independent. This is the man who led Labour from being an anti-racist party to becoming the first ever political party found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to have unlawfully discriminated against, harassed and victimised Jews, following our referral. At a time of record-breaking antisemitism, the man who used to call Hamas his “friends” and oversaw the normalisation of Jew-hatred in one of the most shameful episodes of modern British politics is back making our laws. Many British Jews will find it hard not to read into this.

George Galloway narrowly lost his Rochdale seat, which he had won in a by-election earlier this year (the Labour candidate was suspended by the Party in relation to antisemitism allegations which we helped to publicise). Given Mr Galloway’s track record and the situation currently faced by Jews in this country, it seems unlikely that many in the Jewish community will be mourning his departure from the institution that makes our laws.

But the real stories of this election were beneath the surface.

First, the fragmentation of our politics. While the Labour Party won a landslide, it was with fewer votes than Jeremy Corbyn had won, and with one of the smallest vote shares of any winning party in modern British history. The Conservatives, meanwhile, suffered their worst-ever defeat, in an election with one of the lowest turnouts in recent times.

Taken together, it meant that the main parties haemorrhaged more vote share than ever to smaller parties, with the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Greens all breaking records in votes or seats. Numerous candidates for the latter two parties faced serious antisemitism allegations during the campaign following our revelations, albeit not those who ultimately won seats. In Northern Ireland, meanwhile, Sinn Fein became the largest party for the first time.

Regardless of one’s political views, this result clearly represents heightened scepticism about our nation’s institutions – a feeling apparently shared across the Channel as well, judging by the recent French election results. While the Jewish community may share some of this disillusionment, given the failures of the authorities to act decisively against the antisemites over the past several months, it also cannot be forgotten that political and societal instability also tend to pose unique risks to the Jews.

Second, the Gaza vote. One of the biggest stories from this general election has been the rise of sectarianism in our politics. The emergence of single-issue pressure groups purporting to represent particular communities risks pitting certain communities against others. It is an extremely worrying omen for our politics, and all major parties must be absolutely resolute in their rejection of its implications.

The prospect of a handful of MPs – some of whom have records of grossly inflammatory language – bringing what seems to be a single-minded obsession with Gaza to Parliament is not a positive development.

Jeremy Corbyn declared on election day, “Today, Palestine is on the ballot,” and promised that he would “stand up for the people of Gaza” and fight for “an end to the occupation of Palestine”. He was joined in victory by four other Independents who ran on the Gaza issue: Ayoub Khan in Birmingham Perry Barr, Adnan Hussain in Blackburn, Iqbal Mohamed in Dewsbury and Batley, and Shockat Adam in Leicester South – where Shadow Cabinet member Jonathan Ashworth was defeated.

We have published an exposé on these new MPs.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and prominent backbencher Jess Phillips were among several more Labour MPs who only narrowly escaped defeat by other Gaza candidates, whose presence was felt in many constituencies across the country.

As a Parliamentary grouping, this Gaza caucus is level with Reform UK on five MPs, outranking the Greens and Plaid Cymru.

It is difficult to think of another instance in modern times when a foreign policy issue in which Britain is not directly involved has captured so much attention at home as to bring our streets to a standstill week after week, undermine many of our major institutions, and bring more MPs to Parliament than even some long-established parties – with numerous more candidates only narrowly missing out.

Why this foreign policy issue in particular? The Jewish community believes that it knows why, and it will take a fundamental reset of our political culture to convince British Jews that they have nothing to fear from this ominous development.

What we do know is that all of the attention on Gaza in the UK is not bringing peace to the Middle East but spreading hatred here at home. We have sought to promote that message.

BBC lets Gaza propaganda go unchallenged

One of the reasons that Gaza candidates do so well is that our broadcasters allow unverified statistics and propaganda to go unchallenged – and sometimes even repeat it.

Recently, BBC Newsnight allowed a panelist – the climate activist Mikaela Loach – to say: “The Lancet yesterday, in one of their reports, said that the death toll [in Gaza] is probably more likely to be more than 186,000 people.” The host did not challenge this assertion.

For context, the so-called “report” to which Ms Loach was referring is simply a letter to The Lancet – the prestigious medical journal – by readers with documented hostility toward Israel. It is not a peer-reviewed study nor a figure which the journal has endorsed. It is not even an estimate of current deaths. It is a speculative estimate about a future, final death toll that includes excess deaths and other categories. Indeed the letter itself acknowledges that even Hamas, a proscribed antisemitic genocidal terror organisation, estimates the current death toll at around 37,396, a figure that does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants and which has been revised downwards considerably by the United Nations.

Given how controversial these statistics have proven, it is not possible that the host of a debate on Newsnight could plausibly plead ignorance of this issue.

We are submitting a complaint to the BBC. It will be just the latest of the many complaints that we have submitted to our national broadcaster in recent months.

While our broadcasters are failing in their duty, one social media company is making an effort.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has announced: “We will now remove speech targeting ‘Zionists’ in several areas where our process showed that the speech tends to be used to refer to Jews and Israelis with dehumanising comparisons, calls for harm, or denials of existence.”

Our polling shows that eight in ten British Jews consider themselves to be a Zionist. Only six percent do not.

While there is still more work to be done in combatting online antisemitism, this is certainly a step in the right direction.

“They use the Holocaust as a sort of cover”

Last week, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Redbridge National Education Union (NEU) hosted an event “in association with” the Newham, Tower Hamlets and Redbridge branches of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC). According to an online flyer for the event, the supposed conference would include “workshops on antisemitism and anti-Zionism”.

Attendees at the antisemitism workshop were told: “They use the Holocaust as a sort of cover”; “It makes me very angry when people talk about the Jewish community because there’s no such thing”; and “Israel is nothing to do with being Jewish”; among other outrageous remarks.

It appears that this so-called workshop was rife with antisemitism, from comparisons of Israel to Nazi Germany, to allegations that the Jewish state was somehow complicit in the murder of its own people on 7th October, to characterising Israel as a ‘racist endeavour’, to describing Zionism as a virus, to the wild claim that Israel ‘wanted the Holocaust to happen’.

Both the PSC and NEU have long histories of causing distress to the Jewish community. You can listen to excerpts from the here, which we have published exclusively.

No expulsion for Sir Alan Duncan

The former Conservative MP and Minister, Sir Alan Duncan, recently suggested on-air that members of the House of Lords were working at the behest of the Israeli state, and that was not the first time that he had made such an assertion. We submitted a complaint to the Party and urged the Conservatives to expel him as a member.

However, a spokesperson for the Conservative Party has now said: “Following a two-month investigation, an independent panel has reviewed the complaint and dismissed it.”

At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time-high, invoking conspiracy theories and tropes about dual loyalty only inflames the situation for British Jews. This is a shameful decision, and we are aware of members resigning from the Party in response.

The new Government comes into office facing an array of challenges. For the Jewish community, skyrocketing antisemitism is among the most important. Sir Keir Starmer has shown a willingness to confront antisemites in his own party. Now he must do it in wider society, and ensure that the authorities do so as well.

All elections are about a range of issues, but with the surge in antisemitism since the Hamas attack last October, for so many Jews and our allies, so much of this General Election is also about that.

With the surprise calling of a snap election, in the midst of this global rise in antisemitism, CAA has sprung into action.

We have exposed candidates from across political parties – with some stories making the front pages of national newspapers – and there will be more to come this week.

We are also urging all Parliamentary candidates to sign up to our pledge to adopt and abide by the International (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism, and to encourage and promote its widespread adoption and implementation, unamended and in its entirety, to the exclusion of any other definition or modifying document.

With the polls showing likely changes in the size of the party representation in the House of Commons and so many incumbents stepping down, we are likely to see a vast number of new MPs in July. It is vital that we engage as many of them as possible, educate them about antisemitism and win their commitment to the Definition.

Scores of candidates from across the political spectrum have signed the pledge so far.

Please encourage your local candidates to sign the pledge by inviting them to e-mail us at [email protected].

We are also looking closely at the parties’ manifestos in relation to antisemitism, and will have more to say in the coming days, but you can put your questions directly to party representatives at our antisemitism hustings in London tomorrow evening.

Hustings on antisemitism tomorrow: Have you booked your place?

We have organised an urgent hustings, where, for the first time, candidates from the major national political parties will participate in an open event focusing exclusively on the fight against antisemitism.

Join us for an evening with the Conservatives’ Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat; Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister, Alex Norris; the Liberal Democrats’ Lords Foreign Affairs Lead, Lord Purvis; and Deputy Leader of Reform UK, Ben Habib.

The hustings is taking place at a venue in North London tomorrow evening – Monday, 24th June – so please book your place now.

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

Victims of antisemitism speak out

As part of our work making the voices of British Jews heard, our unique series of powerful testimonials by members of the Jewish community and allies continues, detailing how they have been affected by the events of the past several months.

Previously, we have shared testimonials from:

  • Lysa, who revealed the precautions that she feels that she must take to maintain her safety as a Jew in Britain.
  • Anatole, a Jewish student at Leeds University, who, like so many other students, does not feel safe right now.
  • Sarah (not her real name), who told us that when she and her friends went out one evening to put up posters of hostages taken by Hamas, they were assaulted, and she now fears for her safety.
  • Josh, who recounted how the screening of his film about two gay Jews at an LGBTQ+ support group was cancelled, leaving him questioning where he fits in as a gay Jewish man.
  • Farhad, who, though not Jewish, is horrified by what is happening on our streets, and believes people should speak up when they see antisemitism occurring.

We have now published our final three testimonials.

The anti-Israel marches in London have forced Jessica* and her family to alter the way they live. It is the same for many British Jews.

She describes in her testimonial how there is a sense of “doom” when the marches take place.

Jessica and her family are not alone. 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. Our urban centres have become no-go zones for Jews.

*For security reasons, we have changed the name of the interviewee.

When Liahav and other Jewish audience members were hounded out of a comedy show, Campaign Against Antisemitism immediately investigated the situation to ensure that the comedian was held to account.

As a result of our efforts, the comedian has been banned from the Soho Theatre in London, and was also recently disinvited from the Glastonbury Festival.

No one should have to endure the events described in this testimonial.

In the final instalment of our testimonial series, Simon recalls the night when he was told by a fellow London Underground passenger that he “kills Muslims” because he is Jewish.

More than six in ten British Jews say that they have either personally experienced or witnessed an antisemitic incident since 7th October or know somebody who has.

As our eight-part testimonial series has shown, there are faces with stories behind the statistics. Racism against Jews is only getting worse in Britain, and we won’t stay quiet about it.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who agreed to be interviewed for this project. Their stories are being used to educate and spread awareness of the current situation for Jews in Britain.

Fight for our Future

This week, Campaign Against Antisemitism will be running a crowdfunding campaign, to give you the chance to join us in the fight for our future. We will be trying to raise the funds that we need to continue bringing cases, exposing political parties, assisting victims, exposing hate on the marches, supporting students on campus, holding the media to account, putting antisemitism on the front pages and giving a voice to the Jewish community and our allies.

Please consider making a donation when the campaign goes live on Wednesday morning.

If you would like to help by becoming a Team Leader and spending just a few minutes this week encouraging your family and friends to support Campaign Against Antisemitism, or you would like more information, please e-mail us at [email protected].

No previous experience is necessary, and we will provide all the resources and instructions that you need.

If you can’t wait to support us and want to make a donation now, you can do so by clicking here! But you may wish to wait, because during the crowdfunder your donation will be matched.

Maccabi Fun Run

Campaign Against Antisemitism was proud to join organisations from across the Jewish community at the Maccabi Fun Run this weekend.

Thank you to everyone who visited our stall for such a positive reception!

With election day fast approaching, we are proud to have arranged the first-ever hustings focusing exclusively on antisemitism, featuring senior representatives from the major national political parties.

This will be your opportunity to ask them about what they propose to do to defend the Jewish community during this unprecedented surge in antisemitism. Tickets are going fast, so be sure to reserve your place.

We hope that you will join us!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As part of our work making the voices of British Jews heard, we have begun publishing a unique series of powerful testimonials by members of the Jewish community and allies, detailing how they have been affected by the events of the past several months.

In the first of our testimonials, Lysa reveals the precautions that she feels that she must take to maintain her safety as a Jew in Britain.

When nearly 70% of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism right now, this is what that looks like.

The second testimonial features Anatole, a Jewish student at University of Leeds. There are so many students who, like him, do not feel safe right now.

With so little being done by the universities about the intimidation on campus and antisemitic chanting by students and lecturers alike, can you blame them? As Anatole rightly says, this inaction by universities is a betrayal of their Jewish students.

Campaign Against Antisemitism stands up for Jewish students

We are continuing to monitor incidents on campuses across the country, including recently at Newcastle University and Central Saint Martins.

As a community, we can no longer tolerate how vulnerable Jewish students are feeling on campus. That is why we have produced an open letter for students to hold their universities accountable for the rise in hostility and intimidation exacerbated by the campus encampments.

As it is fashionable to make demands of university administrations these days, Jewish students make the following demands of their own in the letter:

  1. Vice-Chancellors must not accept any of the demands of the organisers of the encampments, and, making it clear that universities will not be pressured into action by this sort of conduct, they must pledge not to begin to consider any policy changes relating to such demands for at least three months after the encampments are removed.
  2. University policies must be applied on trespassing, property damage, bullying, racist conduct and other relevant provisions in order to bring the encampments to an end and punish participants to the full extent of student codes of conduct.
  3. The creation of a new paid staff position dedicated exclusively to tackling antisemitism and promoting Jewish inclusion at each university must be announced, where such a position does not yet exist.
  4. Every university must publicly reassure its community of its commitment to the International Definition of Antisemitism as its sole and unamended definition of antisemitism.
  5. All staff and faculty members, including campus security and welfare officers, must be required to undertake updated antisemitism training.

We are thrilled by how many students have signed the letter so far and had their voices finally heard. Students can sign at antisemitism.org/studentletter.

We have also visited campuses over the past several weeks, speaking directly to students and offering support. On our trip to UCL, we spoke directly with students and showed Jewish students that they are not alone. You can watch the video here.

If you like the t-shirts that the Jewish students in the video are wearing, you too can make a statement with our ‘Quite Openly Jewish’ and ‘Quite Openly Standing With Jews’ t-shirts. Some people also wore them at the march for the release of the hostages yesterday, which Campaign Against Antisemitism was proud to support.

Join the movement, wear the message, and stand proudly with us. Together, we can combat antisemitism.

Available now at antisemitism.org/shop.

Check out the latest episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism

In our latest episodes, we spoke to two of the Jewish community’s best non-Jewish friends, the former MP Mike Freer and Rev. Hayley Ace.

Mike Freer announced his decision not to stand for re-election citing the “intolerable stress” that he and his family have been enduring from the several serious threats that he has received to his personal safety, including a recent arson attack on his constituency office. You can listen to our discussion about the impact of these threats and his decision.

Reverend Hayley Ace is the co-founder of the grassroots movement, Christian Action Against Antisemitism, along with her husband Timothy Gutmann. Both Hayley and Timothy have been standing firmly alongside the British Jewish community against antisemitism, using their perspective as Christians to educate people on racism against Jews. You can learn more about their work by listening to our conversation.

You can subscribe to the podcasts wherever you get your podcasts, or receive the podcast straight to your inbox by subscribing here.

With the General Election campaign now in full swing, we are working hard to expose candidates whose records concern us and calling attention to parties who are failing to act. We will have more on this in due course.

Whoever forms the next Government, they must be left in no doubt about what British Jews think and need right now. That is why it is so important that as many of you as possible complete the surveys above, so that we can convey your wishes and concerns to our lawmakers.

Once you have made your voice heard to us, we will stop at nothing to make sure that everybody else hears it too.

Under the leadership of Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Service’s policing of the anti-Israel protests and campaigns has been an expensive shambles.

Practically nothing has been done to curtail them, with marchers being given two-mile routes though the centre of our capital. For over seven months, Sir Mark has claimed that he requires additional legal powers to curtail the marches even though the law already plainly gives him the powers he needs.

To break the deadlock, we have provided Home Secretary James Cleverly and Minister of State for Crime and Policing Chris Philp concrete measures that will give the Met nowhere to hide:

  1. Issue regulations to make the meaning of “serious disruption to the life of the community” even clearer under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to force the Met and other forces to take into account the cumulative effect of protests and whether they cause intimidation to a particular community. The police must finally be made to treat the weekly marches as one single campaign, rather than as numerous discrete protests, and judge their impact on the rights of others accordingly.
  2. Issue directions to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, under section 40 of the Police Act 1996, to require the Mayor to work with the Met to ensure that sufficient police are at the marches to effect arrests for unlawful behaviour immediately, and keep Jews and others in the vicinity safe. There must be enough officers present to police the protests in real time, not after the fact.
  3. Make orders under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Ansar Allah (the Houthi rebels) and various terrorist organisations involved in the 7th October atrocity which have not already been proscribed. This would render illegal the display of various terrorist flags and chants such as “Yemen, Yemen, make us proud, turn another ship around.”

These measures do not require any new laws to be passed, and if they are adopted, they will have an immediate and profound impact on the policing of processions and public assemblies.

No more excuses instead of arrests. No more ‘contextualising’ offences away instead of enforcing the law.

The proposals have been positively received by the Home Office, which said in a statement: “The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, but there are clear concerns about the cumulative impact protests are having on some of our communities which we are looking at.

“All communities should be able to go about their daily lives without fear. We have been clear with the police that they must use all the powers available to them to police protests appropriately and will always have our backing in doing so.

“We thank the Campaign Against Antisemitism for their proposals and we will be looking closely at them alongside Lord Walney’s recommendations which will be published this week.”

Our proposals were then echoed in a major report published today by Lord Walney, the Government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption, titled “Protecting our Democracy from Coercion”.

Lord Walney’s review of antisemitism within the current anti-Israel protests represents a damning assessment of the police and Crown Prosecution Service for failing to apply their existing powers and politicising their response. The report lays bare how far our branches of law enforcement have fallen behind these extremist groups and the expectations of the British public, which abhors extremism and the use of illegal or intimidatory tactics to accomplish goals that cannot be secured at the ballot box.

One only has to look at the footage recorded by our Demonstration and Events Monitoring Unit from this past weekend’s march or the previous march, when a masked protester shouted “Go back to Poland!” at a Christian reverend whom he mistook for a Jew.

Where will this all end? In Manchester, three men have appeared in court, charged with planning an ISIS-style attack against Jews on British soil, while in Stamford Hill in North London, a woman allegedly brandishing a knife at Jews in the street was stopped by police and Shomrim.

She allegedly told a Jewish man that he is a “provocation” before specifying “you people, you Jewish…all the trouble you’re creating in the world.” When asked what she meant, she allegedly replied: “Who do you think started the Second World War? You, the Jewish, started the Second World War.”

These events do not occur in a vacuum. Policing in the UK must change course now, before it is too late.

Those who ignore the lessons of history

For a recent anti-Israel weekly march passing nearby, the Royal Parks covered up the Holocaust memorial in Hyde Park, a new low. At every turn, the authorities seem to be trying to keep Jews and anything Jewish out of sight to appease these mobs.

Concerns over the safety of the memorial are not, however, unfounded. Since 7th October, Holocaust memorials and museums around the world have been vandalised, blockaded, covered up or otherwise targeted in some way. Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Drancy…the list goes on and on.

Then, on Yom HaShoah, anti-Israel demonstrators wore yellow stars – akin to the sort that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust – and picketed outside Auschwitz concentration camp.

Whether by tearing down posters of the hostages or targeting Holocaust memorials, the supporters of Hamas not only support the antisemitic slaughter of Jews but they also oppose any remembrance for the victims. They want them forgotten. But we will not forget.

Campaign Against Antisemitism funds another successful appeal for Iranian dissident

For the second time this year, we have funded a successful appeal by Iranian dissident Niyak Ghorbani against excessive bail conditions imposed by the Metropolitan Police.

This time, the police wished to restrict Mr Ghorbani from attending or participating in “any protest demonstration related to the Palestinian cause or events occurring in Gaza”, and force him to refrain from any “behaviour aimed at inciting or disturbing participants of any protest demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause or against events in Gaza”, and from entering Camden or the City of Westminster for anything but medical or legal appointments.

However, following a successful appeal that was funded by Campaign Against Antisemitism, the court has rejected the Met’s conditions, with a judge saying that “they are not necessary let alone proportionate.” Mr Ghorbani is now free again to continue pointing out the legal fact that Hamas is a terrorist organisation and expressing his right to protest and counter-protest.

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

Supporting Jewish students in hostile campus environments

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen anti-Israel thugs swarm university campuses with calls for intifada, the eradication of the State of Israel, and references to Hamas as “freedom fighters”. The growing number of encampments comes against a backdrop of escalating antisemitism, with Jewish students facing verbal abuse, receiving death threats and enduring physical violence.

We have met with the Department for Education and been on the forefront of exposing these incidents on campuses across the country, including in University College London, SOAS, University of Leeds, The University of Manchester, Newcastle University and elsewhere.

The hostile environment for Jews that has been created on British campuses challenges the very foundations of academia. Bastions of inclusivity and diversity operating in pursuit of truth are becoming cesspits of racist hate and intimidation.

We are assisting students around the country who are facing antisemitism where they live and study. Any student or faculty member can e-mail us in confidence at [email protected].

The Prime Minister has recently made it clear that antisemitism has no place in our universities. We thank the Prime Minister for doing so. It is now up to vice-chancellors to show that they agree. If they do not, we will do everything that we can to hold them and their institutions to account.

Podcast Against Antisemitism is back!

Season Five of our podcast is now streaming.

In the first episode, marking Yom HaShoah, we spoke to Mervyn Kersh, a distinguished WWII veteran. Now 99 years old, he joined the army in 1943 at the age of eighteen, and you can listen or watch as we discuss his conversations with survivors of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp just days after its liberation.

Our guest in episode two was Elad Poterman, who, along with his baby daughter and wife Maria, are survivors of the Kibbutz Nahal Oz massacre on 7th October. Nahal Oz sits just 800 metres from the Gaza border and was one of the first targets in the early hours of the Hamas terrorist attacks. Listen or watch as Elad takes us through how he and his family spent seventeen hours in the safe room of his home hiding from Hamas terrorists.

For our third episode we interviewed the acclaimed actor, writer, and comedian Brett Gelman, known for his roles in BBC’s “Fleabag,” FX’s “Married” and Netflix’s “Stranger Things”. Brett is not only known for his impressive performances but also for his outspoken stance against antisemitism. You can listen or watch Brett dive into his Jewish identity and speaking on the silencing of Jewish voices.

