Man pleads guilty to wearing t-shirts in support of banned antisemitic terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad

A man has pleaded guilty to wearing t-shirts in support of two banned antisemitic genocidal terrorist groups.

Feras Al Jayoosi, 34 and of Swindon, pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today to four counts of wearing an article supporting a proscribed organisation.

One t-shirt reportedly worn by Mr Al Jayoosi supported the Izz al-Din al Qassem Brigades, which is the so-called “military wing” of the Hamas terrorist group. Hamas’ so-called “political wing” is not currently proscribed in the UK, although Campaign Against Antisemitism and others are urging the Home Secretary to proscribe Hamas in full, given that the supposed distinction between the “wings” is bogus and creates a dangerous loophole in Britain.

The other t-shirt supported the banned Islamic Jihad group.

Mr Al Jayoosi was accused of wearing the shirts at Barbury Castle in Wiltshire on 30th May and then in the heavily-Jewish north London neighbourhood of Golders Green on 8th June and 9th June this year.

Mr Al Jayoosi was released on conditional bail. Sentencing is expected on 17th December.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This was yet another brazen display of support for the Hamas terrorist organisation, which seeks the genocide of all Jews worldwide. We welcome this verdict but the police have one hand tied behind their backs in dealing with this threat due to a legal loophole that the Government has yet to close. It is high time that the Government heeded our warnings by proscribing the entirety of Hamas instead of one notionally-distinct part of it.”

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.