You can subscribe to the podcasts wherever you get your podcasts, or receive the podcast straight to your inbox by subscribing here.

Some of our additional recent work includes:

  • We have led the coverage of newly-elected local councillors with concerning records, especially in the Green Party, and we are assisting in a police investigation into an independent councillor.
  • We have reported the comedian Dane Baptiste to the police over serious threats to a Jewish individual, with whom we are in touch.
  • We are writing to Ofcom about Hamas atrocity-denial by Natasha Devon on LBC (for which she has apologised).
  • We reported Dana Abuqamar, the President of Manchester Friends of Palestine and final year law student, to the Home Office after she said that “We are full of pride. We are really, really full of joy of what has happened” in apparent reference to 7th October. Her visa has now been revoked.
  • We are writing to the BBC after presenter Eddie Nester MBE asked “Why is [the Jewish lobby] so much more powerful than people with disabilities?” and we are also writing to the broadcaster after Gary Lineker appeared to dismiss the 7th October massacre as “the Hamas thing”.
  • A few weeks ago, to mark Pesach, our digital van drove around London with a message to “let our people go” in reference to the hostages who remain in Hamas captivity.

The Met’s policing of the anti-Israel protests and campaigns has been an expensive shambles, supposedly because the force needs additional legal powers. We have now provided a blueprint for moving forward. Our criminal justice system must be brought into line, and the laws on which it operates must be brought up to date. For the Jewish community, action cannot come soon enough.

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

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

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

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

But they were not able to.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Walk with us

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

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

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

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

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

Time to finally proscribe the IRGC and the Houthis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wishing those celebrating a happy Passover!

This weekend marked the six-month anniversary of the 7th October atrocity, the bloodiest day in Israel’s history and the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

In the wake of the attack, as Israelis and Jewish communities worldwide grappled with the trauma, a distressing contrast emerged: while grief and shock engulfed many, expressions of support for Hamas erupted in various forms of jubilation and celebration across the globe, some within hours of the massacre.

Some chose to turn a blind eye to the atrocities.

Others attempted to rationalise the unjustifiable.

And, shockingly, some even found inspiration in this heinous act.

For the Jewish people, with hostages still in captivity and justification, glorification and celebration of antisemitic terrorism still ongoing around the world, October 7 is 24/7.

Al Quds Day: a tale of two cities

Every year, on the last Friday of Ramadan, the Al Quds Day march takes place in cities around the world, including in London. Since it was established in Iran in 1979, following the Islamic Revolution, Al Quds Day marches are displays of support for the antisemitic Islamist theocracy that rules Iran, kills its opponents and supports Jew-hating terrorist groups across the world, and for its terror proxies.

In the UK, for example, participants in the marches used to fly Hizballah flags and hold placards stating “We are all Hizballah”, until we and others secured the proscription of Hizballah.

In the days prior to this year’s march, which took place on Friday, the organisers had the audacity to complain about occasional arrests at recent anti-Israel marches in London notwithstanding that their own march was in support of a foreign regime that murders protesters.

Our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit was present at the march on Friday. What they saw was predictably despicable, including a woman screaming “Zio-Nazis” at people, flyers emblazoned with Hitler’s face, and more.

As the march proceeded, what became clear was that London on Al Quds Day was a tale of two cities: the hateful marchers in one tale, and, in the other, our digital van displaying the images of hostages and peaceful counter-protesters, some of whom were wearing our “Hamas are terrorists” hoodies.

The Met Police posted on social media that they had identified particular placards that appeared to incite violence in a vehicle that they had proactively stopped near the starting point of the march. “As a result,” they triumphantly declared, “we don’t believe they have been distributed.” Still, they were firm: “Should they be displayed in the crowd, action will be taken.”

But after so many months of policing-by-tweet, it should come as no surprise that our volunteers observed plenty of these placards on display during the march, very often within the sight of police officers. To our knowledge, no action appeared to be taken. This was just the latest example of questionable policing.

The week before, during the anti-Israel demonstration on Easter weekend, a woman reported a placard featuring a swastika to a police officer, who appeared to try to explain that the meaning of a swastika would depend on the context, in echoes of Met Police policy on other antisemitic rhetoric.

Apparently the context of an anti-Israel demonstration rife with analogies of Israel to Nazis and other antisemitic signs, calls for violent intifada, support for Houthi attacks on British vessels and glorification of Hamas terrorism, was not clear enough context of what a swastika might portend.

The Met claimed that it arrested someone in relation to this incident. If so, it raises even more questions about why the police reflexively make excuses instead of taking action in real time.

Extremism in the UK: we want to hear from you

If you could poll the British public on antisemitism or extremism, what questions would you ask?

Click here to let us know.

It is time for Sir Alan Duncan to be expelled

Sir Alan Duncan, the former Conservative MP and Minister, and a particularly unpopular figure in the Jewish community, suggested in an interview on LBC that certain peers in the House of Lords are working for Israel, invoking classic tropes of Jewish power and disloyalty. He later went on to victim-blame Israel for the 7th October Hamas attack.

This is not the first time that he has made accusations of parliamentarians being controlled by Israel. But we believe that it should be the last time that he does so as a member of the Conservative Party.

We called on the Party to investigate, which they have announced that they are now doing. He is not the only Conservative figure that we have been following recently.

We also called for the whip finally to be withdrawn from Baroness Warsi, after she spoke at a Muslim Council of Britain event with Ghada Karmi. The MCB is a controversial group, and Dr Karmi has previously said: “What you saw on October 7th was breaking out from the cage of Gaza by a resistance movement.” Dr Karmi also previously told George Galloway on Al Mayadeen television: “It’s wonderful really and admirable that the Hamas fighters exploded this whole rotten structure.”

We called in addition for the suspension by the Labour Party of another attendee, Afzal Khan MP, of “mass murdering Rothschilds Israeli mafia criminal liars” infamy.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Azmat Husain, the Chairman of the Salford Conservative Federation and the Conservative candidate for Eccles in Salford in the May elections, has withdrawn his candidacy after a Facebook post emerged in which he appears to have written “Jew pigs”. He had claimed that the post was fake.

This is not the first time that there have been serious concerns relating to antisemitism within local Conservative associations in Manchester. The Party has yet to investigate transparently.

We also exposed the social media history of the independent MP, Angus MacNeil, who used to sit with the SNP.

Furthermore, we called out the crossbench peer Lord Bird for saying in a debate in the House of Lords that “The amount of antisemitism you see around the world is because of the fact that Israel is not thinking about the next five or ten years but is only thinking immediately.”

No, Lord Bird, the amount of antisemitism that we are seeing is not because of the Jews or their state. It is because there are antisemites.

The effect of antisemitism on British Jews

Our two-week nationwide billboard campaign spotlighting what it is like to be Jewish in Britain today has concluded. On the billboards, online and on our digital van, we highlighted a number of scenarios to give viewers pause, including:

  • “How would you explain guards outside your child’s nursery?”
  • “Imagine your family feeling unsafe every time they leave their place of worship.”
  • “Do you know how it feels to hide your school blazer so you won’t be attacked?”

Thank you to all of you who have got in touch about the campaign. To quote just one response from Glasgow: “I saw an ad about your campaign in Glasgow today at Finnieston Quay and I wanted to get in touch to say that it really spoke to me. I have been appalled by what I have been reading about antisemitism in the UK. The words on the billboard about guards at nurseries and abuse at a football stadium were really powerful. I hope it helps to make a difference.”

So do we.

Great Ormond Street Hospital

Last December we began discussions with Great Ormond Street Hospital, at the initiative of members of their staff, about providing antisemitism training. This is the same training that we have delivered for years to other NHS trusts, police forces, industry regulators, academic institutions, local authorities and others.

Discussions were proceeding smoothly until approximately six weeks ago, when we were informed that the Hospital’s Muslim Network had expressed concerns about Campaign Against Antisemitism as a provider. We addressed in writing the issues that were raised and offered to meet with the relevant members of staff, with a view to hearing and allaying any concerns.

Unfortunately, the offer was ignored and, apparently without regard for the views of its Jewish staff, the Hospital decided that the Muslim Network should have a veto in relation to antisemitism training, and withdrew from the discussions.

The Hospital assured us that it will still be arranging the provision of antisemitism training, but with a different provider. We replied to the Hospital to say that that is acceptable to us, provided that it uses a reputable trainer that will not compromise on the material to appease anyone at the Hospital who may be ideologically opposed to learning about certain contemporary manifestations of antisemitism.

The Hospital not only failed to provide us with this assurance, but has not responded to us at all for several weeks.

We continued to await contact from the Hospital, but in view of the length of time since our last correspondence, we had no choice but to make this public last week.

If non-Jewish staff at institutions are given a veto over the delivery or content of antisemitism training, such an institution simply cannot be said to be upholding its commitment to equality and diversity. Jewish people and the racism that they suffer cannot be ignored. That is itself antisemitic.

After we revealed the incident, the Hospital released a statement that was wholly unsatisfactory, and we have submitted a Freedom of Information request in order to release more information.

In addition to the victims whom we are assisting and other incidents that we are responding to, here are some of our other high-profile recent cases:

  • We submitted complaints to Ofcom about Matthew Wright for comments on two LBC programmes.
  • We wrote a letter to the Scottish Funding Council regarding the election of Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah as Rector of the University of Glasgow.
  • We called on UK Border Force to suspend officers involved in potential mistreatment of Israeli survivors of 7th October visiting the UK.
  • We publicised appalling footage from the Refectory at Goldsmiths, which is also midway through an inquiry, to which we have contributed, regarding antisemitism on its campus.
  • We reported a man appearing to make serious threats in a TikTok video to Counter-Terrorism Police, and were in touch with the victim.

It has been six months.

Six months of war. Six months of hostages in captivity. Six months of weekly anti-Israel protests and antisemitic rhetoric on our streets. Six months of surging antisemitism — on campuses and online, in workplaces and in our public life. Six months of police failures.

But we are resolute, and we will continue to fight for justice for the Jewish community, no matter how many more months or years it takes.

Following 7th October, the Metropolitan Police Service reported a 1,350% increase in hate crimes against Jewish people. This statistic is incredibly alarming, but on its own it does not paint the full picture of what the effect of this surge in antisemitism is on British Jews.

That is why Campaign Against Antisemitism has today launched a nationwide billboard campaign spotlighting what it is like to be Jewish in Britain right now, and showing how the impact of that antisemitism penetrates the daily life of British Jews of all ages.

Kindergartens with guards, Jewish schools discouraging their pupils from wearing blazers with a Jewish school crest, university students afraid to reveal their religion, football stadiums full of people invoking the Nazi gas chambers, and intimidation outside synagogues.

We have chosen a sample of the real-life everyday effects of antisemitism on British Jews.

At a time when 69% of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism, it is important now, more than ever, that the British public is informed about the extent of the scandal of antisemitism in Britain.

Let everyone know that Hamas are terrorists

On 9th March, Niyak Ghorbani held a sign condemning Hamas as a terror organisation next to an anti-Israel demonstration in London. Footage appears to show that he was abused by protesters and potentially assaulted.

The police did not arrest those who were furious that he was pointing out that Hamas is a terrorist organisation. Instead, a phalanx of officers pulled him to the ground and violently arrested him, as he shouted “shame on you!” Police snatched, scrunched up and confiscated his accurate and perfectly legal sign which, from the footage, appears to be exactly what the protesters had sought to do. Mr Ghorbani was injured and required hospital treatment for a wound.

We provided Mr Ghorbani with assistance, including arranging legal representation, and we are pleased to announce that the outrageous charges brought against him have been dropped and the case is now closed.

The police are now, rightly, seeking the man who is on video appearing to assault Mr Ghorbani. If you have any information, please contact us at [email protected].

In the meantime, our lawyers are continuing to examine legal options in relation to the unacceptable police response to Mr Ghorbani’s lawful exercise of his free speech rights.

Policing of these weekly anti-Israel demonstrations is a shambles. Mr Ghorbani’s case – where an innocent man was arrested while potential criminals continued on their way – is a scandal. We will do everything in our power to force the Met Police to change course and finally start punishing criminality and extremism.

Mr Ghorbani was accosted and then arrested, all because he was trying to point out that, under UK law, Hamas is a terrorist organisation. So when the police censored him, we decided to amplify his message.

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

We also enlisted our digital van to help spread the message, driving it to the very location where Mr Ghorbani was wrongly arrested.

It is a sad reflection of the times we live in when it has become controversial to promulgate the simple moral and legal truth that Hamas are terrorists.

Broadcasters must call Hamas terrorists too

This week, the BBC called the terror attack in Moscow, for which ISIS took responsibility, a “terror attack”. Perhaps realising that this might mean that the broadcaster would also have to call the Hamas terror attack, which was the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, a “terror attack”, the description of the Moscow attack was quickly deleted. This is not the first time that the BBC has done this.

The broadcaster’s refusal to describe Hamas as terrorists – and its increasingly comical efforts not to be called out for hypocrisy by calling other terrorist groups by their name – is, at best, a failure to live up to its own principles of accuracy, impartiality and fairness. That is why it is so important to have our voices heard.

Our 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, has been signed by over 10,000 of your so far, from almost every constituency in the UK. That means that the Government must now consider and respond to the proposal.

With 100,000 signatures, 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.

How many people in Britain sympathise with Hamas?

New polling has found that there are over 2.5 million Hamas sympathisers currently in Britain (4% of the British population). Almost a further 17 million (26%) “don’t know” if they sympathise with Hamas.

The figures are worst amongst the young. For example, one in ten of those aged 18-24 say that they hold a favourable view of Hamas.

The polling also shows that over three million Britons (5%) want all Jewish presence in the Middle East eliminated through mass expulsion, and the same number say that the 7th October atrocity was “justified”.

Terrorists pose a threat not only to British Jews, but to the entirety of British society. The approaches tried so far by our Government and police forces have not worked. The radicalisation of our country, and particularly our youth, poses a grave danger to the whole United Kingdom.

We hope that those celebrating had a joyous Purim

With antisemitism surging in the UK, war in Israel and hostages still trapped in Gaza, the story of Purim and the power to overcome genocidal hatred of Jews is as relevant as ever.

We hope that, circumstances notwithstanding, those who were celebrating this Jewish holiday had a joyous weekend.

Those protesting on our streets and our national broadcasters must be reminded that Hamas are terrorists — and they cannot be allowed to hide away from that fact. Whether by exposing the failures and hypocrisies of our public institutions, making apparel available, or by changing the law, we will continue to find innovative and effective ways to spread that vital message.

Today, the Government has announced a new definition of “Extremism”.

The new definition, announced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, updates the previous definition “to respond to increased extremist threat since the 7th October terror attacks in Israel,” provides “new engagement principles to ensure that Government does not legitimise extremist groups,” and “follows the Prime Minister’s commitment to stamp out extremism to ensure we keep our citizens safe and our country secure.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Today’s announcement is a very belated admission by the Government that it has engaged with and even funded extremists over the years, and that it will no longer do so. That is welcome, but that is as far as this announcement goes. It proposes no sanction whatsoever for extremists caught by the new definition other than a loss of state support that they should never have had in the first place, and far too many extremists will not be caught under this definition at all.

“It is particularly ironic that the definition draws on the work of Sir Mark Rowley, who has become one of the country’s foremost enablers of extremism by his refusal to use his existing powers in relation to the weekly marches that are threatening the fabric of our society. Ultimately, today’s move by the Government amounts to yet more words at a time when firm action is already decades late.”

This week, Campaign Against Antisemitism brought antisemitism to the forefront of our nation’s mainstream media coverage.

Many of you will have seen the Evening Standard’s front page on Tuesday, titled, “London’s antisemitism shame”.

As our Chief Executive told the newspaper: “It’s the biggest untold story, the impact mass intimidation is having on Jewish families. The cumulative effect is pretty devastating…This is not the tolerant Britain that we cherish — it is a Britain succumbing to a racist mob.”

Now more than ever, antisemitism is at the forefront of our minds in the Jewish community. This is why we are working tirelessly to ensure that victims’ stories are told and that the British public comes to understand how antisemitism is not just a Jewish issue, but a national one. With our streets taken over by a mob every week, our politicians threatened and inept police leadership, our country is in crisis.

Reacting fast to injustice

Yesterday, a man was violently arrested by police in London for carrying a sign stating that under UK law, Hamas is considered to be a terrorist organisation. We are reviewing all of the footage available in relation to this incident.

The police response appears to have been not only outrageous and disproportionate but potentially legally actionable.

For a phalanx of police officers to violently arrest a man who was verbally and physically attacked for observing that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist group while taking no action against his assailants is a breathtaking inversion of the law.

Not only are the police failing to enforce the law but they appear to be punishing those who are daring to point out what the law is. We are in touch with the victim and our lawyers are examining options.

What is the law?

Over the last ten days, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated in no uncertain terms that he believes that calling for violent Jihad or the eradication of the Jewish state, or projecting antisemitic tropes like “From the River to the Sea” onto Big Ben are unacceptable criminal offences.

It was a categorical rebuke of how the Metropolitan Police has approached the regular anti-Israel protests, making excuses instead of arrests. Yesterday was yet another example.

That is why only 16% of British Jews believe that the police treat antisemitic hate crime like other forms of hate crime.

In response, Sir Mark Rowley, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, rejected the Prime Minister’s assertions, doubling down on the excuses that he has made for police inaction for almost half a year now. The result is a lack of clarity on the law of the land. The Government says one thing, and the police say another.

Accordingly, we have written to Sir Mark, observing that “You have the distinction of presiding over the worst surge in antisemitic criminality in our capital city since records began,” and calling for clarity: “It is vital that the conflicting publicly stated positions of the British Government and the Metropolitan Police are reconciled.”

Jewish journalists resign from National Union of Journalists

On Tuesday, we broke the news that in recent months six Jewish journalists have resigned from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), one of the largest trade unions for journalists in Britain, owing to its alleged bias against the Jewish state and the impact that that is having on its Jewish members.

Those who spoke to us have told us that there is a culture in the NUJ that leaves its Jewish members feeling ostracised.

Jewish former NUJ members have told us of rhetoric in official e-mails from the union to its members, the sorts of events being held by the union and comments from other members.

One of the journalists who left told us that they don’t “feel safe being in a union which takes no interest in the concerns of Jewish journalists.”

Another journalist said: “They’ve created a divide. It’s like them versus us.”

When one of the largest trade unions for journalists is endorsing people who have engaged in antisemitism-denial and made comparisons between the Nazis and Israel, what message is this sending its Jewish members?

The NUJ has clearly failed its Jewish members and must urgently explain how it will regain their trust.

We are offering free legal representation to any NUJ members affected by anti-Jewish racism. Anyone affected can contact us at [email protected].

The need for our work is more urgent than ever before

The 7th October massacre changed everything, and it’s clear that the fight against antisemitism is more urgent than ever before.

We have been working tirelessly to combat antisemitism in all its forms, but we can’t do it without you.

If you are one of our supporters who already have a direct debit with us or donate regularly to support our work, thank you.

Here is just a small, varied selection of some of the work that your support has already enabled us to do in recent months:

  • After Jewish audience members were allegedly hounded out of Soho Theatre by comedian Paul Currie, we have been supporting the victims and secured a pledge by the theatre to ban him from returning to the venue. This is just one example of the cases that we are working on and the victims whom we are assisting.
  • The rallies and marches that we have organised or co-sponsored have cast a spotlight on the Met Police and BBC, empowered Jews and allies to march through London, and raised awareness of the hostages being held by Hamas – a goal to which our billboards and digital vans have also contributed.
  • Our expert opinion helped ensure that a solicitor accused of antisemitic conduct has been struck off; our efforts brought about the rapper Wiley’s forfeiture of his MBE; our calls led to a judge being scrutinised over potential bias in a case relating to anti-Israel protesters; we helped bring about a humiliation for Ken Livingstone in court; and more. We continue to process scores of criminal, regulatory and other cases.
  • Our in-depth polling has revealed that nearly 70% of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism right now, and that almost one fifth of the British public believes that Israel can get away with anything because its supporters “control the media”.
  • Following our ground-breaking exposé of rockstar Roger Waters, Germany-based music rights company BMG reportedly ended its relationship with the former Pink Floyd member.

We can only continue to do this vital work with your support.

By signing up for a direct debit today, you can ensure that we have the reliable funding needed to bring antisemitism to the forefront of British media. Direct debits offer a stable and efficient way for donors to support our cause, allowing more of your donation to directly fund our programmes and initiatives.

On Friday evening, the Prime Minister made a speech responding to the surge in antisemitism and extremism in our country.

His comments were nothing short of a rebuke of the Metropolitan Police Service’s well-honed practice of making excuses for extremism instead of arrests, and putting their frontline officers in impossible situations. He has demanded in no uncertain terms that the weekly anti-Israel marches no longer be merely managed, but actually policed.

In other words: it is time for the police to do their job.

Following this important intervention, we now look to the Prime Minister and Home Secretary to announce concrete solutions to address this dire situation, which leaves the Jewish community in fear for its safety and our democracy in peril.

We welcome the Prime Minister’s call for police to do better when policing protests, and for protesters to think twice about the consequences of their actions, but for months, we have heard protesters and protest organisers tell us that they will continue on their current path and that they feel that they are under no obligation to deviate from it.

The true test of the effectiveness of the Prime Minister’s national address will come when we see what happens at the mass demonstration next Saturday, and in the weeks to come as these marches continue.

While the words were welcome, firm action is long overdue.

Extremists are not simply hijacking protests: they are organising them. The Prime Minister condemned the anti-Jewish genocidal “From the River to the Sea…” slogan projected onto Big Ben, but we have heard march organisers testify to MPs that they actively promote that language.

Yesterday, the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square and the Cenotaph on Whitehall once again required lines of police officers to stand guard over them. This has been necessary countless times since 7th October.

Over the past few weeks we have seen the extremism on our streets penetrate our politics. Now it has entered Parliament. We know, as the Prime Minister does, that nothing is likely to change without firm action from his Government and the authorities.

That action must materialise urgently.

We look forward to learning what measures will be introduced. We have made clear recommendations to the Government and the police.

In recent weeks, our democracy has faced a grave assault by anti-Israel protesters

Anti-Israel protesters have not hesitated in using intimidation to get their message across, brazenly threatening our elected representatives and launching direct attacks on the very foundation of our democratic institutions.

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.

Enough is enough.

Inaction against these marches has led to a feeling amongst many extremists and antisemites that they can get away with brazen acts of racism against Jews, and too often they are right.

On Thursday, we reported on an incident that occurred on the London Underground where an identifiably Jewish man noticed a fellow passenger staring aggressively at him. The passenger then proceeded to tell the man: “Your religion kills Muslims.”

British Transport Police is investigating and we are continuing to support the victim.

The incident occurred between Camden Town and Chalk Farm on a Northern Line train to Edgware at approximately 19:45 in carriage number 52585.

If you have information, please contact British Transport Police with crime reference number 2400026154 or e-mail [email protected].

It is shocking to see how this man was treated for daring to be Jewish in public, but perhaps it is not that surprising in these dark times.

Too little too late

On Tuesday, the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee released its report on the policing of protests.

Last year, our Chief Executive, Gideon Falter, gave evidence before the Committee, which was included in the report, as well as our written evidence.

The report ​​fails to address the increasingly urgent need to restore the confidence of the British public and ensure the safety of Britain’s Jews.

Staggeringly, it appears that the only concrete recommendation from the Committee for the protests is that the organisers should give more notice to the police, which would not change the actual nature of these marches and therefore solves nothing other than timesheet planning for our overstretched police forces.

After months of intimidatory marches, the report offers no concrete recommendations for the here and now, just a long-term policy discussion about workforce planning and new laws that will take years to agree.

Read our full statement here.

We need action urgently.

Protest-organisers should be made to follow the March Against Antisemitism as an example of good practice.

The police seem to think so too. In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, one officer told the presenter that the march was a good example of how a protest can be “done well and respectfully”.

Why can the same not be said for the weekly anti-Israel protests on our streets?

Britain’s newest MP

On Thursday, the constituents of Rochdale voted in the by-election. After weeks of turmoil in Rochdale leading up to the parliamentary by-election, George Galloway is once again an MP.

Mr Galloway has an atrocious record of baiting the Jewish community.

He has previously and infamously declared Bradford an “Israel-free zone”. He said of his previous election loss that “the venal, the vile, the racists and the Zionists will all be celebrating”. He described David Baddiel, a Jewish comic who is well-known for not closely associating himself with Israel, as a “vile Israel-fanatic”. He claimed that the institutional antisemitism within the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn was really “a disgraceful campaign of Goebbelsian fiction”, in reference to Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propagandist. He was sacked by TalkRadio despite his protestations, over an incident in which Tottenham Hotspur accused him of “blatant antisemitism” for a remark about keeping “Israeli flags” off the cup.

More recently, he has described the atrocity carried out by Hamas on 7th October as a “concentration camp breakout” and referred to Hamas terrorists as “fighters”.

Now, Mr Galloway has been chosen by the voters of Rochdale. Given his historic rhetoric and the current situation faced by the Jewish community in this country, we are extremely concerned by how he might use the platform of the House of Commons.

Is Charlotte Church tone deaf?

Earlier this week, we led the media outrage after singer Charlotte Church led a choir, which included children, singing, “From the River to the Sea…”.

The genocidal chant “From the River to the Sea…” refers to the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, and only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a Palestinian state. It is a call for the annihilation of half the world’s Jews, who live in Israel.

Since 7th October, when Hamas committed their barbaric terrorist acts, we have heard this chant on the streets of Britain during anti-Israel marches, accompanied by all manner of anti-Jewish racism.

Singing “From the River to the Sea…” is not standing up for human rights. At best Charlotte Church has been tone deaf, but at worst she is using the voice for which she is so well known to fan the flames of hatred.

You cannot stoop lower than using your stardom to teach kids to sing extremist lyrics in a village hall.

We are writing to the Charity Commission to ask them to investigate how this was allowed to take place on a charity’s premises.

Five years since Hizballah was banned in the UK

Five years ago this week, following a gruelling effort over several years by Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies, Hizballah was proscribed as a terrorist group in the United Kingdom.

Hizballah is a violent, genocidal and dangerous antisemitic organisation whose leaders have praised the 7th October Hamas terrorist atrocities as “heroic”.

Hizballah is suspected to have been involved in terrorist attacks targeting Jews from Burgas to Buenas Aires, where they bombed a Jewish community centre in 1994, killing 85 people. They continue to make their violent, murderous intentions towards Jews clear to this day.

As people continue to glorify the axis of violence to which they belong on our streets, their legal designation as a terrorist organisation, like their allies Hamas, has never been more important for the safety of Jews in Britain.

Recent arrests

Earlier this year, three Jews were physically attacked by ten men in Leicester Square, which resulted in serious injuries. No bystanders helped and police only showed up after half an hour, after the perpetrators had fled the scene.

One of the suspects involved in the alleged assault has now been arrested.

We are continuing to assist the victims during this time.

There are still more arrests to be made. If anyone has any further information, they should contact the Metropolitan Police.

On Monday evening, protesters were seen walking down Upper Street in Angel, London, chanting, “from London to Gaza, long live the intifada.”

An arrest was made shortly after a member of the public informed the police. We commend the Met for its swift action in this incident.

An individual believed to be involved with a violent attack in December has also been arrested.

The alleged assault was on a group of Jewish people in North West London on the bridge between Chalk Farm and Primrose Hill.

The group of five were putting up posters showing the faces of people taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. One of the members was an identifiably Jewish woman who wore a Star of David.

If you have any further information, please inform the Metropolitan Police.

Whilst the news of these arrests is welcome, prosecutions are few and far between, and the events of this week show serious weaknesses in our democracy. This is extremely alarming. We will continue to expose where our institutions fail to protect us from anti-Jewish hatred. We must demand better.

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.

Since last weekend, we have been assisting Jewish guests who were reportedly hounded out of the Soho Theatre in London after comedian Paul Currie allegedly led his audience in targeted chanting.

According to a statement provided to us by one Jewish attendee, who wished to remain anonymous, the incident occurred last Saturday during the one-hour “Shtoom” show, attended by over 100 people.

Towards the end of the performance, Mr Currie introduced two props – a Ukrainian flag and a Palestinian Authority flag – and urged everyone to stand and applaud, apparently in support of the causes with which those flags have become associated, creating discomfort among some attendees in relation to the Palestinian Authority flag.

“When we all sat down again, [Mr Currie] looked towards a young man sitting in the second row and said ‘You didn’t stand, why? Didn’t you enjoy my show?’,” recounted the attendee. “The young man, who we discovered soon after was Israeli, replied ‘I enjoyed your show until you brought out the Palestinian Authority flag.’”

According to the attendee, the comedian then yelled at the young man: “Get out of my show. Get the f*** out of here. F*** off, get the f*** out of here.” This instantaneously escalated into the audience shouting “Get out” and “Free Palestine” until the young man left.

We publicised the story and worked with the victims to secure national media coverage of the incident. We are also dealing with the theatre, which has engaged with us positively and swiftly and issued an apology. It has banned Mr Currie, who has also reportedly been dropped by two Australian venues so far as well.

Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but hounding Jews out of theatres is reminiscent of humanity’s darkest days, and must have no place in central London in 2024. We are working with the victims and our lawyers to ensure that those who instigated and enabled it are held to account.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any further information is asked to contact us in confidence on +44 (0)330 822 0321 (option 2) or at [email protected].

In Rochdale, Labour gets it wrong before getting it right

The Labour Party’s candidate in the Rochdale by-election, Azhar Ali, was revealed to have suggested that Israel may have enabled the 7th October Hamas massacre in order to justify an incursion into Gaza. He was recorded making the remarks in a meeting in late October 2023.

But even as it became clear that this man, who had effectively propagated a blood libel, does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, the Labour Party, incredibly, continued to back his candidacy after a quick apology, wheeling out numerous figures to defend him.

It was then revealed that, at the same meeting, he blamed Labour’s suspension of Andy McDonald MP on “people in the media from certain Jewish quarters”. Labour then dropped its support for him.

It then emerged that Graham Jones, a former Labour MP who is also seeking a return to the Commons, was also recorded at the same meeting apparently making reference to “f***ing Israel” and saying (wrongly) that it is illegal for British Jews to join fighting against Hamas terrorists and that those who do so “should be locked up”. Labour immediately suspended him.

Sir Keir Starmer blotted an otherwise fairly admirable copy book by delaying the withdrawal of support from Mr Ali. Rather than appearing as a principled decision, it ended up looking as expedient as the failed attempt to defend him in the first place. However, in the case of Mr Jones, Labour did the right thing, and did it swiftly.

Now, Labour must reveal which other MPs, candidates and councillors were at that same October meeting and why they said nothing about the remarks that were made, and indeed if more such remarks were made. Labour must continue to put a line in the sand and declare that it will not tolerate extremist views. It is the least that we should be able to expect from all our political parties.

Throughout the week, as more and more revelations emerged, we led the media commentary, appearing in every major newspaper and on all the major radio and television broadcasters.

The Conservatives this week expelled the Mayor of Salisbury following reportedly “offensive and inappropriate comments” about Jewish people.

It is disappointing to see so many of these cases in our politics, but we commend parties for acting swiftly when they arise.

Police ask man hide Jewishness in Edinburgh

In Edinburgh, we are working with a Jewish man who was urged by police to hide his Star of David due to the proximity of an anti-Israel protest, to avoid “triggering” the protesters. The police officer was clearly worried that he and his colleagues were heavily outnumbered and that these protesters could pose a threat to Jews, but his response was effectively to stop a passing Jewish man and ask him to hide his identity before continuing on his way.

Watch the video, and ask yourself whose rights are actually being protected here, those of law-abiding people or those of mobs of extremists who might be “triggered” by people being Jewish in public?

The police have apologised to the individual, but an apology somewhat misses the point. If the officer believed that there was a potential threat to this Jewish individual, he should have focused on the threat.

What if arrests are made, but the courts fail us?

Our Demonstration and Events Monitoring Unit collected evidence from a protest outside Downing Street this week, in which antisemitic signs were on display.

The police acted in response to one of the pictures that we posted, announcing that they had arrested a woman on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

However, an arrest is only the first stage in the criminal justice system. There must also be prosecutions and then trials in court, with appropriate sentences for those who are convicted.

On that score, the system has failed us this week.

You may recall that, in one of the first major anti-Israel protests in the wake of 7th October, three women were seen displaying images of a paraglider, a symbol that had come to be associated with the Hamas attack. They were identified and arrested, and have been convicted of terrorism offences.

However, Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram “decided not to punish” the trio. The court thereby sent the worst possible signal to the Jewish community at a time of surging antisemitism.

We then shared fresh evidence with the media that may suggest possible bias on the Judge’s part. We shared this with the media, and have written to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. A full and proper investigation must follow. The Jewish community deserves to be able to trust our legal system to act impartially and with zero-tolerance enforcement of the law.

This weekend’s anti-Israel march

We are continuing to monitor the weekly anti-Israel protests. This week, we publicised concerns from local Jewish community leaders in central London about the route and persistence of these marches. The Met Police tried to ensure that the marches would start at 13:30 on Saturday after synagogue services had finished, but the protesters gathered at midday anyway. The police bolstered security outside synagogues in the area and we have heard from parents who were afraid to walk home with their children.

Not only are the organisers of these marches refusing to respect local communities and the police, but neither are the protesters. Met Police officers who, rightly, were arresting a woman holding a sign that read “Long Live the Intifada” were confronted by angry demonstrators chanting “Shame on you”. The reason that these protests are so hard to police is because it is not just the overt criminals who cause disruption, but it is the criminals who walk alongside them and attack the police when they move in. This means dozens of police — who are considerably outnumbered to begin with — are required to effect one arrest.

Sir Mark Rowley has accepted that there is a threat to synagogues and Jewish people but has still not banned the marches or placed meaningful restrictions on them. He has sent 1,500 officers to police tens of thousands of people and they are getting beaten up doing their jobs.

For shame.

The above is just a sample of our work over the past week. We have also written to the University of Leeds over a spate of incidents in and around its campus; we have called out the BBC over a contestant on “The Apprentice” with a history of inflammatory rhetoric about Jews and offered assistance to BBC employees who are reportedly frightened at work; we are referring the General Medical Council to the Professional Standards Authority over a pitiful sanction for a doctor who has been found to be “quite comfortable with using discriminatory language” about Jews; we are assisting a Jewish nightclub owner in East London who has been forced to step down as a director following threats against him and his family; and more.

We are fighting antisemitism on every front – on the streets and on campuses, on television and in politics, in business and online, in our regulated professions and in our cultural institutions – and we are fighting it nationwide. We are only able to do so with your continued support.

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].

Today, James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, has 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 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. 

Our 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. Our urban centres have become no-go zones for Jews.

In December, Campaign Against Antisemitism gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee regarding the policing of protests. During the hearing, Chief Executive Gideon Falter pointed out that there is no freedom to intimidate others, glorify terrorism or commit acts of hatred under the law, and contrasted how police at the March Against Antisemitism in November were there to protect marchers from criminality, whereas at the weekly anti-Israel marches they are there to protect the public from criminals among the marchers.

James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said: “Recent protests have seen a small minority dedicated to causing damage and intimidating the law-abiding majority. The right to protest is paramount in our county, but taking flares to marches to cause damage and disruption is not protest, it is dangerous. That is why we are giving police the powers to prevent any of this criminality on our streets.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Public Order, Chief Constable BJ Harrington, said: “We welcome the proposal to create new offences relating to war memorials and flares, as well as making it clear that covering your face at a protest to conceal identity is not acceptable.

“These changes are in-line with conversations that we have had with the Home Office to ensure that we have the powers that we need to get balance right between the rights of those who wish to protest, and those impacted by them.

“Thankfully, the use of flares and pyrotechnics at public order events is rare, but they are still extremely dangerous. Safety is our number one concern when policing these events, and the effective banning of these items during protests can only help in our mission to ensure that they take place without anyone coming to any harm.

“As with all policing powers, these new powers will be used when appropriate, proportionate, and necessary to achieve policing objectives. Policing is not anti-protest, but there is a difference between protest and criminal activism, and we are committed to responding quickly and effectively to activists who deliberately disrupt people’s lives with reckless and criminal acts.”

Andy Marsch, Chief Constable at the College of Policing, said: “I welcome the new offences this legislation will provide the officers who are policing protests and working hard, in complex environments, to keep people safe.

“The safety of both those protesting and others nearby trying to go about their business is the top priority and our training and guidance focuses on balancing the rights of those protesting with the rights of those affected. The new legislation is now clear that protest is not an excuse for serious disruption.

“As with previous changes the College of Policing will work quickly to provide practical advice, training and support for policing to utilise these new powers.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “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, including the use of fireworks against police officers, desecration of war memorials and severe disruption to travel. 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.”

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?

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.

It may be a new year, but sadly what we are seeing on our streets is still the same old hate.

Last week, there was an illegal anti-Israel protest, which our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit captured on film, and during the week there were genocidal calls outside the Houses of Parliament. Yesterday, there was another large protest, which our volunteers also monitored.

But even as these demonstrations take place week after week, the Mayor of London has failed to speak out and take action. Perhaps Sadiq Khan did not want to provoke the ire of antisemites, as the Mayor of Bristol did when he expressed solidarity with the victims of Hamas terror.

But Mr Khan is also London’s equivalent of a police and crime commissioner. He is the elected official in charge of policing in our capital city at a time when 90% of British Jews say that they are feeling intimidated and bullied into staying out of city centres, according to our representative polling of the Jewish community.

This weekend, Campaign Against Antisemitism called on the Mayor finally to speak out against the marches on our streets that regularly feature antisemitism, glorification of terrorism and incitement to intifada.

The Mayor is not above criticism. After all, why is it that it is okay to criticise the Mayor over, say, knife crime but not okay to criticise him over antisemitic hate crime? Why do some people seem to think Jewish Londoners do not have a right to expect solidarity and action from their city’s mayor at a time of record antisemitism?

There seems to be a cynical double standard, which we do not accept. We will continue to hold politicians and police chiefs to account, without fear or favour.

100 days in captivity

Today, British Jews have gathered at Trafalgar Square to mark 100 days since the brutal Hamas terror attack.

Contrary to the claims of antisemites, Zionism and a strong connection to Israel are core to the identity of most British Jews. Over the winter break, we published polling that shows that a near-unanimous 97% of British Jews feel personally connected to events happening in Israel, and eight in ten British Jews consider themselves to be a Zionist. Only six percent do not. That is why so many turned out today.

For 100 days, the hostages taken by Hamas have been held in captivity by the terrorist organisation, in unimaginable conditions.

Among them is Kfir Bibas, who turns one year old this month.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is proud to join the call of the Jewish community and its allies to Bring Them Home!

Parliament acts

This week has seen a variety of welcome developments in the House of Commons:

  • The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill passed its third reading. Once it becomes law, it will ban public bodies from imposing their boycotts, divestment, or sanctions campaigns against foreign countries. Year after year, our polling has shown that an overwhelming majority of British Jews consider the tactics of the BDS campaign to be intimidatory.
  • MPs debated a proposal by Nickie Aiken MP relating to the contribution of British Jews to our country. Campaign Against Antisemitism provided a submission to all MPs in advance of the debate.
  • Andrew Percy MP raised the critical issue of antisemitism in schools. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed that “there is no place for antisemitism or the glorification of terrorism in Britain, especially not in our classrooms.”

Our volunteers also met with MPs this week, and our Policy Unit continues to engage with parliamentarians and the Government on a regular basis as part of our policy advocacy.

Wiley performance cancelled

You may recall that, in 2020, the rapper Richard Cowie, known as Wiley, published antisemitic and potentially criminal posts on social media. Numerous platforms suspended his accounts in response to the scandal.

Campaign Against Antisemitism continues to seek criminal prosecution against Mr Cowie in relation to these posts, which he published from abroad.

In the meantime, we have made every effort to prevent his hate from being normalised. This week, for example, we wrote to a venue that was due to feature him in a gig. Following our correspondence, he has been dropped from the lineup.

This past week, all eyes were on the Home Affairs Select Committee, where the organisers of the weekly anti-Israel marches were grilled by MPs and antisemitism experts gave evidence before parliamentarians.

Notwithstanding the evidence gathered week after week by our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit, the organisers of the marches, including leaders of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Stop The War Coalition, insisted that these were peace marches, and that they not only “tolerate” the genocidal “From the River to the Sea” chant but actively chant it.

Are they really peace marches? Watch our video and decide for yourself.

After the organisers had their say, antisemitism experts had their turn answering the Committee’s questions.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Chief Executive, Gideon Falter, pointed out that there is no freedom to intimidate others, glorify terrorism or commit acts of hatred, and contrasted how police at the March Against Antisemitism were there to protect marchers from criminality, whereas at the anti-Israel marches they are there to protect the public from the criminals among the marchers.

This hearing was an opportunity to bring our polling results – your responses to our recent survey – to the attention of lawmakers. Thank you to the thousands of you who participated.

He also did not leave unchallenged Diane Abbott’s claim not to have seen any glorification of terrorism at these anti-Israel protests and her insistence that her Jewish constituents are unafraid to enter Central London during the demonstrations. (After we publicised her comments, members of the Stamford Hill Jewish community contacted us angrily to reject her assertions.)

Watch the exchange in the video.

Have you experienced or witnessed an antisemitic incident?

We are looking to collect filmed testimonials from the Jewish community to capture how British Jews are coping at a time of surging antisemitism.

Please contact us so that we can get in touch about arranging filming.

Solidarity during Chanukah

During Chanukah, it is traditional to display the Chanukah lamp at the window, in order to publicise the miracles that were bestowed on the Jews of antiquity who successfully overcame their oppressors.

This year, particularly after last week’s march, that feeling of defiance is stronger than it has been in a while, and we anticipate that many of the Jewish community’s friends and allies will be looking for ways to continue to show solidarity against antisemitism.

We have created an image of a Chanukah lamp which you can print and place in your window during the eight-day festival, which begins this Thursday evening. We have also included a version that can be coloured in, in case you have children who would like to get involved!

We would love you to send us pictures of images of your Chanukah lamp or the picture of the lamp in your window, which we can share on social media.

“Acheinu” – “Our Brothers”

Campaign Against Antisemitism, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Rabbi, is delighted to present Jonny Turgel’s “Acheinu”, an anthem for the National Solidarity March Against Antisemitism that took place in Central London on Sunday 26th November 2023.

We were thrilled to have the Chief Rabbi among the speakers at the National Solidarity March Against Antisemitism and to have such an accomplished chazan in Jonny Turgel to express the feelings of the crowd that day.

We are honoured to have worked with him and the Office of the Chief Rabbi to create this music video to immortalise that most extraordinary day and to be able to present it to the Jewish community and our many friends.

Please share the video widely. May it bring light to us all in this particularly dark period for the Jewish people and our wonderful allies.

Wishing our Jewish supporters a Happy Chanukah!

Campaign Against Antisemitism, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Rabbi Efraim Mirvis, is delighted to present Jonny Turgel’s “Acheinu”, an anthem for the National Solidarity March Against Antisemitism that took place in Central London on Sunday 26th November 2023.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We were thrilled to have the Chief Rabbi among the speakers at the National Solidarity March Against Antisemitism and to have such an accomplished chazan in Jonny Turgel to express the feelings of the crowd that day. We are honoured to have worked with him and the Office of the Chief Rabbi to create this music video to immortalise that most extraordinary day and to be able to present it to the Jewish community and our many friends.”

As the dust settles following the 105,000-strong March Against Antisemitism of last week, the contrast could not be clearer between us, seeking to uphold our right to walk the streets proudly as Jews and allies in safety, and those whose fight makes our city centres no-go zones for Jews on a weekly basis.

During this season, as we approach Chanukah, we are particularly attuned to the fight against antisemitism, and how we can wage it in twenty-first-century Britain in accordance with our values. Last Sunday, we showed the country and the world how we do it: peaceably, with dignity and in good humour. We showed British values at their best – by being proud Jews and allies.

We have now uploaded a picture gallery of the march, as well as a video of all of the speeches in full.

We were privileged to speak to many of you who attended to ask why you felt it was so important to participate and the impact that being there had on you.

The march was peaceful. The march was unthreatening. The march was different from all other marches that London has hosted in recent weeks.

The contrast could not be clearer between those who fight against antisemitism and those whose fight makes our cities no-go zones for Jews.

Solidarity during Chanukah

During Chanukah, it is traditional to display the Chanukah lamp at the window, in order to publicise the miracles that were bestowed on the Jews of antiquity who successfully overcame their oppressors.

This year, particularly after last week’s march, that feeling of defiance is stronger than it has been in a while, and we anticipate that many of the Jewish community’s friends and allies will be looking for ways to continue to show solidarity against antisemitism.

For those interested, we have created an image of a Chanukah lamp which you can print and place in your window ahead of the eight-day festival, which begins this Thursday evening. We have also included a version that can be coloured in, in case you have children who would like to get involved!

We would love you to send us pictures of images of your Chanukah lamp or the picture of the lamp in your window, which we can share on social media. You can e-mail or Direct Message us on social media at the handle @antisemitism.

A solemn commemoration

140,000, 75,000, 135,000, 5,000, 38,000, 265,000, 30,000, 105,000, 63,000.

These are estimates of the number of Jews living, respectively, in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen in 1948.

Their numbers are now depleted to single digits in all but two of those countries, where they are a fraction of what they were. A similar pattern prevailed in other Muslim countries in the wider region as well.

This past week saw the annual Day to Mark the Departure and Expulsion of Jews from the Arab Countries and Iran. We remember the persecution and expulsion of these communities, and celebrate their immense contributions to the Jewish world and the countries that welcomed them.

The BBC

There were reports prior to the march that the BBC had either instructed employees not to attend or had referred those who asked whether they could attend to guidelines that seemed to discouraged attendance. Either way, it was very disappointing to see our national broadcaster not readily permit its staff to attend a march against racism. These reports served only to fuel suspicions among the community and much of the wider public about the Corporation’s impartiality.

We have offered free assistance to any BBC employee who is reprimanded or faces any consequences for having made a stand against racism by joining the march, including arranging legal support free of charge.

This is, of course, just the latest controversy relating to the BBC. Another has been its reticence to call Hamas “terrorists”.

If you have not yet signed our Parliamentary Petition, you can still do so. It calls 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.

This year, Chanukah will carry more meaning than usual for many Jews. We wish our Jewish supporters a safe, joyous and defiant Chanukah. May it bring light in this particularly dark period for the Jewish people and our wonderful allies.

Image credit: Campaign Against Antisemitism/Stuart Mitchell

Week after week, London has become a no-go zone for Jews. Until Sunday, when 105,000 of you – British Jews and our allies from across the country – assembled to #MarchAgainstAntisemitism. It was the largest gathering against antisemitism in a century.

Even with the full page ads in all of the major national newspapers, extensive publicity in the Jewish press, a one-hour call in programme with our Chief Executive on LBC last Thursday, and significant additional coverage in newspapers and on television and radio, the turnout still exceeded all expectations.

We were honoured to be joined by the Chief Rabbi Sir Efraim Mirvis and rabbinical leaders from across the movements; former Prime Minister Boris Johnson; Ministers Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Halfon, Shadow Cabinet Minister Peter Kyle and numerous other MPs; peers including Lord Austin; actors Eddie Marsan, Dame Maureen Lipman, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Felicity Kendall; broadcasters Robert Rinder, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Vanessa Feltz and Trevor Phillips; historian Simon Sebag Montefiore; journalists Dan Hodges and Toby Young; the photographer and activist Laura Dodsworth; ambassadors and many more. Legions of public figures and social media influencers also attended and helped get the message out to millions, while our speakers expressed the demands of the moment and Israeli singer Rita and renowned cantor Jonny Turgel provided beautiful renditions of the national anthems and performed other songs.

The march was peaceful. The march was unthreatening. The march was different from all other marches that London has hosted in recent weeks.

So many of you have sent kind feedback and messages of thanks. But above all, your testimonials, some of which we shall be posting on our social media channels this week, have powerfully expressed the impact on you of weeks of surging antisemitism. There were a number of powerful testimonies from Jewish people on the march. Some revealed that they have not entered central London in almost two months, until Sunday, and felt relieved to be able to walk the streets of their capital city again. Others said how reassuring it was to finally be able to walk alongside so many other Jews and friends in safety. Others still related to us just how empowering it was to be a Jew, in open, once again, and how important it was to them to participate.

We wish to give particular thanks to those of you who travelled from far afield, some of you on coaches organised locally and others by public transport, sometimes leaving very early in the morning or staying overnight in hotels, because you rightly wanted your voice heard. Without you, this would not have been the truly national march that it had to be.

In addition, we are enormously grateful to those Jewish organisations and the non-Jewish groups that supported the march, which so many participants have told us was one of the most important Jewish events of their lifetimes. We could not have done it without that powerful coalition of organisations that stepped up when the Jewish community and its allies needed them.

We particularly wish to thank the Metropolitan Police Service for guarding the march, the CST for protecting us all with one of the largest ever deployments, and our many stewards who helped the march run so smoothly. Thank you for keeping us safe.

You can watch the full video of speeches here.

New Polling

We all felt that this march was essential. But now we can show empirically why it was so necessary. We can reveal to you the results of our survey of British Jews, which yielded the following alarming insights:

  • 69% of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism right now.
  • Almost half of British Jews have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism, since 7th October.
  • More than six in ten British Jews have either personally experienced or witnessed an antisemitic incident since 7th October or know somebody who has.
  • Only 16% of British Jews believe that the police treat antisemitic hate crime like other forms of hate crime, with two thirds believing that the police apply a double standard.
  • 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. Our urban centres have become no-go zones for Jews.
  • A full 95% of British Jews believe that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should report statistics on prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes.
  • 90% of the Jewish community believes that the British Government should proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir.

We will be discussing these extraordinary findings with relevant authorities.

Of our supporters more generally, 85% believe that the police do not treat antisemitic crime like other forms of hate crime, 97% agree that the CPS should report statistics on prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes, and 92% believe that the British Government should proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir. (Unlike the survey of the Jewish community above, this supporters’ survey was not a representative poll.)

Thank you to everyone who participated in the surveys.

Last Saturday

Last Saturday may seem like an age ago, but it saw a very different type of march – the sort we have been seeing week after week. As ever, our Demonstration and Monitoring Unit was there. To see what they found, please watch the video.

Sunday’s march will not, on its own, stop the surge of antisemitism in its tracks. But because of you the voice of British Jews and our friends has been heard, and the march will amplify the impact of all of our work in the coming weeks, as we continue to do everything we can to hold the authorities to account and defend the Jewish community.

Image credit: Campaign Against Antisemitism/Stuart Mitchell

New polling by Campaign Against Antisemitism has revealed a number of startling insights.

  • 69% of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism right now.
  • Almost half of British Jews have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism, since 7th October.
  • More than six in ten British Jews have either personally experienced or witnessed an antisemitic incident since 7th October or know somebody who has.
  • Only 16% of British Jews believe that the police treat antisemitic hate crime like other forms of hate crime, with two thirds believing that the police apply a double standard.
  • 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. Our urban centres have become no-go zones for Jews.
  • A full 95% of British Jews believe that the Crown Prosecution Service should report statistics on prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes.
  • 90% of the Jewish community believes that the British Government should proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir.
  • With regard to political parties, 62% of British Jews – almost two thirds – believe that the Labour Party is too tolerant of antisemitism among its MPs, MEPs, councillors, members and supporters. This is the lowest score for Labour in years, but still puts it firmly ahead of the next parties: the SNP (47%) and the Green Party (42%).
  • 86% of British Jews are not satisfied with the BBC’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas crisis. Only 4% are satisfied.
  • A near-unanimous 97% of British Jews feel personally connected to events happening in Israel.
  • Eight in ten British Jews consider themselves to be a Zionist. Only six percent do not.

Fieldwork was conducted between 12th and 17th November 2023. In total, 3,744 responses were obtained. The full results and methodology are provided below.

Full results

“Since 7th October 2023, I am less likely to show visible signs of my Judaism when I go out, for example a Star of David or a Jewish skullcap (kippah).”

  • Strongly Agree 40%
  • Agree 29%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 16%
  • Disagree 9%
  • Strongly Disagree 6%

“Since 7th October 2023, I have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism.”

  • Strongly Agree 17%
  • Agree 31%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 18%
  • Disagree 20%
  • Strongly Disagree 14%

Have you or someone you know experienced or witnessed an antisemitic incident since 7th October 2023

  • Yes 61%
  • No 39%

“Antisemitic hate crime is treated by the police in the same way as other forms of hate crime.”

  • Strongly Agree 5%
  • Agree 11%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 18%
  • Disagree 34%
  • Strongly Disagree 32%

“I would avoid travelling to a city centre if a major anti-Israel demonstration was taking place there.”

  • Strongly Agree 74%
  • Agree 16%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 4%
  • Disagree 4%
  • Strongly Disagree 2%

“The Crown Prosecution Service should report statistics on prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes.”

  • Strongly Agree 70%
  • Agree 25%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 4%
  • Disagree 1%
  • Strongly Disagree 0%

“The British Government should proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir.”

  • Strongly Agree 78%
  • Agree 12%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 9%
  • Disagree 0%
  • Strongly Disagree 0%

“Do you feel that any political parties are too tolerant of antisemitism among their MPs, MEPs, councillors, members and supporters? Please select all that apply.”

  • Conservative Party 14%
  • DUP 16%
  • Green Party 42%
  • Labour Party 62%
  • Liberal Democrats 32%
  • Plaid Cymru 21%
  • Reclaim Party 11%
  • Reform Party 12%
  • SNP 47%
  • Sinn Féin 32%
  • UKIP 16%
  • None 2%
  • Don’t know 26%

“Overall, I am satisfied with the BBC’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas crisis.”

  • Strongly Disagree 71%
  • Disagree 15%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 4%
  • Agree 3%
  • Strongly Agree 1%
  • I do not watch or listen to the BBC or read its website 6%

“I feel personally connected to events happening in Israel.”

  • Strongly Disagree 0%
  • Disagree 0%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 2%
  • Agree 19%
  • Strongly Agree 78%

“I consider myself to be a Zionist.”

  • Strongly Disagree 2%
  • Disagree 4%
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree 14%
  • Agree 23%
  • Strongly Agree 57%

Survey methodology

Our surveys of British Jews were modelled on the National Jewish Community Survey (NJCS) conducted by the Institute for Jewish Policy research. In common with the NJCS, the samples were self-selecting, and respondents were required to self-identify as Jewish and confirm that they lived in the United Kingdom. Like the NJCS, they were contacted primarily through ‘seed’ organisations, including religious bodies, Jewish online networks (including targeted advertising on social networks), and community welfare organisations, among others. In common with the NJCS, the seed organisations were used to initiate a ‘snowballing’ process which, in effect, created a non-probability convenience sample. It was not possible to use a random probability sampling approach for this study because a suitable sampling frame for the Jewish population is not available in the UK. Fieldwork was conducted between 12th and 17th November 2023. In total, 3,744 responses were obtained. As is the case with the NJCS, the number of unique respondents contacted cannot be determined due to the likely overlap between different ‘seed’ organisations’ supporter bases, thus we cannot estimate the survey response rate.

A key issue with an online survey is to ensure that respondents are not counted twice. To avoid this and other abuses that might affect the survey’s integrity, several measures were implemented. These included: carefully monitoring responses for unusual trends during the fieldwork phase, and assessing the completed dataset for the presence of extreme or unrealistic values (i.e. outlier diagnostics) and for the presence of unlikely combinations of values across variables (i.e. logical checks). Additionally, cookies were used to avoid respondents completing the survey more than once. Finally, respondents’ IP addresses were logged so that if a respondent deleted their cookies, multiple responses from the same IP address could still be identified. As a result, duplicate responses were kept to a minimum and ultimately, removed from the sample.

Our survey is modelled on best practice established by NJCS. All surveys have their shortcomings, and ours shares the shortcomings of NJCS. Even surveys that are based on probability sampling are typically affected by high levels of non- response. Surveys of populations lacking sampling frames, such as this one, are particularly challenging, as is establishing their representativeness. Nevertheless, because we have extremely high-quality baseline statistics available in the UK, it is possible to both accurately weight the data and make reasonable assumptions about where they may depart from the ‘true’ picture. In general, the survey samples reflect the diverse character of Jewish respondents in the UK across geographical, demographic and religious variables. Where the sample does depart from baseline characteristics, responses were weighted for location, gender, age and religious affiliation. Population estimates were based on responses to the 2021 Census in England and Wales and the 2022 Census in Scotland where that data is available, and otherwise on responses to the 2011 Census, and size estimates with regard to religious denominations were based on the NCJS 2013. The weights were calculated using random iterative method weighting by an external consultant.

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.



This weekend, some people in London honoured those who fought murderous antisemites in the past to protect our freedoms. Others paraded to glorify murderous antisemites in the present who want to kill all Jews and destroy the Jewish state.

Once again, the marches featured genocidal chants, Hamas headbands, antisemitic signs comparing Israel to Nazis and others caricaturing prominent minority politicians as coconuts, and the marchers who may not have engaged in these activities knowingly and readily marched alongside those who did. They are just as complicit.

We are also aware of Jewish families being targeted on their way out of synagogue and have received multiple reports of police having to escort congregants away in groups for their own safety.

Islamist extremists, the far-left, and the far-right were out on the streets, all on one day. What a day to be a Jew in London.

While we welcome the more significant number of arrests this week, the overall policing policy in relation to these demonstrations is woeful. This march should never have been allowed to go ahead, and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Sir Mark Rowley, yet again, has serious questions to answer.

The refusal of the Met to ban this march was not only a failing of its duty to law-abiding Londoners, including the Jewish community, but it was a disgrace to the heroes that we paused to remember.

The Met’s refusal was in spite of our calls, including on Newsnight and ITV, on the Met Commissioner and the Mayor of London, to ban the march under section 13 of the Public Order Act, and our urging of the Home Secretary to direct the Mayor of London to remedy the Met’s failures under section 40 of the Police Act. It also came despite evidence that we collected from last week’s march of open support for Hamas.

We need to hear from you

This weekend’s march – and the failure of the authorities to stand by the Jewish community – opens a new chapter in our campaign to defend British Jews. But now we need to hear from you.

We are running two surveys – one for Jewish people living in Britain, and another for all of our other supporters – which will help us in our dealings with Government, the police and media and will enable us to craft the right policies moving forward.

You can also tell us how these marches have impacted your life or routine by completing an Impact Statement.

We may contact you about the information that you give us and use it to make legal representations to the police in support of limiting or banning further demonstrations of this nature.

First-of-its-kind event with the BBC

Last Wednesday, courtesy of Campaign Against Antisemitism, two senior BBC executives addressed the Jewish community for the first time.

We are grateful to Rhodri Talfan Davies and David Jordan from the BBC’s executive team for joining us for this unprecedented event. It was the first time that BBC executives have spoken directly to the Jewish community.

The participation of over 300 of you ensured that the strong feelings of British Jewry regarding the BBC’s coverage were expressed, and that the BBC’s representatives were left in no doubt about the strength of that feeling.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been at the forefront of holding the BBC to account, not only over recent weeks but for the past several years since our inception, including rallies, projections and an ongoing legal complaint.

We believe that criticism and pressure are vital, and that they are complemented by a collaborative relationship. This event, in which senior BBC figures spoke with and heard directly from the community for the first time, was one of the fruits of that relationship.

This is a long process and faces many challenges, but it is essential if we are to pivot our national broadcaster to a fairer and more accurate representative of the issues that our community cares about.

Another weekend in which central London was turned into a no-go zone for Jews, with marchers happy to tell our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit that they support Hamas and with calls for a violent intifada ringing throughout the capital.

Past intifadas were campaigns of violence, including suicide bombings. We do not want one in London.

As we approach Remembrance weekend, where we remember the heroes who defended our freedoms and fought against antisemitic hatred, we must honour their memory by banning demonstrations that abuse those freedoms to call for violence against Jews.

We are therefore calling on Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, to use his powers under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 to ban next week’s march.

Section 13 powers allow the police to prohibit processions if other powers under the Act do no suffice to prevent serious public disorder. As we have seen over the past month, that threshold is now met.

Please take a moment to write to your MP in a few clicks to ask them to write to the Met Commissioner. Since these marches are billed as “national” marches, please write regardless of whether you live in a London constituency.

While some arrests are being made, the police are so outnumbered that they cannot ensure the safety of Londoners, in particular the Jewish community.

If you or your routine have been adversely affected by these marches, please let us know by completing this short form. It will help us to make legal representations to the police in support of limiting or banning further demonstrations of this nature.

Our legal team is processing hundreds of cases and making reports to the police, and our Online Monitoring and Investigations Unit is assisting in identifying suspects when the Met cannot. We will continue to do so, but this alone cannot stem the tide of criminality on our streets: it is time for a ban.

We continue to engage with the police, public bodies and political parties in a variety of ways:

  • More than 20,000 people have signed our petition calling on the police to reclaim our streets. You can join them by signing here: Sir Mark Rowley, give London back to Londoners
  • Leading lawyers, including 15 King’s Counsel, signed our open letter calling on the Met to impose restrictions on the weekly marchers.
  • We signed a letter to the Charity Commission calling for an immediate investigation into mosques with charitable status that have allowed sermons glorifying terrorism, inciting violence and propagating antisemitic tropes. We are also submitting specific complaints to the Commission.
  • Our Demonstrations and Monitoring Unit continues to capture evidence from anti-Israel protests across the country, including genocidal chanting outside Downing Street when the Prime Minister met with the US Vice President.
  • We have called for the proscription of Hizb ut-Tahrir, and made reports of serious alleged offences to the police.
  • We have convened a letter from prominent figures to Sir Keir Starmer, urging him to direct unions affiliated to the Labour Party to end their association with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which has organised many of these hate marches.
  • We have called out the double standards of football clubs prohibiting open support for Israel.
  • We continue to work with victims of antisemitism, including families at a North London school where “Kill the Jews” graffiti and a swastika were drawn in a toilet.
  • We spoke at a rally of thousands gathered in Parliament Square in support of the families of the hostages taken by Hamas, demanding with one voice: #BringThemHome.
  • We are making final preparations for a renewed campaign to raise awareness of the plight of the hostages, after the police shut down our vans two weeks ago.

The intifada was a campaign of horrific violence that saw suicide bombings and brutal murder on a national scale. We cannot allow it to come here. The police must ban these marches now.

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.

The Metropolitan Police Service, like police forces across the country, has a responsibility to defend every community, including the Jewish community, which is all too familiar with the threats that face it.

What we have seen over the past two-and-a-half weeks, however, is an unprecedented 1,350% surge in antisemitic hate crimes met with relative inaction on the part of the police.

Too few arrests, lax policing, and excuses posted on social media for why certain chants and signs and phrases are not hate crimes — 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 the past two weeks, our cities have felt less and less safe for Jews. It has hardly been reassuring to see such lax policing of demonstrations featuring genocidal chants, antisemitic signs, calls for Jihad against the Jewish state, and more. Given that a “March for Palestine” and other demonstrations are planned for this weekend and are likely to continue week after week, the Met must be seen to make urgent changes to its policing policy.

It adds insult to injury when the police take so little action against offenders on these marches 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.

Hundreds of Londoners of all faiths demonstrated this evening to show the depth of feeling.

Campaign Against Antisemitism Chief Executive, Gideon Falter, told the crowd: “Last Saturday saw an exhibition of Jew-hate as rarely seen before on the streets of London. Britain’s capital was effectively closed to Jewish people.” He further warned: “We cannot and will not endure weekly processions featuring terrorist sympathisers and antisemites through our streets. We are fortunate to live in a country with the freedom to demonstrate, but there are limits set by law and those laws must be enforced. The demands of an unlawful mob must not supersede the rights of law-abiding citizens.”

Lord Ian Austin, an Honorary Patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, demanded that the forthcoming King’s speech be used to introduce new policing powers to strengthen the police response

The leader of Christian Action Against Antisemitism, Tim Gutmann, described his treatment by police as they repeatedly told him that he and his supporters would be in danger if they proceeded with two solidarity rallies for British Jews, leading to their cancellation

Israeli author and activist Hen Mazzig told the crowd: “My Israeli family asked if they should come to London for respite and safety after the terrorist atrocity, and I told them that I am not so sure that’s what they would find here.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The volume of phone calls and messages coming into our service in the last two and a half weeks is unprecedented.”

In their speeches, the speakers covered:

• The sad fact that the Jewish community is in such need of police protection;

• What went wrong on Saturday and why we cannot tolerate a repeat of it at the march this coming Saturday;

• The need for ‘section 12 conditions’ to be imposed on the march this Saturday, which our lawyers requested from the Metropolitan Police today;

• The existing legislation that the police should avail themselves of and the need to use the forthcoming King’s speech to grant the police additional powers;

• The dangers of this moment becoming a conflict between politicians and the police;

• The failures of police to protect two major solidarity marches by Christian groups, which led to those marches being cancelled on police advice;

• The predicament faced by officers policing large protests, and the need to ensure that the desires of mobs do not supersede the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Thanks to this demonstration and the lead-up to it, the Met has increased its sensitivity to the concerns of the Jewish community. It is enhancing the already existing cooperation between the force and Campaign Against Antisemitism on a number of fronts.

Placards read “Make arrests, not excuses”, “Enforce the law”, “Zero tolerance for antisemites” and “Act against hate before it’s too late”.

Police had to intervene in a number of instances when passersby shouted at the rally, with two people arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences. A prominent far-right figure was spotted in the crowd by our stewarding team and hounded out to calls of “racist scum, off our streets”, as we have done in the past when the far-right have attended.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Last Saturday saw an exhibition of Jew-hate as rarely seen before on the streets of London. Britain’s capital was effectively closed to Jewish people and anyone else not prepared to brave Islamist flags, supporters of terrorist organisations. calls for Jihad, genocidal chanting, and signs comparing Israelis to Nazis.

“The police were practically invisible, as they have been throughout the past two-and-a-half weeks. Almost the sole exception was when they swooped on our digital vans displaying the faces of children abducted by Hamas. Apparently that, in contrast to almost everything that we saw this weekend, was the real risk to a breach of the peace.

“The Jewish community is grateful to the many ordinary police officers who work tirelessly throughout the year to protect our community, but the Met’s leadership must adapt policing policy to the scale of the present threat and use the powers already available to make arrests.

“Since we started calling out the force and advertised this demonstration, the Met has already begun indicating that it recognises that policing to date has been inadequate, but it must go further. Firm law enforcement is the only way to deter offenders and reassure all law-abiding citizens that they are safe in our nation’s capital.”

Photo credit: Nathan Lilienfeld

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The massive riots currently engulfing France have featured numerous instances of antisemitism.

The violent chaos that has spread across France and its overseas territories was sparked by the fatal shooting of a seventeen-year-old of Algerian origin by a police officer in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre. The officer has been charged with voluntary homicide and is in custody.

The riots have been particularly strong in neighbourhoods with large immigrant and Muslim populations, where cars have been torched and shops have been looted, with clashes with police, scores of arrests and hundreds of injuries.

But there has also been vandalism of Jewish sites and antisemitic chanting.

A monument in Nanterre commemorating the Holocaust and Jewish members of the French resistance to the Nazis was spray-painted with the phrase: “Police scum from Saint-Soline to Nanterre – don’t forget or forgive.” Not far from the monument, a building was graffitied with the words: “We are going to make you a Shoah.” The Shoah is the Hebrew term for the Holocaust.

The heavily-Jewish Parisian suburb of Sarcelles – nicknamed “little Jerusalem” for its large Jewish community – saw antisemitic chanting and the ransacking of Jewish businesses, along with non-Jewish businesses.

During a live broadcast of the riots by the Brut media group, chants such as “death to Jews” and “death to pigs” can reportedly be heard.

According to a report published 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.

Members of the Goyim Defence League (GDL) have been seen holding swastika flags outside synagogues in Georgia, United States.

The GDL 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. 

The incidents occurred on the Jewish sabbath (Shabbat), and were reportedly preceded on Friday by the distribution of antisemitic flyers in the city of Warner Robins.  

Stewart Levy, a member of the Chabad Lubavitch of Cobb County synagogue, said that it was “the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

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: Facebook/Jennifer Caron Derrick

Nazi flags were displayed by a group demonstrating outside Orlando’s Disney World in support of Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

Mr DeSantis, who announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has been engaged in a public feud with Disney since early 2022. 

The group flying the Nazi flags reportedly also held up messaging in support of Mr DeSantis.

The Orange County Sheriff’s office stated: “We are aware of these groups that aim to agitate and incite people with antisemitic symbols and slurs…but people have the First Amendment right to demonstrate.”

Neither Mr DeSantis nor Disney have commented on the incident.

This is not the first time that Florida has seen protests in support of Governor DeSantis featuring Nazi flags. Mr DeSantis has never publicly endorsed their use or those who display them.

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

A German court has upheld a police ban of the annual Nakba demonstration in Berlin, due to fears that it could incite antisemitism.

The police stated that the event could lead to “antisemitic incitement of the people, glorification of violence, the conveyance of a willingness to use violence and thus to intimidation and violence.”

The Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg agreed, referring to similar recent events, and upheld the ban on the rally titled “demonstration for the fundamental right to freedom of assembly and expression on the 75th anniversary of the Nakba”, which 1,000 participants had registered to attend.

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

Today’s anti-Israel protest outside Downing Street in London, believed to have been attended by thousands, featured a number of comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany.

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

One sign read “Free Palestine from German guilt,” while a large banner placed near the BBC’s headquarters made a comparison between Israel and Nazi Germany. A sign affixed to a bicycle presented a swastika next to the Israeli flag.

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

Signs calling to “End” and “Smash” Zionism were present, as were placards calling Israel a “racist” state. Examples can be seen here and here.

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was heard throughout the rally. Signs and clothing bearing the words of the chant were also on display.

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

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

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

One prominent sign at the event, aimed at Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, read: “Racist Starmer supports Zionism without question”. 

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

The antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was one of the event’s featured speakers and issued “a huge thank you to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, not just for today, but for all the days that they’re campaigning.”

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

Delia Mattis, a self-described “social justice activist” who claims to be the Founder of Black Lives Matter Enfield, also took to the stage to address the crowd. During her speech, she said that Zionism was “a psychotic ideology” and that Israel “stood for white supremacy.”

Attendees at the event included the disgraced Reverand Dr Stephen Sizer, who in January was handed a twelve-year ban by the Church of England after having been found to have “engaged in antisemitic activity” by a tribunal of the Church of England, and the controversial activist Jim Curran who was spotted holding a sign that read “The Nakba was a Holocaust”. Mr Curran has been seen with similar signs in the past and is a regular attendee at a group called Keep Talking, a group of far-right and far-left conspiracy theorists who come together to promote antisemitism.

The protest was also attended by the controversial environmental group, Just Stop Oil, whose founder, Roger Hallam, previously described the Holocaust as “just another f***ery in human history.”

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

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

Incendiary chants relating to Jewish people and Israel were chanted on the street in Berlin during a demonstration in Berlin. 

The 1st May anti-Israel rally in Germany’s capital featured the chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was heard. This chant only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism

Demonstrators reportedly showed open support for the anti-Israel Samidoun group, an organisation that the Israeli Government has classified as a terrorist group. Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror stated that: “The Samidoun organisation was designated as a terrorist organisation as it is part of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and was founded by members of the PFLP in 2012”. 

Berlin police estimated 12,000 protesters attended the protest, and have since banned two additional rallies planned by the Samidoun activists. 

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

Yesterday’s “Al Quds Day” rally in central London saw numerous signs and chants that called for Israel’s destruction, as well as several comparisons to Nazis.

The “Al Quds Day” rallies are an Iranian-backed global event, but they have faced controversy over expressions of antisemitism and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. In previous years, for example, Berlin banned the parade from taking place, while footage of the protests this year in numerous German cities appeared to show participants shouting phrases like “Scheiße Jude!” (“S***ty Jew!”), “Drecksjude” (“dirty Jew”), and “Strike, oh Qassam, don’t let the Zionists sleep.”

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

One sign read: “Where did all the Nazis go after WW2? Israel!!!”

Another placard displayed a swastika alongside the Israeli flag alongside the words “Same mindset! Different era!”

A person was also spotted wearing a top bearing the words: “The world stopped Nazism. The world stopped apartheid. The world must stop Zionism.”

Our Monitoring Unit also captured evidence of a sign which implied that Pakistan should deploy nuclear weapons on “Nazi Israel”.

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

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was present and led by Nazim Ali, the march’s inflammatory leader who made antisemitic statements during the 2017 march. In addition, multiple signs, viewable here and here, bore the words of the chant.

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

Last year, the Court of Appeal refused Mr Ali’s request for permission to appeal the High Court’s ruling quashing a decision by the General Pharmaceutical Council’s Fitness to Practice Committee. The High Court ruling came after an appeal by the Professional Standards Authority against the original ruling by the Committee at the request of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Speakers at this year’s rally included the disgraced Reverand Dr Stephen Sizer, who in January was handed a twelve-year ban by the Church of England after having been found to have “engaged in antisemitic activity” by a tribunal of the Church of England, and the former Labour Party MP Chris Williamson, who was suspended from Labour and then readmitted, only to be resuspended following a public outcry after claiming that Labour has been “too apologetic” over antisemitism. Mr Williamson has previously tweeted that “Zionist teachers around the country are violating children’s rights” and that Zionism is “a racist ideology.”

Mr Williamson’s speech at the rally included repeatedly talking about Israel killing “innocent children” and Zionism being inherently racist.

The inflammatory rapper Lowkey, whose real name is Kareem Dennis, also spoke at the rally. Lowkey’s songs include lyrics such as “nothing is more antisemitic than Zionism”. He is a patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC). A month-long investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst PSC supporters on social media. Lowkey has previously described Israel as a “racist endeavour” in direct and deliberate contravention of the Definition, described Zionism as “antisemitic”, and spoken of the “Zionist lobby” in the context of global capitalism.

An array of literature was available to attendants of the rally, including articles and books from Tony Greenstein, an expelled member of the Labour Party and founder of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who last year surrendered what remained of his claim against Campaign Against Antisemitism for calling him a “notorious antisemite”. 

One of Mr Greenstein’s available works present at the rally was entitled: “Zionism During The Holocaust. The Weaponisation of Memory in the Service of State of Nation.”

Also on display were images in support of high-ranking Iranian figures, such as the antisemitic Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps terrorist mastermind, Qasem Soleimani, and Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has said that the West is a mafia-like organisation under the control of “prominent Zionist merchants”.

The event also saw the burning of the Israeli flag, indicating support for the destruction of Israel.

Numerous flags were waved, including that of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella organisation of mostly Shiite militia groups, as well as a large red flag, which in Shiite tradition symbolises blood spilled unjustly and calls for vengeance, and is traditionally associated with the legend of Imam Hussein. The appearance of the flag at an “Al Quds Day” rally, where accusations of murder by Israel of innocents are repeatedly hurled, is reasonably understood as an indication of violent intent toward the Jewish state.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2021 showed that over 94% of British Jews consider the threat from Islamists to be moderately or very serious.

Two incendiary chants concerning Jewish people and Israel were recited on the street in Luton during a demonstration, online footage has shown.

In the video, the chant “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud” can be heard, which, translated in English, means “Jews, remember the battle of Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning.”

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

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

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

The incoming General Secretary of the National Education Union (NEU) has come under fire over his past remarks and appearances.

Daniel Kebede, an activist and teacher based in north-east England, is due to become the leading teachers’ union’s new General Secretary later this year. He is replacing Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney. Mr Courtney has been a magnet for controversy relating to Jewish people during his tenure.

Mr Kebede appeared at a rally in Newcastle in 2021, where the chant “Khaybar, oh Jews” was heard, a reference to the antisemitic “Jews, remember Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning” chant. The “Khaybar” chant is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE. The chant has been heard in numerous anti-Israel rallies in Britain and abroad.

New video has emerged of Mr Kebede’s speech at the rally, which was organised by the inflammatory Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Although he is not seen in the video joining the chant, his remarks are caught on camera, in which he can be seen holding a microphone and saying that it is “time to stand together and oppose Apartheid, oppose occupation and fight for Palestinian liberation,” before going on to proclaim: “Let’s do it for Palestine, Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza – it’s about time we globalise the intifada.”

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

The rally took place in the same period as at least 25 members of the NEU from Jewish school JFS quit over concerns about antisemitism at the Union. At the time, Mr Courtney spoke at antisemitism-infested rallies, and Mr Kebede is now under scrutiny for having done so as well.

The new revelation comes after another union in the education sector, the National Union of Students (NUS), sacked its President late last year. She had a history of antisemitic and inflammatory comments. A ground-breaking report, into which Campaign Against Antisemitism and others provided input, was also published in January by Rebecca Tuck KC, finding that NUS created a “hostile environment” for Jews.

A spokesperson for the NEU said: “Daniel Kebede was present at a Palestine Solidarity Campaign rally in solidarity with Palestinians facing eviction in Sheikh Jarrah in 2021. In speaking to the rally Mr Kebede called for peace and justice in the Middle East and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people.

“He used the slogan ‘globalise the intifada’ which is an expression of such solidarity, and of support for civic protests; it did not convey any support for violence. He wasn’t aware of the chanting of ‘Khaybar, oh Jews’ and both he and the National Education Union completely condemn such chants, all acts of antisemitism and any attacks on Jewish people.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “For the NEU to have to clarify that past remarks by its incoming General Secretary were not intended to encourage support for terrorist violence against Jewish targets around the world is hardly a promising start to his term in office. It would be a concerning development in any trade union, but we have helped Jewish teachers and staff who felt unable to turn to the NEU precisely because they do not feel that it is on the side of its Jewish members. Daniel Kebede’s inflammatory past rhetoric, and appearance at rallies where indisputably antisemitic chants were heard, will do nothing to stop the exodus of Jewish members or reassure those who remain.

“The NEU should follow in the footsteps of the NUS by admitting that it has historically had a dreadful relationship with its Jewish members and commissioning an independent investigation into its own conduct over recent years and that of its leadership.”

The antisemitic “From the river, to the sea” chant was heard outside of Downing Street today as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

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

The footage was captured by an evidence-gathering team from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit.

A sign was also spotted that made reference to “Jewish terrorists”. 

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 fringe group that was previously forced to apologise after it was revealed that it had assisted an antisemitism-denier has demanded that Jewish Book Week include “Palestinian voices”.

Na’amod: British Jews Against Occupation, protested at Jewish Book Week yesterday, explaining on Twitter: “Na’amod went to Jewish Book Week to ask why our community is hosting a panel about Israeli democracy without a single Palestinian voice. We handed out leaflets & spoke with attendees about how excluding Palestinian voices while including [pro-Israel] organisations…ignores the occupation and contributes to a culture of anti-Palestinian racism.

“What credibility does a panel like this have when it fails to engage with those at the sharp-end of Israel’s non-democracy? We think it’s time Jewish Book Week is honest with itself and its audiences: there is no democracy with occupation. We hope that in future, our community will not only engage with the reality of Israeli occupation but prioritise solidarity with Palestinians and Israelis seeking a just and equitable future.”

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

Last year, Naamod was forced to apologise after the researcher David Collier revealed that it had assisted Pete Gregson, who was organising a tour for the fringe and controversial Neturei Karta group’s Rabbi Dovid Weiss and the inflammatory academic Azzam Tamimi.

In 2019, Pete Gregson was suspended by the Labour Party and expelled from the pro-Corbyn pressure group Momentum and the GMB union for saying that Israel was a “racist endeavour” which “exaggerates” the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis for “political ends”. He has a history of inflammatory conduct.

The environmental activist organisation Just Stop Oil compared themselves to people who hid Anne Frank on Twitter earlier today, drawing condemnation from several users.

The group, which recently gained notoriety for its public stunts intended to cause inconvenience to the general public as a means of bringing attention towards oil usage which has included throwing soup on rare artworks and hanging banners over motorway gantries, made the comment on Twitter in reply to the former UKIP leader Henry Bolton.

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

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

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

“Good people break bad laws.”

The tweet drew the ire of several Twitter users with many denouncing the comparison. It is reported that the group is led by Roger Hallam, the co-founder of the activist group Extinction Rebellion, who was disowned by his colleagues after he described the Holocaust as “just another f***ery in human history.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Such comparisons to victims of the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jewish men, women and children, are totally inappropriate and insulting. This is not the first time radical environmentalists have been caught up in Holocaust controversy. By resorting to degrading the memory of a Jewish girl murdered as part of the worst atrocity in human history, Just Stop Oil only weakens its case and whatever remains of its credibility.”

A group of anti-Israel protesters were filmed chanting “From the river to the sea” while waving Palestinian Authority flags in Manchester’s St Peter’s Square today.

The incident reportedly occurred at 17:45 before the protesters embarked on a march.

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

The footage was captured by an evidence-gathering team from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit.

Approximately 100 members of a white supremacist group marched through downtown Boston over the weekend.

Those involved belonged to the organisation Patriot Front, a national white supremacist group that is said to be responsible for 82% of the propaganda incidents in the whole of the United States. Reportedly, members of the group must meet a distribution quota to remain within the group.

The white supremacist group marched through Boston wearing uniforms and face marks, drumming military-style tattoos, and carrying shields and flags. Some of the flags displayed Mussolini-era fascist symbols, while others were American flags with thirteen stars to represent the original thirteen colonies of the United States.

The marchers arrived in the area at around 12.30, unloaded their paraphernalia from a rented truck, and stayed in the area for around an hour before leaving on public transport.

Patriot Front’s leader, Thomas Rousseau, is known to have led another group, Vanguard America, which were involved with the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.

The Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, said that “The disgusting, hateful actions and words of white supremacist groups are not welcome in this city. Especially in a moment when so many of our rights are under attack, we will not normalise intimidation by bigots.”

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

The United States Supreme Court is reportedly refusing to hear two separate requests to take up a lawsuit against a group of protesters who regularly appear outside of a synagogue Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The protestors, who have conducted weekly rallies outside of the building since 2003, are alleged to be holding signs with inflammatory slogans, including “Jewish Power Corrupts” and “Resist Jewish Power”.

The plaintiffs belong to two separate congregations – the Beth Israel Congregation and the Pardes Hannah Congregation – whose services are both held in the same synagogue, with one of the complainants being a Holocaust survivor.

The result of the declined requests is that all remaining legal options against the demonstrations are seemingly now unavailable. The petitions argued that, because the protests were held outside a Jewish place of worship, the Jewish congregants’ First Amendment rights to freely exercise their religion were being violated.

After much legal debate, an earlier version of the case was dismissed by lower courts on First Amendment grounds. This led the presiding judge to order the plaintiffs to pay the protestors’ legal fees. However, earlier this year, the Ann Arbor City Council published a formal resolution condemning the protests and calling them antisemitic.

Attorney Nathan Lewin, who is Jewish, said that “I am shocked and dismayed that the Supreme Court and the court of appeals view antisemitic picketing timed and designed to harass and intimidate only when they come to pray – clearly protected by the First Amendment’s Religion Clause – as free speech that may not be curtailed.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

A slew of controversial and antisemitic signs and chants were present on the streets of London yesterday during an anti-Israel rally that was organised by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC), but numbers seem to have declined considerably since the last large-scale mobilisation of protesters.

An evidence gathering team from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit was present at the rally, which started outside the BBC’s headquarters, and ended at 10 Downing Street. Our team gathered evidence of numerous antisemitic placards, with a significant proportion equating Israel with Nazi Germany.

One placard read: “Well done Isr*el [sic] Hitler would be proud”, “Say no to fascism say no to Zionism”, and “If genocide wasn’t tolerated in 1945 why do we allow it in 2022?”.

Other signs read: “In Palestine 86% of Jews have no legitimate rights to be there. Palestine From the river to the sea” and “Zionism is racism.”

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

The rally also featured disturbing chants, including “Victory to the intifada” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

An intifada is a rebellion or uprising, but the Palestinian intifadas were characterised by acts of terrorism targeting Jews. The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” appears to refer to the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea, and therefore only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a state of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the Definition.

This is not the first time that a PSC rally has been riddled with antisemitism. An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst supporters of the PSC.

The rally featured several speakers that included Labour Party MPs Zarah Sultana and John McDonnell, Sinn Féin MP ​​Francie Molloy, and Andrew Murray, the Chief of Staff to the Unite union.

Jeremy Corbyn, the antisemitic former leader of the Labour Party, did not attend in person but wrote a speech to be read out on his behalf. However, his older brother, the anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn, did make an appearance.

The rally’s organisers claimed that 10,000 to 15,000 people attended, but our estimate was a fraction of that number.

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

It has been reported that prosecutors have acknowledged that a popular Islamist chant that incites murder against Jews is indeed antisemitic, even as those who sing it go unpunished by the police.

“Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud” translated in English as “Jews, remember the battle of Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning”. The “Khaybar” chant is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE.

According to a report in the JC, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) agrees that the chant, which apparently has the “official endorsement” of al-Qaeda Central (the Islamist terrorist organisation’s global hub) and was heard frequently during anti-Israel protests last May and often on university campuses, is antisemitic and violates section 18 of the Public Order Act (1986), which outlaws words and actions that intend to “stir up racial hatred”.

However, police have repeatedly failed to take action against those who sing the chant.

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

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

A smaller crowd than in the past attended this year’s “Al Quds Day” parade in central London on Sunday. Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit were present at the protest to gather evidence.

Although Hizballah flags were not being flown at the Iranian-backed event this year – after the genocidal terrorist organisation was banned in its entirety by the British Government in 2019 following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies – there were other causes for concern.

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

Another chant – “Judaism, yes, Zionism no, the State of Israel must go!” – made this objective plain.

Numerous signs declared that “Zionism is racism”, and an Israeli flag was burned by members of the fringe and controversial Neturei Karta group.

One participant also wore a shirt comparing Israel to Nazism, also in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Among the speakers was Mick Napier, the Secretary of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPCC) who regularly addresses the demonstration. In 2017, Mr Napier was found guilty of aggravated trespass at a protest outside a cosmetics store in Glasgow during the 2014 Gaza war. The SPCC has previously been exposed over many of its supporters’ extremely antisemitic views.

The “Al Quds Day” rallies are an Iranian-backed global event, but they have faced controversy over expressions of antisemitism and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. Last year, for example, Berlin banned the parade from taking place, while footage of the protests this year in numerous German cities appeared to show participants shouting phrases like “Scheiße Jude!” (“S**tty Jew!”), “Drecksjude” (“dirty Jew”), and “Strike, oh Qassam, don’t let the Zionists sleep.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that over eight in ten British Jews consider the threat from Islamists to be very serious.

Germany’s Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, has spoken out about the use of antisemitic slogans during anti-Israel demonstrations.

Hundreds of protestors took to the streets of Berlin, Hanover and Dortmund for the annual Al-Quds Day march – an Iranian-backed anti-Israel parade held throughout the world – chanting antisemitic slogans and reportedly attacking journalists and the police.

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

Video footage posted to social media showed participants in these protests also shouting phrases like “Scheiße Jude!” (“S**tty Jew!”), “Drecksjude” (“dirty Jew”), and “Strike, oh Qassam, don’t let the Zionists sleep.” The latter is a reference to the kind of rocket fired by the genocidal antisemitic terrorist group Hamas at Israeli civilian targets, and Hamas’ military unit – the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades – shares the name of the rocket.

Samuel Salzborn, Professor of Political Science at Justus Liebig University in Gießen and the Antisemitism Officer for the City of Berlin, said: “Antisemitic terror against Israel was backed up with anti-Israel slogans, while at the same time the hatred is directed against all Jews. The core of these assemblies is antisemitism – nothing else.”

Nancy Faeser said: “There is no place in our society for antisemitism. The rule of law must act consistently here. We must never get used to antisemitic insults – no matter from where and from whom they come.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Swastikas were seen on display at an anti-vaccination rally, dubbed the “Freedom Convoy”, over the weekend in Canada.

The rally was organised in opposition to mandates concerning the vaccination status of truckers returning to the United States from Canada.

However, among other signs and flags at the rally, the Nazi symbol was also on display throughout. 

At one point during the demonstration, Conservative MP Michael Cooper delivered a televised interview whilst a flag bearing a swastika was visible in the background.

Mr Cooper later tweeted a statement condemning the symbol, writing: “Naziism [sic] is the purest form of evil and I have always condemned it completely.”

The inflammatory and misleading comparison has been used among other international anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown circles.

Earlier this year, Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against wearing the yellow star in protests, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”

The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United KingdomCanadaUkraine and elsewhere.

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Robert F Kennedy Jr has apologised for invoking Anne Frank’s name in comparing current COVID-19 mandates to laws in Nazi Germany. 

During his speech at an anti-vaccination rally in Washington on Sunday, Mr Kennedy said: “Even in Hitler’s Germany, you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did.”

Responding to this excerpt of his speech on Twitter, the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum wrote: “Exploiting of the tragedy of people who suffered, were humiliated, tortured & murdered by the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany – including children like Anne Frank – in a debate about vaccines & limitations during global pandemic is a sad symptom of moral & intellectual decay.”

Mr Kennedy took to Twitter on Tuesday to apologise, writing: “I apologise for my reference to Anne Frank, especially to families that suffered the Holocaust horrors. My intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control. To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry.”

This is not the first time that comparisons to the Nazis have been used by anti-vaccination demonstrators.

In April, protesters at an anti-vaccination rally held in London were pictured wearing the yellow star. Comedian David Baddiel took to Twitter to share a photo of a woman wearing the yellow star, accompanying it with the caption: “Take. That. Off.”

Footage taken on 13th July showed Piers Corbyn comparing vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament, despite being arrested after a similar incident in February. The video shows Mr Corbyn and another man standing in front of a sign which reads “No Nazi forced jab” and yelling “arrest Matt Hancock” through a megaphone. 

Earlier this year, Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against wearing the yellow star in protests, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”

The comparison has been made across the world, including in Italy, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

During an anti-Israel demonstration held on Friday night, the President of the University College London (UCL) Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Society, Saleem Nusseibeh, led the notorious “From the river to the sea” chant and warned the crowd of hundreds about “Zionist plotting”.

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

Mr Nusseibeh, addressing the crowd, also spoke of “Zionist manoeuvring and plotting” and claimed that “these Zionists will be removed, their presence will be gone.” He then finished his speech by leading the “From the river to the sea” chant that was heard at different points throughout the night.

In addition to this, recent online footage shows the UCL SJP President speaking on a discussion panel in December where, on a video uploaded to the “Palestinian Return Centre” YouTube channel, he said: “If the UN accepts that Zionism is racism and Israel is the manifestation of Zionism, that means Israel is a racist state.” He added: “You have to pick between principle or the law that is enacted by some of the most bloodthirsty powers that existed and still, unfortunately, preside over much of the world.”

Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is antisemitic.

Friday night’s rally was reportedly organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC). This is not the first time that a PSC rally has featured antisemitism. An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst supporters of the PSC.

Numerous signs bearing the slogan “Stop Judaisation of Jerusalem” were spotted at last night’s demonstration. One of the banners spotted at the rally was that of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation.

An evidence gathering team from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit was present at the rally held outside the Israeli Embassy in West London. The event featured numerous speakers, including Tony Burke, General Secretary at Unite and Vice President of IndustriALL Europe, Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and Former Shadow Chancellor and Labour Party MP John McDonnell.

Other speakers featured were Jo Grady, General Secretary of the University and College Union, PSC Chair Kamel Hawwash and rapper Kareem Dennis, known as Lowkey

Mr Dennis has previously described Israel as a “racist endeavour” in direct and deliberate contravention of the Definition, described Zionism as “antisemitic”, spoken of the “Zionist lobby” in the context of global capitalism, has reportedly backed the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson and has repeatedly supported the antisemite Jeremy Corbyn.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Another week, another rally on British streets infested with antisemitic tropes. Yet again, a prominent Labour MP addressed the crowd, and a leading student activist led an antisemitic chant and denounced ‘Zionist plotting’. UCL and its Students’ Union must investigate.”

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

A sign bearing the words “Vaccination makes you free” was displayed at an anti-vaccination rally in Poland on Tuesday. 

The sign references the slogan which sat atop the gates to Auschwitz concentration camp, one of the most notorious concentration camps where over a million people were murdered, that read: “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Makes You Free”).

Members of Poland’s far-right Confederation Party were photographed posing with the banner at the demonstration, which drew criticism from Tal Ben-Ari Yaalon, Israel’s chargé d’affairs in Warsaw. Ms Yaalon tweeted: “Most of my father’s family was murdered in @Auschwitz along with more than a million other victims. This sign is disrespectful to their memory, and I find it unbelievable that such Holocaust distortion can happen 300 km from where the original sign stands.”

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum also denounced the display, writing: “‘Arbeit macht frei’ is one of the icons of human hatred. The exploitation of the symbol of suffering of victims of #Auschwitz, the largest cemetery in Poland and the world, is a scandalous expression of moral decay. It is particularly embarrassing when it is done by Polish MPs.”

The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, commented that the scenes on display were a “dramatic and dark picture of how the holy memory of monstrous German crimes can be harmed.” 

During the summer, “Jews are behind the pandemic” and “rule the world” chants were heard at an anti-vaccine rally in Głogów, Poland.

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. 

Anti-vaccination protesters in New York were spotted wearing the yellow stars that were forced upon Jews during the Holocaust and brandishing swastika signs during a demonstration that was held outside a Jewish Assemblyman’s office on Sunday.

The demonstration was organised by Rob Astorino, a Republican candidate for governor, in order to protest the bill sponsored by Democrat Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, whose office in the Bronx the rally was held outside, which called for children to be immunised against COVID-19 in order to attend school. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz condemned the invocation of the Holocaust as “repugnant and offensive” on Twitter, before adding: “People are perfectly free to express their opinion on vaccines or any issue, but to openly display Nazi symbols outside the office of a Jewish legislator is despicable.”

Assemblyman Dinowitz also stated that he was “disgusted and offended by the antisemitic imagery that was brought to my office by apparent supporters of Rob Astorino’s failing gubernatorial campaign…People are free to express their opinions on vaccine policy and on any issue, but I draw the line at swastikas.”

He went on to say that standing next to swastikas and yellow Stars of David outside of a Jewish legislator’s office “shows a lack of integrity at best and an embrace of right-wing extremism at worst.” Assemblyman Dinowitz also called on Mr Astorino to “condemn in the strongest terms” the Holocaust-related symbols that were present at his demonstration. “I refuse to be cowed by antisemites or anti-science extremists,” the assemblyman said. 

Mr Astorino took to Twitter to speak out against one of the signs bearing a swastika, claiming that he did not see the sign at the time and that, according to him, the woman holding the sign had a different one when he met her before the event. He added: “Regardless of who the woman was or why she was there, if I saw the sign I would have stopped and had it removed. Absolutely inappropriate.”

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also denounced the symbols as “an insult to our Jewish community, especially our Holocaust survivors who have endured real pain” and stated that “This is what antisemitism looks like”, before adding: “We stand with @JeffreyDinowitz & our Jewish community.”

The inflammatory and misleading comparison has been used among other international anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown circles.

Earlier this year, Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against wearing the yellow star in protests, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”

The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United Kingdom, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is calling for arrests over scenes last night at the London School of Economics (LSE).

A mob of students was filmed shouting an antisemitic chant in a protest against a talk by the Israeli ambassador at their university, before trying to intimidate her as she left campus.

A rally of some 500 students were caught on film chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, a refrain that only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state – and its replacement with a State of Palestine – and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. The LSE has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

In deeply disturbing online posts, an Instagram account titled “@lseclasswar”, which is believed to be associated with the protesters, posted calls for violence, writing: “Whoever smashes the Ambassador [sic] car window (Lincoln’s Inn Field), gets pints. Let’s f***in frighten her.” They also posted: “18:25, we’re storming in. let’s make her shake. F*** the old bill.”

It is a criminal offence to incite violence or to aid, abet, counsel or procure the commission of criminal damage.

The mob was prevented from reaching the ambassador by police officers, however her security team had to move quickly to keep her safe. Jewish students left safely from the main entrance under the protection of CST.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “These were extremely disturbing scenes which reflect the tenor that discourse has descended to at LSE. Those responsible for the criminality that we witnessed must be arrested. If they are students, LSE must bring disciplinary action against them in accordance with the International Definition of Antisemitism, which it has adopted. LSE already has a poor reputation when it comes to protecting Jewish students, so when a mob shouts antisemitic chants and online there are calls for violence, it has a duty to act and cooperate with the police.” 

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities.

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

https://twitter.com/PoliticsForAlI/status/1458218239247405056

Former UKIP candidate Jeff Wyatt spoke at an anti-vaccination rally held by Piers Corbyn on Saturday, where Mr Wyatt made comparisons to the Holocaust whilst wearing the yellow star that was forced upon Jews during the Holocaust.

Mr Wyatt is the former Deputy Leader of the For Britain Movement who stood as a UKIP candidate in Milton Keynes. The For Britain Movement has been described as a “far-right UKIP splinter group” and has been accused of antisemitism and racism.

At Saturday’s rally, Mr Wyatt stood atop a podium whilst wearing a yellow star on his right arm and said: “The Nazi Germans perpetrated this against the people of Germany. They perpetrated the control and the fascism that we are experiencing now.”

He continued: “It’s nothing short of a re-run of the Nazi playbook.” 

Mr Wyatt reportedly claimed in August that wearing the yellow star was the “ultimate tribute” to Holocaust victims. Mr Wyatt wore a similar yellow star armband with the words “Not Vaccinated” written below, as well as the German translation of “Nicht Geimpft”. “It’s the ultimate tribute – because where we are heading is where the Jews went,” Mr Wyatt reportedly said.

He added: “Bear in mind in the 1930s, the Nazis didn’t just suddenly become the tyrants they were – they slowly had their evil way over the public of Germany. And the Jews, for years and years, said ‘just do what they say’ – and eventually they gassed them.”

On a video uploaded to the official YouTube account for UKIP Cambridge & SE Cambs, Mr Wyatt can be seen talking to the camera at an anti-lockdown rally from last year whilst holding a sign that reads “No Gestapo Policing”.

This is not the first time that the yellow star or comparisons to the Nazis have been used by anti-vaccination demonstrators.

In April, protesters at an anti-vaccination rally held in London were pictured wearing the yellow star. Comedian David Baddiel took to Twitter to share a photo of a woman wearing the yellow star, accompanying it with the caption: “Take. That. Off.”

Footage taken on 13th July showed Piers Corbyn comparing vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament, despite being arrested after a similar incident in February. The video shows Mr Corbyn and another man standing in front of a sign which reads “No Nazi forced jab” and yelling “arrest Matt Hancock” through a megaphone. 

The inflammatory and misleading comparison has also been used among international anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown circles.

Earlier this year, Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against wearing the yellow star in protests, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”

The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United States, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.

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

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

The neo-Nazi group British Movement and the far-right group Patriotic Alternative held a joint demonstration on Saturday in Castleford, West Yorkshire.

British Movement described the demonstration as an example of “pan-Nationalist co-operation”. 

The groups also marched to the constituency office of Labour Party MP Yvette Cooper, the representative for the Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford area. The groups also posted flyers through her letterbox which called for the ban of kosher and halal meat. 

This stunt follows last month’s incident when the same flyers were posted through Jewish homes in Borehamwood. 

Simon Fell, the Conservative Party MP for Barrow and Furness, said last week: “Groups like Patriotic Alternative promote division and fear. They have no place in our community.

Earlier this year, a resident of East Belfast reported that he had a British Movement leaflet put through his door. The report of the leaflet came in the same week as stickers from the British National Socialist Movement – the successor to the British Movement – were found on street furniture in Manchester.

Founded during the 1960s and having supposedly dissolved in the early 1980s, the British National Socialist Movement exhibited antisemitism and advocated for violence towards ethnic minorities. The group now appears, however, to have reactivated, with a website currently featuring several antisemitic tropes and images, including references to “globalists” and “cultural Marxists,” praise for Hitler, and images of people performing the Nazi salute.

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

It is led by the former head of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark Collett, who is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, collaborated with the infamous American antisemite David Duke, and espoused antisemitic and racist views.

Earlier this year, the far-right group was found to be using the social media platform Telegram to create neo-Nazi channels dedicated to sharing vile messages, antisemitic conspiracy theories and images glorifying Hitler. A report into Patriotic Alternative published last summer found that several members of the group engaged in Holocaust denial.    

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.

Footage released over the weekend shows protesters against COVID-19 measures wearing concentration camp uniforms and marching through Novara, a city in northern Italy.

The protesters can be seen wearing the blue and white uniforms that prisoners in concentration camps were forced to wear. They marched in a line whilst holding a long, knotted piece of string intended to resemble the barbed wire that surrounded concentration camps. 

It was also reported that some of the demonstrators from Saturday’s event carried signs that read “We are like prisoners of Auschwitz” and “Stop dictatorship”. 

Noemi Di Segni, President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, said that “In the face of ravings like this one cannot invoke the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution. We have witnessed an abuse and an offense to memory.”

The inflammatory and misleading comparison has been used among anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks, which have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

In August, antisemitic protest signs have prompted hate speech and incitement of violence investigations in France. Earlier this year, organisers of an anti-vaccine demonstration in the city of Avignon were described as “brainless” for using the Nazi yellow star in their protest. Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against this use of the yellow star, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”

The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United StatesCanadaUkraine, and elsewhere.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Protesters in Glasgow have been criticised for comparing abortion to the Holocaust.

It was reported that an American evangelical movement has been picketing Scottish abortion clinics. One placard was spotted outside of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary that read “Abortion Is A Silent Holocaust. It Is Global Genocide”. 

Dr Audrey Brown, a leading gynaecologist, said that she was “disgusted by the language used,” and that it was “a completely inappropriate use of the word ‘Holocaust’.” 

She added: “I found this placard to be particularly upsetting…It really is a misuse of such powerful language and should not be allowed.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Abortion remains a heated issue, but rarely does anybody strengthen their case by making provocative and unfounded references to the systematic slaughter of six million men, women and children simply because they were Jewish. There are ways to express passionate feelings without needlessly equating it to the darkest period in human history.”

Students at the University of Essex reportedly protested against a speech on Afghanistan by calling for the destruction of Israel.

Col. Richard Kemp, the former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, spoke to the University’s Conservative Society while protestors outside chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a chant that only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state – and its replacement with a State of Palestine – and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The talk was about Britain’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and had nothing to do with Israel.

The student body at the University of Essex has a history of controversy relating to antisemitism. Two years ago, more than 200 students at the University voted against the creation of a Jewish society, which are commonplace on British campuses as a home for Jewish students, facilitating their religious observance and cultural and social life as well as representing them to university authorities.

The vote came amidst a row over antisemitism, with one academic dismissed from the University after asserting on social media that “the Zionists next want to create a society here at our university.” The motion did ultimately pass.

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities. The University of Essex has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

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

Controversial activist Jim Curran was spotted at a protest against Puma last weekend holding a sign reading “Gaza is a Holocaust”.

Mr Curran was participating in a protest on 18th September outside the Puma shop in London. The demonstration was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which a past investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism found was riddled with bigotry.

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

Mr Curran is a regular attendee at a group called Keep Talking, a group of far-right and far-left conspiracy theorists who come together to promote antisemitism.

Last year, Best for Britain, an influential activist group, apologised for tweeting a viral picture of Mr Curran attending an anti-racism rally in view of his links to the antisemitic group.

Image credit: Sussex Friends of Israel

Three French unions representing school teachers have condemned antisemitic tropes that featured at demonstrations against ‘vaccine passports’.

In a joint statement, CGT Education 43, FSU 43 and SUD Education 43, all of the Haute-Loire region of south-central France, observed that “for several weeks now, a handful of ultra-right activists have been instrumental in using the Saturday demonstrations against the health pass to display signs with hate messages with impunity,” and declared that “words and acts that target French people of Jewish faith, culture or tradition or attack their existence, their memory or their identity, hurt the whole of France.”

Placards at the rallies apparently bore slogans including, “Non a la manipula-Sion” (“No to manipulation”) with “Sion” (“Zion”) underlined; “En marche vers le chaos mondial” (“Forward to global chaos”), a pun on the political party of French President Emmanuel Macron and a slogan associated with convicted Holocaust denier Alain Soral; and “Je suis Cassandre” (“I am Cassandre”), declaring solidarity with controversial activist and former far-right Parliamentary candidate Cassandre Fristot.

The unions’ statement went on to assert that “Antisemitism is a crime condemned by law. It should be neither excused nor trivialized,” before calling on local residents “to stand up in the face of the return of the ‘Filthy Beast’ and of any form of racism.”

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

The State of Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor, Josh Green, has reportedly been harassed and targeted with antisemitic flyers by demonstrators protesting COVID-19 restrictions.

One of Hawaii’s recent changes that have come into effect is that state and county workers must show proof of vaccination or undergo weekly tests. It has been reported that Mr Green is also considering people wishing to enter restaurants, gyms, and other indoor venues to provide proof of vaccination.

Since the announcement of the mandate concerning state and county workers earlier this month, protesters have gathered outside Mr Green’s condominium building almost nightly, where the Lieutenant Governor lives with his wife and two children, aged 14 and 10.

Some protesters have been yelling into bullhorns and shining strobe lights into some of the condominium apartments. Others have been posting flyers that feature a photo of Mr Green and the words “fraud” and “Jew” around his neighbourhood. The Lieutenant Governor has been tearing them down himself and handing them to the state attorney general’s office.

“They should protest me at my place of work, where I’m the Lieutenant Governor,” Mr Green said. “But it’s different than flashing a strobe light into a 90-year-old woman’s apartment or a strobe light into a family’s apartment, where they have two kids under age four.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

It has been reported that at a demonstration held outside Westminster yesterday, an anti-vaccination protester claimed that wearing the yellow star that was forced upon Jews during the Holocaust was the “ultimate tribute” to Holocaust victims.

The protester, identified as Jeff Wyatt, wore a yellow star armband with the words “Not Vaccinated” written below, as well as the German translation of “Nicht Geimpft”. “It’s the ultimate tribute – because where we are heading is where the Jews went,” Mr Wyatt reportedly said.

He added: “Bear in mind in the 1930s, the Nazis didn’t just suddenly become the tyrants they were – they slowly had their evil way over the public of Germany. And the Jews, for years and years, said ‘just do what they say’ – and eventually they gassed them.”

The individual is believed to be the same Jeff Wyatt as the former Deputy Leader of the For Britain Movement who stood as a UKIP candidate in Milton Keynes. The For Britain Movement has been described as a “far-right UKIP splinter group” and has been accused of antisemitism and racism.

On a video uploaded to the official YouTube account for UKIP Cambridge & SE Cambs, Mr Wyatt can be seen talking to the camera at an anti-lockdown rally from last year whilst holding a sign that reads “No Gestapo Policing”.

This is not the first time that the yellow star or comparisons to the Nazis have been used by anti-vaccination demonstrators.

In April, protesters at an anti-vaccination rally held in London were pictured wearing the yellow star. Comedian David Baddiel took to Twitter to share a photo of a woman wearing the yellow star, accompanying it with the caption: “Take. That. Off.”

Footage taken on 13th July showed Piers Corbyn comparing vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament, despite being arrested after a similar incident in February. The video shows Mr Corbyn and another man standing in front of a sign which reads “No Nazi forced jab” and yelling “arrest Matt Hancock” through a megaphone. 

The inflammatory and misleading comparison has also been used among international anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown circles.

Earlier this week, we reported that antisemitic protest signs have prompted hate speech and incitement of violence investigations in France. In addition to this, several people have been spotted wearing yellow stars. In March, organisers of an anti-vaccine demonstration in the city of Avignon were described as “brainless” by Eric Ciotti, the Deputy (parliamentarian) for the region, for using the Nazi yellow star in their protest. Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against these acts, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”

The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United States, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.

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

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

On Tuesday, demonstrators campaigned outside of the headquarters of the actors’ union, Equity, alleging that the union helped to escalate the “upsurge in antisemitism in the UK”.

The protesters, wearing sashes that read “Equity’s Inequity”, said that they represent 300 “usually anonymous theatre-goers, who sit in the dark and applaud” and delivered an open letter to the union condemning its reported association with London’s anti-Israel rallies in May, which were revealed to have been infested with antisemitic chants and signs.

Judith Ornstein, one of the protest’s organisers, said: “How can we enjoy the theatre knowing there are creatives on stage and behind it whose union Equity has made them unsafe?”

Speaking of the “vile antisemitism and violence” that occurred at some of the anti-Israel rallies, Ms Ornstein said that “A union should protect and support its members. All its members.” She added that Paul Fleming, Equity’s General Secretary, “should have made that his priority.”

Ms Ornstein stated that the demonstrators called upon Mr Fleming and Equity President Maureen Beattie “to acknowledge how ill-judged and partisan their intervention has been, and also its role in escalating the upsurge in antisemitism in the UK”.

The open letter said that both Mr Fleming and Ms Beattie should “undertake antisemitism awareness training and rebuild bridges with those union members they have let down”. 

In a video uploaded to Twitter by Ms Ornstein, the protesters can be seen outside Equity headquarters. Speaking to the camera, fellow demonstrator Dany Louise said: “It was very predictable that there would be a lot of antisemitism at that rally, and indeed there was. It was blatant, naked antisemitism on the streets of London. Equity was there, and Equity did not call it out, and we feel that this does a real disservice to its members who will not all agree with that position, and indeed, several have left as a result.”

In May, Dame Maureen Lipman, who was a member of Equity for 54 years before leaving after the union voiced its support for the anti-Israel demonstrations, warned Jewish members to “get the hell out”, adding: “I didn’t join a political union. I joined a union to protect its members. You don’t dictate to artists what they believe in, and don’t incite them to join a mob.”

The actress and columnist, Tracy-Ann Oberman, was another leading figure who criticised Equity, asking on Twitter: “How are UK Jewish performers and friends meant to feel safe?”

Demonstrators are seen in the video delivering the open letter to staff at Equity headquarters, before Ms Ornstein states how the anti-Israel demonstrations were “poisoned by antisemitism”. She said: “Paul Fleming should have known that five days before his call [urging Equity members to attend another anti-Israel rally], a convoy of cars displaying Palestine flags drove through Jewish areas of London. Through a megaphone, they shouted ‘f**k their mothers, rape their daughters’. Paul Fleming should have known that Jewish women had to lock themselves into their homes. Paul Fleming should have known the rallies were tainted.”

“We have done what we were going to do. We have seen Equity’s inequity. We don’t know what difference it will make but they need to know that we’re not going anywhere,” Ms Ornstein added.

Dany Louise is also a former councillor who bravely resigned from the Labour Party in 2019 and spearheaded the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism in Hastings Borough Council.

Ms Louise gave an impassioned speech at the meeting, saying: “In the last few years, antisemitism has entered the national public discourse in a truly frightening and morally repugnant way. Where once it was the preserve of the far right, it has now become commonplace on the left as well. Shockingly, there has been widespread denial of this fact, with far too many people somehow casting it as yet another Jewish conspiracy theory. The denial itself has become another form of antisemitism, enthusiastically entertained by many who would otherwise call themselves part of the Community of the Good.”

She also rightly noted that the eleven examples “are indivisible from the Definition”, and that any “modified version” of the Definition is “no longer the…Definition”.

 Antisemitic protest signs have prompted hate speech and incitement of violence investigations in France.

In recent weeks, France has seen regular protests in response to the introduction of the “health pass”, a new strategy designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and an attempt to safely reopen public venues. Examples of a health pass reportedly include:

  • Proof of having completed a vaccination programme (two doses of an EU-approved vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson)
  • A negative PCR or antigen test taken within the last 72 hours
  • A Covid-19 recovery certificate that is less than six months old

However, anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes, and antisemitic signs have been spotted at France’s recent protests.  

On 17th July, an anti-vaccination demonstration of over 100,000 people took place where several attendees wore yellows stars, while others carried signs that made comparisons to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against these acts, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.”

With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”

This is not the first instance of yellow stars appearing at French rallies. In March, organisers of an anti-vaccine demonstration in the city of Avignon were described as “brainless” by Eric Ciotti, the Deputy (parliamentarian) for the region, for using the Nazi yellow star in their protest.  

On 8th August, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin condemned a protester’s sign as “abject” on Twitter and said that “Antisemitism is a crime, by no means an opinion. Such remarks will not go unpunished.” The sign in question carried the names of several Jewish politicians and businessmen, along with the word “traitors” and the phrase “mais qui?” (“but who?”) written in red writing with devil horns on the letter ‘Q’. Mr Darmanin went on to say that he had requested that state services in Moselle report the incident to the public prosecutor’s office.

Two days later, it had been reported that Cassandre Fristot, a teacher and former local councillor for France’s far-right National Rally Party, was the individual carrying the sign at the protest of about 237,000 people in the city of Metz, and was to face a trial. She was detained by police and her home was searched. Prosecutor Christian Mercuri stated that Ms Fristot’s trial would commence on 8th September, and if found guilty, she could face up to one year in prison and a 45,000 euro fine.

The phrase “qui?” has gained traction in France after an antisemitic rant by a retired army general aired in a now-infamous television interview in June.

Today, it was reported that a prosecutor had opened an enquiry into an antisemitic sign, also protesting the health pass, that was spotted in Épinal, eastern France on 14th August. The sign featured a swastika and the words “gros Nazi” (“big Nazi”) alongside the name of Health Minister Olivier Véran. A few weeks prior, there was reportedly another sign featuring a swastika that was seen in Épinal. The swastika on that sign was said to have been made up of hand-drawn syringes.

Paris has seen demonstrations take place for four weeks in a row. Last Saturday, Paris police tweeted that “signs with antisemitic inscriptions were held up today in #Paris”, and that they were bringing this to the attention of the courts. Paris’ public prosecutor reportedly said that the police were investigating whether people carrying harmful signs were “provoking public hate or violence against a group of people because of their origin, their belonging or not belonging to a particular ethnic group, a nation, a race or a religion”.

Robert Ejnes, the Executive Director of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (Council Representing Jewish Institutions in France), said that “It is worrying not just for Jewish people but for the whole of French society because antisemitism is just the beginning of a process that leads to the expression of hate for the ‘other’”. He added: “These people are using all the antisemitic prejudices from the worst hours of the history of France and Europe, so of course this worries us.”

Last Wednesday, a memorial in Perros-Guirec dedicated to Simone Veil, a Holocaust survivor and former Minister of Health, was found vandalised.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) has been condemned after one of its activists labelled Fox News as “Zionists” that are “full of lies”.

A video appears to show a gathering of BLM activists congregating outside Fox News headquarters in New York City, where a man shouting through a megaphone can be heard saying: “You’re full of lies. You’re all racist. You’re Nazis, you’re Zionists, you’re KKK.”

Stopantisemitism.org posted the video to Twitter, writing: “Obscene antisemitism – BLM in NYC tonight equates Zionists with Nazis.”

Last year, Campaign Against Antisemitism called out the British chapter of Black Lives Matter (BLM) after it claimed that “Zionism” had “gagged” Britain.

British BLM’s official Twitter account tweeted at the time: “As Israel moves forward with the annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism, and Israel’s settler colonial pursuits, we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades. Free Palestine.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism responded: “The Black Lives Matter movement should embrace solidarity from Jews. There have been calls for violence against us from prominent BLM supporters with no official condemnation. Now from the official UK BLM account, we hear the lie that fighting antisemitism has ‘gagged’ legitimate debate.”

One week later, Campaign Against Antisemitism produced a video showing how antisemitism in the BLM movement is a betrayal of the legacy of real Civil Rights heroes.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

“Jews are behind the pandemic” and “rule the world” chants were heard at an anti-vaccine rally in Poland on Sunday.

The rally in Głogów was held by supporters of the local football team who marched to protest COVID-19 restrictions and vaccines. The organisers were reported to have called on locals to join “the fight for our common future” against “the globalists”, a term that is often used in far-right conspiratorial circles to refer to Jewish people.

It was reported that at one point during the rally, a man with a megaphone asked the crowd: “We know who is behind this whole ‘plandemic’ and who rules the world, right?”, to which someone responded “Jews”, and the man replied, “Of course it’s the Jews”.

A chant of “Every Pole can see today that behind the ‘plandemic’ are the Jews” was then reported to have broken out amongst the crowd of over 100 people.

Three arrests were made after confrontations broke out between protestors and police officers. A video of police officers retreating was uploaded to Twitter by a nationalist account, along with the caption: “You will all be held accountable someday.”

Earlier today, the account also tweeted an image of the Nazi flag and wrote: “We will never bow our knees, we will never submit, we will never become one of your sheep! Stop sanitary segregation!”

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Nazi comparisons abounded at a far-left demonstration outside Labour Party headquarters earlier today, with support for the antisemitic former Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on show and several references to antisemitism as a “smear“ campaign made by participants.

Among the speakers at the demonstration, which was observed by Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Monitoring Unit, were “notorious antisemite“ Tony Greenstein and the conspiracy theorist and Mr Corbyn’s brother, Piers Corbyn, both of whom made comparisons to the Nazis.

The demonstration was organised by far-left Labour activists who were protesting Sir Keir Starmer’s reported decision to purge the Party of “toxic” fringe groups, including Labour Against the Witchhunt, as well as to demand that Jeremy Corbyn have the whip reinstated after his suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party.

One of the organisers of the demonstration was Labour Against the Witchhunt, which was set up to protest the expulsion of Labour members for alleged antisemitism and which opposes “the false antisemitism smear”. It is one of the groups whose members are reportedly threatened with expulsion from Labour.

Mr Greenstein, who was recently declared bankrupt by a judge after failing to comply with court orders to pay Campaign Against Antisemitism after his humiliating abortive defamation claim against us, was one of the speakers at the rally. In his speech, he referenced his past suspension for comparing Israel to the Nazis, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Alluding to the “fake antisemitism campaign”, Mr Greenstein said: “I was told I was suspended for comments I’d made. They didn’t tell me what I’d said. But two weeks later, I read in The Telegraph and The Times that I had compared Israel’s marriage laws to that of Nazi Germany. So, I told my inquisitor, ‘Well, yes. The great political philosopher of the last century, Hannah Arendt, herself a refugee from Nazi Germany, made exactly that point’. So, let’s be clear. It’s not about antisemitism.” Mr Greenstein was also recorded giving an inflammatory interview at the rally.

Sheila Day, a former Labour councillor in Hove, said that a motion to boycott Israel that she had promoted was blocked on the basis that it would encourage antisemitism. Ms Day mentioned that she was advised that Jewish members may feel unsafe in discussion about boycotting the world’s only Jewish state, to which Ms Day recounted that remarked that she “doesn’t know how anyone can feel unsafe in a Zoom meeting,” and that if “they [the Jewish members] feel unsafe talking about Israel, let them go to Gaza and let them sit there with one of the women and one of the children that are being bombed, that are being starved, that are being mutilated, that are being oppressed like this.” Ms Day then confirmed that, while she had not been suspended, she was under investigation for allegations of antisemitism.

Greg Hadfield, a disgraced Labour activist who had reportedly been caught supporting Labour candidate Alex Braithwaite who was suspended from the Party for a series of tweets which included conspiracy theories about Israel and the Rothschild family, proudly told the crowd that he was suspended from the Labour Party for tweeting: “The State of Israel is a racist endeavour and always has been.” According to the Definition, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is another example of antisemitism.

Mike Cushman, a member of antisemitism-denial groups Jewish Voice for Labour and Labour Against The Witchhunt, also spoke. Mr Cushman has previously claimed that he has never observed antisemitism in the Labour Party and that the evidence on which antisemitism allegations are based emanates either from the Israeli Mossad or British security services, which he insists oppose the election of a Labour Government.

One speaker adapted Martin Niemöller’s “First they came” poem, which describes the guilt of not standing up to the Nazis in Germany as they persecuted minority groups, by instead referring to the perceived persecution of Labour Party members.

Two speakers, who stated that they were speaking on behalf of Labour members from North Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Constituency Labour Party, referred to the “false charges” of antisemitism whilst holding a sign that read: “NW Cambs & Peterborough Members smeared & silenced”.

Other signs included advocating for the opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism and calling for justice for a group of eight Labour activists after the High Court recently dismissed their case that argued that an investigation into antisemitism-related allegations brought against them by the Party was unfair. Another sign alleged that only “informed Jews” were aware of the perceived actions of the Israeli Government.

The event attracted counter-demonstrators who bore signs that stated that Mr Corbyn is an antisemite. However, some far-left demonstrators made an effort to cover these signs up in an attempt to prevent them from being seen.

Towards the end of the rally, an anti-vaccination protest merged with the far-left demonstration. Piers Corbyn, who recently compared vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament after being arrested following a similar incident in February, took to the mic to speak about vaccinations.

Speaking about the Covid-19 vaccination and the lockdown, Mr Corbyn said: “You know what happened in Germany. The left there, they were begging Hitler to support them. They believed in Hitler. You know what happened. The rest is history…the Jews were labelled as a danger and were locked up.”

Mr Corbyn also gave an interview in which he denied that he, or his brother Jeremy, were antisemites.

The rally was intended to coincide with a major meeting of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, although the meeting is being held over Zoom rather than at the the Party’s headquarters where the rally was taking place. In addition to an anticipated vote on a purge of toxic groups and members, it is being reported that discussions will also be held over the Party’s dire financial state, blamed in part on the legal repercussions of the various antisemitism cases in which the Party has been involved. There will also reportedly be a vote on mandating that all candidates for elected public office representing the Part will be required to undertake antisemitism training provided by Labour’s Jewish affiliate.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Groups like Labour Against the Witchhunt have no place in Labour if the Party truly wants to tackle its antisemitism problem, which is exacerbated by its deniers. This ban, if successfully introduced, will be a welcome and necessary step forward in detoxifying the Labour Party. There remains a great deal more to do to address Labour’s institutional antisemitism – represented by the cranks who attended today’s rally – but this policy shows renewed seriousness on the part of Labour’s leadership.”

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

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

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

Labour Party MP Richard Burgon and prominent member and former candidate Salma Yaqoob are set to share a platform with the antisemitic former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at a demonstration in Bradford this evening.

Mr Burgon, the former Shadow Justice Secretary and MP for Leeds East, is best known for having stated that “Zionism is the enemy of peace” and then lied about having done so. He has also participated in rallies with suspended Labour activists without sanction. Mr Burgon is the subject of a complaint to the Labour Party by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Ms Yaqoob, the former Respect Party leader, is a relatively recent member of the Labour Party who unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of the West Midlands this year, and has her own deeply troubling record in relation to the Jewish community. In a 2013 tweet that she has since deleted, Ms Yaqoob stated: “Iceland arrests 10 Rothschild bankers…wow”, and linked to an article making this false claim and featuring a prominent image of the banker and philanthropist Lord Jacob Rothschild. The article linked in turn to a longer piece on the “Political Vel Craft” website, which is known for disseminating extreme conspiracy theories.

Also scheduled to appear at the event is the former Liberal Democrat MP David Ward, who has had a number of antisemitism-related incidents, one of which involved him tweeting: “#Auschwitz happened and never can be compared but would be betrayal of its victims to use it to protect #Israel Govt from condemnation”. Mr Ward lost his council seat in this year’s local elections, running as an Independent after being expelled by the Liberal Democrats in 2017 for standing against the Party in an election, having previously been disciplined for comments about Jews, the Holocaust and Israel. He recently appeared at another anti-Israel rally in Bradford, along with the disgraced Labour MP Naz Shah, where calls were made to “lift the curse of the Jews off the Muslims in Palestine!”

Lindsey German, also billed to speak, is a controversial activist who has a history of denying antisemitism in the Labour Party and who backed the disgraced former Labour MP, Chris Williamson. She is a convener of the dubious group, Stop The War Coalition, which has appeared in the past to advocate war against Israel and whose marches routinely feature antisemitic tropes.

Mr Corbyn was suspended by the Labour Party following his disgraceful comments on the publication of the report into Labour antisemitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism. He was then rapidly and controversially readmitted to the Party but the whip has not been restored to him, leaving him as an Independent MP outside of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

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

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

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

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

The Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), Kevin Courtney, appeared today at a testy hearing of the House of Commons Education Committee, where he attempted to defend a number of controversial stances that he and his union have taken in relation to antisemitism.

The Committee Chair, Conservative Robert Halfon MP, shifted the conversation to “the very difficult area of antisemitism” and asked about a number of matters of grave concern to the Jewish community.

First, he asked why the NEU has not adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism. He noted that the Definition has been adopted by the British Government, all major political parties and anti-racism organisations, including Campaign Against Antisemitism. He also quoted a Jewish former member of the NEU who has pushed for adoption of the Definition by the union.

Mr Halfon further noted that there is nothing stopping the NEU’s executive from adopting the Definition, and asked: “Why does the NEU think it knows better and why do you as yet refuse to adopt the Definition, and why won’t you adopt it and use it as a starting point to address issues within your membership body?”

Mr Courtney replied that he would like the former member to re-join, and disclosed that he has written to several Jewish members recently, emphasising that “there is definitely a very strong place for them in this union. For people who see Israel as the homeland of a nation, who see it as a refuge of last resort, who see it as a response to the Holocaust, there is a place for people with those views in the union.”

Mr Halfon pressed Mr Courtney specifically on the matter of adoption, however, asking: “As a leadership why not adopt it?” Mr Courtney replied: “That is an option that’s open to us.” Mr Halfon: “Why haven’t you done it?” Mr Courtney responded that “We haven’t even discussed it actually…we are definitely a union that is working very hard against antisemitism, we are organising training against antisemitism,” suggesting that there was no impediment to the NEU adopting the Definition other than that it has not bothered to discuss the matter and apparently has no plans to do so.

Mr Halfon then asked Mr Courtney about the more than 100 Jewish members who have quit the NEU because of their concerns over how it handles antisemitism. “Why do you think they have resigned from the union?” Mr Halfon asked. Mr Courtney replied that he has written to the members, and that he has also addressed the NEU’s National Executive and branch secretaries on the topic.

In this connection, Mr Halfon also asked about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, an antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisation. The conflict inspired numerous demonstrations across Britain over the past two months and a surge in antisemitism, including in schools and on campuses. Mr Courtney replied in respect of the “dispute between Israel and Hamas” that “we started getting involved in those demonstrations. I personally spoke at those demonstrations. And they were about the evictions of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah. Now those evictions…were condemned by the British Government. They were condemned by the United Nations…”

Mr Courtney was interrupted by Mr Halfon who observed that “Jewish members of your union feel that their union support is secondary to their campaigns criticising the State of Israel for one action or another.” Mr Courtney denied this, insisting that “it’s really relevant that the demonstration was about Sheikh Jarrah” before going on to say that “the union put out statements saying that both Israel and Hamas should stop the bombings” and that “when I spoke at the demonstrations, I said that.”

Mr Courtney did not appear to be prepared to accept that the NEU or its officers may be responsible for why so many Jewish members have resigned.

The conversation then turned to a recent controversial series of antisemitism training sessions organised by the Warsaw Ghetto vandal and NEU official, Ewa Jasiewicz. Campaign Against Antisemitism recently revealed that, although Ms Jasiewicz did not lead the sessions herself, she did organise them and they were led by two activists from the far-left fringe Jewish group, Jewdas.

Mr Halfon pointed out that Ms Jasiewicz is “infamous for defacing the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto” and that “Campaign Against Antisemitism has noted that the sessions were led by two activists from a fringe organisation called Jewdas.” He asked Mr Courtney: “Why did you choose a controversial fringe group to do this when you could have used many mainstream Jewish organisations?”

Mr Courtney responded: “I welcome these questions, and I would like an opportunity to talk with you in more detail about them.” In the meantime, he offered a “potted history” of the matter, noting that the NEU allocates staff to work with the union’s various forums, including the black members’ forum in the North West, which requested sessions on racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism, including dealing with the topics from a more “intellectual” and historical perspective. He said that “Ewa did a very good job of sourcing the sort of people that that group wanted.”

Pressed on the Warsaw Ghetto vandalism, Mr Courtney insisted that Ms Jasiewicz “didn’t teach about it” and that “she [merely] sourced the people”.

Mr Courtney thus confirmed that, despite Ms Jasiewicz’s appalling history in relation to antisemitism, it was she who was empowered to invite the fringe activists to deliver antisemitism training.

Mr Courtney also disclosed, regarding the vandalism, that “it was completely wrong. We didn’t know about it when we employed her. We didn’t know about it until 2018. When we did know about it, we met with her immediately at a very senior level in the union, with her union rep, we discussed the fact that that action was absolutely wrong, that defacing a Holocaust memorial was wrong, that drawing an equivalency between the Israeli Government and the Nazis was wrong. We went through with her that we weren’t saying those things because we thought they might cause bad publicity or because they were at variance with the [International] Definition but because we believed them to be wrong in absolute terms. They [the actions] were wrong. We discussed that with her.” He added: “She had apologised for them before that time. She repeated that apology at that moment. And I believe in redemption. She has apologised for those actions and they were wrong.”

Mr Halfon proceeded then to ask about the recent antisemitism-infested anti-Israel rallies. Mr Halfon noted that many of these rallies, including at least one which Mr Courtney addressed, featured antisemitic placards. “You failed to condemn them yet you spoke at that rally,” Mr Halfon observed, adding that another NEU official, Louise Regan, had also spoken at a rally in Nottingham at which another speaker had openly supported Hamas and spoke of “resistance by any means necessary”. Ms Regan was suspended by the Labour Party last year over a motion of support for Jeremy Corbyn at the Nottingham East Constituency Labour Party, which she chairs, and has reportedly been reinstated in recent weeks.

“Do you believe it is appropriate for you to speak at rallies with antisemitic placards and chants?” Mr Halfon asked.

Mr Courtney declared: “I condemn all acts of antisemitism”. He also insisted that antisemitic placards were not everywhere, and that the “vast majority of placards at that demonstration were not antisemitic.” He also emphasised that “there were hundreds my members of my union at those demonstrations,” singling out “young Muslim members of my union” in particular as having participated. He went on to say that “at the demonstration, I made a point of saying that we are all here in our diversity against all forms of racism, against all forms of Islamophobia, and against all forms of antisemitism. That line from my speech was the most applauded line of my speech.” He declared that “I’m proud of speaking at the demonstration. All three of the demonstrations that I spoke at.”

Mr Courtney thus justified his appearances at antisemitism-infested rallies while insisting that he condemns “all forms of racism, against all forms of Islamophobia, and against all forms of antisemitism”.

Mr Halfon ended his questioning by asking: “Do you feel that the NEU is safe for Jewish people, because I can’t see it from where I’m sitting?” He added that it seemed that “Jews don’t count” at the NEU, where there appears to be a “hostile environment” for Jewish people.

Mr Courtney, by this point aggravated, replied that “Jewish people absolutely count in our union. And we want those 100 people to re-join. There are many more Jewish people who haven’t left our union, because they see that we are a union committed to opposing all forms of racism, and Islamophobia, including Islamophobia [sic], including antisemitism.”

Mr Halfon interjected: “Except when it comes to antisemitism, when you turn a blind eye.”

Mr Courtney’s temper appeared to flare as he responded: “That is absolutely untrue. That is a disgraceful slur on me and my union.”

It is notable that, throughout the proceedings, Mr Courtney used the familiar refrain of speaking of antisemitism almost exclusively alongside “Islamophobia” and “all forms of racism”, rather than exclusively about anti-Jewish racism, even though that was the topic that he was being asked about.

Having concluded his questioning, Mr Halfon then yielded to his committee colleague, Ian Mearns, the Labour MP for Gateshead, who opened by noting that he did not have advance warning of Mr Halfon’s line of questioning and said: “Personally I think it’s regrettable what you’ve done.” It is not clear why Mr Mearns thinks that asking the Joint General Secretary of a controversial union about how it is addressing the mass resignation of Jewish members is a regrettable line of questioning.

Mr Halfon referred to research by Campaign Against Antisemitism over the course of his questioning of Mr Courtney.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We commend Robert Halfon MP for his robust examination of Mr Courtney. It is not often that the leadership of a controversial union is held to account, and it was clear from Mr Courtney’s answers that he and his union see no shortcomings in their conduct in relation to antisemitism and the Jewish community, despite the mass resignation of Jewish NEU members.

“While Mr Courtney professes his opposition to antisemitism, he nevertheless addressed rallies featuring antisemitic placards, allowed the Warsaw Ghetto vandal to invite fringe figures to deliver antisemitism training to his members, will not commit to adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism, and, above all, has presided over a union that has lost a significant portion of its Jewish membership, for which he apparently offers no apology.

“The Jewish community has long had concerns about the NEU, and Mr Courtney’s performance today showed him to be unapologetic and without any kind of plan to take robust action.”

Two Polish ultranationalists have been given prison sentences in connection to chanting about hanging Zionists at a rally in 2016.

It was reported that one of the participants at the rally, which took place in the north-eastern city of Bialystok, led a chant about how “Zionists will hang from the trees instead of leaves.” It is understood that anti-Muslim chants were also heard.

The Criminal Tribunal in Warsaw imposed the sentences last Wednesday. The defendant who led the chants received a sentence of twelve months’ imprisonment, while the other defendant was handed a suspended sentence of six months.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Footage has emerged of a Labour MP telling a crowd “I’m here with you, I’m representing you” before his listeners break out into antisemitic chanting as he stands by.

The footage of the anti-Israel rally on 16th May in Swansea shows Geraint Davies, the Labour Party MP for Swansea West, telling the crowd that “I stand in solidarity today. I’ve taken my message to Boris Johnson” among other comments, before ending telling the assembled that he is with them and representing them.

He then steps down from the microphone and the crowd breaks out into chanting not only “Free Palestine” but also “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud”, as Mr Davies stands by.

The “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud” chant, translated in English as “Jews, remember the battle of Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning”, is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE.

The chant has been heard at other anti-Israel rallies over the past several weeks as well.

After the footage emerged, Mr Davies released a statement on Twitter saying: “I called in Swansea for an end to the killings of civilians in Palestine and Israel, peace and reconciliation, a two-state solution and adherence to international law. I therefore do not support any chanting in Arabic that followed that called for the opposite.”

Numerous Labour MPs have appeared at or addressed rallies featuring antisemitic chants and placards, including John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and Naz Shah.

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

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

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

Yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn addressed another antisemitism-infested demonstration in central London.

An evidence gathering team from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit was present at the rally in Whitehall and observed countless antisemitic placards, especially ones equating Israel with Nazism, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Pamphlets were also distributed at the demonstration explaining, in breach of the Definition, why Israel and the Nazis are indeed supposedly comparable, bizarrely and baselessly accusing the Jewish state of implementing policies of extermination and antisemitism.

There were also signs claiming that the Jewish state abducts and murders children, reminiscent of the antisemitic blood libel.

Mr Corbyn was a keynote speaker at yesterday’s rally, which came just days after he appeared at the Cambridge Union and yet again play down the institutional antisemitism in the Labour Party during his leadership and his own antisemitism, including insisting that one Jewish Labour MP had not been “hounded out” of the Party but had simply “unfortunately decided to resign from the Party”. Following the interview, Campaign Against Antisemitism reiterated our call for Mr Corbyn to be expelled from Labour. It is being reported that the Party is “looking into” his remarks.

Yesterday’s rally was reportedly organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC). This is not the first time in recent weeks that a PSC rally has been riddled with antisemitism. An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst supporters of the PSC.

Yesterday’s protestors were joined by participants in a second ‘Free Palestine’ convoy that drove down to London from cities in the North and Midlands. The returning convoy included some 35 cars (a considerably smaller number than the previous convoy). At one point, police pulled over two cars to prevent them from entering Jewish neighbourhoods in the north of London.

On Friday, the Metropolitan Police Service declined a request by Campaign Against Antisemitism, supported by legal representations from our lawyers, to prohibit the convoy, particularly after the previous ‘Free Palestine’ convoy drove through a Jewish neighbourhood shouting “F*** the Jews…rape their daughters” through megaphones, and a vehicle, believed to be from the convoy, chased a Jewish mother down a London street and rammed her car whilst she was driving her four-year-old child. Four men were arrested and bailed over the former incident and an alleged antisemitic incident committed in Manchester before the convoy arrived in London.

In the event, the Metropolitan Police Service is understood to have placed conditions on the returning convoy and monitored its progress, leading to its intervention to prevent the two cars diverging.

protest was also held yesterday in Manchester, bringing the city centre to a standstill.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Another weekend, another antisemitism-infested demonstration on the streets of Britain’s capital. Heavy policing ensured the safety of the Jewish community as another convoy was permitted to pass through London. Nevertheless, it is extraordinary that, unlike with any other minority, week after week open displays of anti-Jewish racism in the nation’s capital are deemed acceptable. If the authorities will not bring antisemitic criminals to justice, we intend to use all legal and regulatory avenues to defend our community and force the authorities to act.

“Less remarkable is the ubiquity of Jeremy Corbyn at these rallies. Coming after his remarks earlier this week playing down Labour antisemitism yet again, the Party has ever fewer excuses not to expel him, as we have demanded for several months now.”

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

Rallies against antisemitism have been held across the United States amid the recent surge of anti-Jewish hate.

Last week, it was reported that over 300 people gathered in Westport, Connecticut to show their support for the Jewish community and voice their opposition to antisemitism. Rabbis, other religious figures, and politicians all spoke to the large crowd to voice a “message of solidarity with victims of antisemitism.”

Another rally against antisemitism was held last week which took place at the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, Florida. A large crowd in the hundreds was present, which included parents and children, as well as police. One attendee said: “I’m really proud to be Jewish, and I’m really proud to see that people are out here.”

“It’s important to show that we have support all around the world,” said another.

Mayor of Miami Beach, Dan Gelber, spoke at the event, saying: “We’re always going to stand up because that’s what we do in the face of hate.”

This past weekend, West Bloomfield, Michigan was the host of a another rally which was dubbed “Stand up to Antisemitism”. The rally was organised by local branches of national Jewish organisers.

The event was organised by the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee (or JCRC/AJC), the Michigan branches of the Zionist Organization of America and the Anti-Defamation League. Hadassah and the Michigan branch of the National Council of Jewish Women were also organisers.

Meanwhile, bakers from Greater Cincinnati are being joined by colleagues around the world to fundraise for a Holocaust museum in the Ohio city. The “Bake a Stand: Bake to End Antisemitism” international initiative is being led by professional and amateur bakers to raise awareness of antisemitism and to raise funds for the museum.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

The disgraced Labour MP, Naz Shah, reportedly spoke at a rally where calls were made to “lift the curse of the Jews off the Muslims in Palestine!”

Footage has become available of the rally, held in May in Ms Shah’s home town of Bradford, in which speakers appear to beseech G-d to “make us part of the mujahideen in Palestine!”; “purify al-Aqsa from impure people!”; “make the earth quake under their [impure people’s] feet!”; and “make the Jews lose!”

Other chants included beseeching G-d to “lift the curse of the Jews off the Muslims in Palestine!” and “make Islam win!”

Ms Shah, who also serves as Labour’s Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion, urged demonstrators: “Don’t stop just here today. It must carry on, even when this stops. The year 2015 we all know what happened. We were here. This place was packed. And again we find ourselves here. It’s not unacceptable to be coming here time and time again because children are being killed.”

Ms Shah’s previous dalliances with antisemitism were so grave that they led to her suspension from the Labour Party even under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, has appeared in recent weeks to resent how she was held to account. She also recently shared a platform with Mr Corbyn but has not been disciplined, even though Mr Corbyn, like Ms Shah before him, was suspended from the Party for antisemitism. 

The disgraced former Liberal Democrat MP, David Ward, was also reportedly present at the same rally. He lost his council seat in last month’s local elections, running as an Independent after being expelled by the Liberal Democrats in 2017 for standing against the Party in an election, having previously been disciplined for comments about Jews, the Holocaust and Israel.

Ms Shah is not the only Labour MP to have courted controversy in recent weeks. John McDonnell, the former Shadow Chancellor, encouraged his “Muslim constituents” in particular to come out to protest in demonstrations against Israel over the past month, seemingly stoking religious and communal divisions in the UK at a particularly vulnerable time for the Jewish community. He also promoted an antisemitic image in one of his tweets about a march that he himself attended.

Former Party Leader (and now Independent MP) Jeremy Corbyn addressed a rally where antisemitism was also on display. Mr Corbyn failed to condemn Hamas in his remarks, having previously described the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group as his “friends”.

Former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott spoke also spoke at a rally, describing it as a “great demonstration” even as it featured chants praising the massacre of Jews, Hamas-style headbands and antisemitic signs.

According to extensive research conducted by Campaign Against Antisemitism, the Parliamentary Labour Party and its leadership – including Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy – have been particularly one-sided in its condemnations of Israel and have appeared to give Hamas a free pass for its responsibility for its latest conflict with the Jewish state, with many in the Jewish community concerned that the volume and vehemence of the one-sidedness coming from many MPs, particularly in the Labour Party, have contributed to an atmosphere conducive to the horrendous antisemitism recently witnessed on British streets and campuses, in hospitals and schools, online and elsewhere.

Beyond the Parliamentary Labour Party, numerous Labour councillors have also courted controversy in relation to the Jewish community and antisemitism in recent weeks as well. Among them were Kirk Master, Yusuf Jan-Virmani, David Owen and Puru Miah.

Cllr Master, Labour’s Assistant Mayor of Leicester and the city’s former Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, demanded that Jewish and Muslim faith leaders in Leicester sign a declaration to “condemn the killings of the innocent and Palestinian people.” He subsequently apologised.

Cllr Jan-Virmani, a Labour councillor in Blackburn, was suspended after making derogatory comparisons between Israelis and animals while referencing the antisemitic blood libel conspiracy theory in the council chamber and refusing to apologise.

Cllr Owen, a prominent Labour councillor in Blackpool, has reportedly been referred to the Party over social media posts he allegedly shared, including one quoting former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke and another comparing Israel to Nazis.

Cllr Miah, a Labour councillor in Tower Hamlets, was pictured standing in front of a sign with an antisemitic message comparing Zionism to Nazis (later disavowed by the council).

Meanwhile, Mohammed P Aslam, a former councillor on Nottinghamshire County Council has reportedly been suspended by Labour after comparing Israel to Nazis and making remarks about “Jewish treachery”. Louise Regan, the Chair of the same Constituency Labour Party – Nottingham East – has reportedly been reinstated after an investigation following her handling of a meeting at which a Jewish member felt that he had to leave due to the atmosphere.

In addition, Ruth George, the former MP for High Peak, was elected Deputy Leader of Derbyshire County Council, where she retained her seat in the recent local elections. Campaign Against Antisemitism has an outstanding complaint with the Labour Party against Ms George, who was challenged during the election campaign by a member of the public over her past antisemitic comments, for which she has apologised. In her response, she said: “You may wish to look into the political affiliations of the Campaign against Antisemitism and the ongoing complaints to the Charity Commission so you have a full picture.” The suggestion that those calling out antisemitism in the Labour Party had mendacious or political motives for doing so was highlighted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in its report on antisemitism in Labour as being part of the unlawful victimisation of Jews that took place in the Party.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Despite being declared institutionally racist against Jews just six months ago by the EHRC, and notwithstanding the current special measures imposed on the Party to address its unlawful antisemitism, Labour MPs appear to have learned nothing.

“Too many have encouraged, attended and addressed rallies featuring antisemitic banners and chants, contributing to the atmosphere conducive to the rampant antisemitism, physical assaults on Jews and damage to Jewish property that we have seen in recent weeks. The condemnations by those same MPs of the antisemitism that they helped to unleash ring hollow and give no comfort to the Jewish community.

“Over the past month, it has been difficult to tell the difference between today’s Labour and the Party as it was under Jeremy Corbyn. Labour has managed to return to square one when it comes to antisemitism.”

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

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

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

A student at the University of Warwick has apologised for brandishing a poster depicting the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, drinking blood from a jar labelled ‘Gaza’.

Mr Netanyahu was also depicted with a devil’s tail alongside the word “Satanyahu”.

The incident occurred at an anti-Israel protest organised by the Warwick Friends of Palestine Society.

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

The creator of the sign has since apologised, stating: “I wanted to start off by apologising to the Jewish community for my poster at the protest. I acknowledge that I should’ve done proper research before reusing an image that I was not properly researched on.

“I am aware that the ramifications of my actions are far-reaching and have potentially caused great trauma to the Jewish community. For that I am truly and sincerely sorry and promise that I will be more careful with what I use.

“I will also ensure that any criticism of Israel and the Israeli state and its policies does not ever veer into anti-Semitic territory because this is not a productive venture and the two should never be conflated. I apologise again to the Jewish community for any hurt that I’ve caused.”

The sign was condemned by both the University’s Jewish society and its Friends of Palestine society.

A spokesperson for the University said: “The University is aware of this incident and takes matters of this nature very seriously. We are investigating this matter now.”

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism is filing a complaint to the Directorate of Professional Standards after police ignored antisemitic threats among demonstrators on Sunday who were shouting: “We’ll find some Jews there.  We want the Zionists. We want their blood!”

The demonstrators were trying to counter-protest a rally of the Jewish community and allies in solidarity with Israel, in Kensington. However, towards the end of the peaceful gathering, police were required to step in due to the arrival of counter-demonstrators.

After being told to leave the area by the police, the counter-demonstrators were escorted away by officers. But in a video posted online, at least one of the counter-demonstrators can be seen shouting: “We’ll find some Jews there,” before adding: “We want the Zionists. We want their blood.”

The video appears to show policemen walking alongside the perpetrators without taking action against the incitement.

In a rally held just the day before, participants held up antisemitic banners and heard speakers who blamed Israel for antisemitism and were told that “there will be no ceasefire in our campaign”. Crowds also marched in Manchester, Cardiff and elsewhere. Campaign Against Antisemitism is now reviewing a large volume of evidence from rallies and incidents over the past two weeks with our lawyers.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Over the past two weeks, on too many occasions the Metropolitan Police has failed to intervene against antisemitic crime and incitement on the streets of London, and in some cases officers have even joined protestors despite rules prohibiting such participation. Britain’s Jews need to be proactively protected by the police at this dangerous time.

“We are submitting yet another complaint to the Directorate of Professional Standards, this time in connection with the spectacle of police indifference toward counter-protestors on Sunday screaming ‘We’ll find some Jews there.  We want the Zionists. We want their blood!’. These threats are criminal and the police should know better than merely to escort the perpetrators away from a Jewish crowd: they should be arresting them.”

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.

London was the scene of yet another antisemitism-strewn demonstration today, as crowds were told that Israel creates antisemitism and that “there will be no ceasefire in our campaign”. Crowds also marched in Manchester, Cardiff and elsewhere. Campaign Against Antisemitism is now reviewing a large volume of evidence from today’s rallies and those of the past fortnight with its lawyers.

As demonstrators in London flew the flags of genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisations, other protesters held aloft placards decrying “Zionists” as Nazis and the flags of violent or terrorist organisations, speakers addressed them with inflammatory messages, making no effort to condemn the antisemitic hatred that has surged on the streets of Britain for a fortnight.

One protester brought a placard apparently denouncing Jews for having killed Jesus, bearing an image of Jesus carrying a cross and the slogan “Don’t let them do the same thing today again”. The charge of deicide was long used within Christian theology to justify hatred of Jews, until it was rejected by the Vatican and major Protestant denominations.

Numerous placards praised the genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation, Hamas, as “freedom fighters”, while others claimed that “Nazis are still around, they call themselves Zionists now”, that the Israeli Prime Minister “surpasses Hitler in barbarism” and that Israel is committing a Holocaust.

An evidence gathering team from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit did not witness any of the marchers for “justice” remonstrating with the antisemites in the midst or seeking justice for Jews.

The marchers only seemed to have had one disagreement amongst themselves, which reportedly occurred when Islamists in the crowd began to use megaphones to address their fellow protesters over the top of the main speakers.

Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who last week tweeted a picture of an antisemitic placard and said that he was “proud” to march alongside it, told the thousands who had gathered: “Yes, a ceasefire has been negotiated and we welcome a ceasefire, but let’s be clear, there will be no ceasefire in our campaign to boycott, disinvest and sanction the Israeli apartheid state. The message is clear, we will not cease our campaign in solidarity until there is justice. So let’s make it clear, no justice, no peace.” Jeremy Corbyn and Richard Burgon were among other speakers from the Labour Party.

Another speaker, Tariq Ali, who has previously tried to link Israel to the killing of George Floyd, declared that some Israelis “have learnt nothing from what happened in to them in Europe. Nothing. They talk a lot about saying all those marching for Palestine are antisemities. This of course isn’t true, but I will tell you something, they don’t like hearing. Every time they bomb Gaza, every time they attack Jerusalem – that is what creates antisemitism. Stop the occupation, stop the bombing and casual antisemitism will soon disappear.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “For two weeks, Britain’s Jews have been threatened with rape and murder, with a synagogue vandalised and a rabbi hospitalised. Now, our traumatised community has again had to endure politicians and activists addressing yet another antisemitism-infested rally. 

”Last week, John McDonnell tweeted an image of an antisemitic placard held by protesters whom he said made him ‘proud’. Despite the ceasefire, he promised no end to the protests. Jews were told by Tariq Ali that they will continue to face antisemitism. None of the speakers had words of regret for the abuse and violence that has been incited against Britain’s Jews under cover of the ‘Free Palestine’ slogan, there was only inflammatory rhetoric and posturing.

“Protesters are getting the message that those promoting hatred against Jews in their midst will be tolerated or encouraged, whilst Britain’s Jews are hearing loud and clear that when it comes to racism against us, our allies are drowned out by the bigots. Having seen the solidarity shown for Black Lives Matter, this just reinforces the feeling that in the UK in 2021, racism against Jews does not count.”

Today’s events are only the latest in a string of antisemitic protests in Britain held under the “Free Palestine” slogan.

Former Shadow Chancellor and Labour Party MP John McDonnell has tweeted a photo of an antisemitic sign which was featured at a rally that he himself attended.

The sign, which features an antisemitic quote falsely attributed to Albert Einstein, reads: “It would be my greatest sadness to see Zionists do to Palestinian Arabs much of what Nazis did to Jews.” According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism. Many of these rallies have featured antisemitic slogans, chants and banners. Mr McDonnell said that he was “proud” to attend the rally.

Disturbingly, Mr McDonnell also specifically encouraged his Muslim constituents to join the protests, seemingly stoking religious and communal divisions in the UK at a particularly vulnerable time for the Jewish community. He tweeted: “I urge my Muslim constituents to join me on Saturday in the demonstration in London to support the Palestinian people in their call for peace and justice.”

As antisemitism has become rampant on British streets in recent days, some of Mr McDonnell’s Parliamentary colleagues have backtracked on their unadulterated support for these protests and have condemned antisemitism. Mr McDonnell has not.

Last year, Mc McDonnell was accused of sharing a platform with expelled Labour members at the Labour Representation Committee’s Annual General Meeting, namely Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein, but he claimed that it was “ridiculous” to suggest that as it was an open meeting and that he could not control who spoke. He remains the Honorary President of the controversial group.

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

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

Following a complaint from Campaign Against Antisemitism, the Metropolitan Police Service is investigating multiple police officers over their participation in antisemitic protests whilst in uniform.

Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick after two videos emerged, one showing a uniformed police officer embracing protestors and chanting “Free, free Palestine,” with another showing officers at the same demonstration greeting and shaking hands with the drivers of a convoy of cars that displayed Palestinian flags.

The protests were characterised by some of the worst incidents of antisemitism seen on the streets of London in recent years. Swastikas and pictures of Adolf Hitler as well as calls for Jews to be murdered and Jewish women to be raped were all accompanied by the constant beat of the same words that were chanted by the officer who appears in the first video.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Director of Investigations and Enforcement, Stephen Silverman, wrote to Dame Cressida: “At events as highly charged as those we witnessed over the weekend, the shameless abandonment by these officers of any pretence at impartiality can only serve to embolden those who have caused such fear amongst British Jews. These disgraceful videos have been widely circulated. It would be impossible for any Jewish person to trust these officers to assist them impartially. Our latest Antisemitism Barometer shows that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism, and less than one third are confident that antisemitic hate crimes against them would be prosecuted. The behaviour of these officers can only have caused further damage. It is now vital that a disciplinary hearing into the conduct of the officers concerned is conducted with the utmost urgency, and that a clear message is sent that officers who engage in such behaviour have no place in the Metropolitan Police Service.”

In a statement to journalists he added: “Over the weekend we have seen a car convoy drive through Jewish areas calling for Jewish girls and women to be raped, we have seen a Rabbi hospitalised in an assault, and we have documented numerous antisemitic crimes at demonstrations. For police officers to cheer such a convoy and join in those same demonstrations in uniform is utterly incompatible with the impartiality that is a basic requirement of service. A firm message must be sent that officers who engage in such behaviour will have no place in the Metropolitan Police Service.”

Confirming that an investigation would take place, Chief Superintendent Roy Smith warned: “Whilst we expect officers to engage they must remain impartial.”

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Service said: “While officers are encouraged to positively engage with those attending demonstrations, they know they are not to actively participate or adopt political positions. This is vital to ensuring the public have confidence in our officers. The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and are investigating the full circumstances of this incident and to determine what further action is appropriate.”

Antisemitic chants extolling a historic massacre of Jews have been heard in protests in Vienna.

2,500 protestors against Israel in the Austrian capital heard a man chanting through a loudspeaker in Arabic: “Jews, remember Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning.” Demonstrators reportedly repeated the chant.

The “Khaybar” chant is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE.

Similar chanting has also been heard in rallies in London.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit has documented far-right, Islamist and far-left extremists uniting to march through London today.

Antisemitic placards, terrorist emblems and genocidal anti-Jewish battle cries went completely unchallenged by the crowd, whose leaders claimed to be avowed anti-racists.

One group of protesters wearing t-shirts showing Saddam Hussein chanted: “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud” translated in English as “Jews, remember the battle of Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning”. The “Khaybar” chant is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE.

Other protesters were seen flaunting terrorist emblems, including a Hamas scarf with the terrorist group’s logo and the message: “we remain steadfast.” The Hamas charter calls for the genocide of all Jews worldwide. We have issued an appeal for witnesses. Volunteers from our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit also photographed a flag of the “Popular Mobilisation Forces” which is an ally of the proscribed genocidal antisemitic terrorist group Hizballah.

Central London was brought to a standstill as demonstrators marched from Marble Arch to the Israeli Embassy under antisemitic placards comparing Israelis to the Nazis. One sign bearing the Palestinian Forum in Britain logo read: “History seems to be repeating itself” with a swastika superimposed over a Star of David.

Another sign had photographs of Israeli Prime Minister and Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler side by side and read: “Same mindset different eras.” Other signs read: “End the Palestinian Holocaust”, and “Zionists equal Nazists [sic]”.

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

We also photographed signs that invoked the blood libel, including: “Netanyahu murders babies for political gain” and “Israel murders babies, UK says ok.” According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis” is another example of antisemitism.

Diane Abbott joined former Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, in addressing the march. He failed to condemn Hamas in his remarks, having previously described them as his “friends”.

In addition to far-left and Islamist extremists, far-right antisemites were also in attendance, such as Lady Michèle Renouf, who was filmed by a member of the public telling fellow protesters to read up about Jews on an antisemitic website.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Those marching through London today claimed to be there to champion justice, but clearly they had no qualms marching alongside far-right, Islamist and far-left extremists who were openly calling for the massacre of Jews, waving antisemitic placards and flaunting terrorist emblems. We have been contacted by British Jews who were terrified by today’s events. We are reviewing the evidence with our lawyers and will be speaking with the police where appropriate.”

The “March for Palestine” demonstration was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of al-Aqsa, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Muslim Association of Britain. Organisers claimed that 150,000 people attended.

It followed the “Emergency Rally for Palestine – Save Sheikh Jarrah” outside Downing Street on Tuesday where protesters compared Israel to Nazis.

Volunteers from our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit gathered evidence which we are now reviewing for possible legal action.

If you witnessed antisemitic acts or have evidence to share with us, please contact [email protected].