Police investigating antisemitic abuse after passenger repeatedly swore at Rabbi and accused him of “murdering Muslims” while on a bus in north London
A rabbi from north London’s orthodox charedi Jewish community has been subjected to a barrage of antisemitic abuse while travelling through Stamford Hill on the 253 bus service. At 20:40 on Wednesday evening, a middle-aged man of Middle Eastern appearance boarded the bus, sat immediately behind him and began to swear at him under his breath. When, on arrival at the stop outside the Shell petrol station in Upper Clapton Road, the rabbi stood up to leave the bus, his abuser shouted at him, “Why are you killing all the Muslims? You are a murderer!” The rabbi declined the bus driver’s offer to call the police, as he was on his way to officiate at a ceremony. However, the next day, he made contact with the police himself. Clearly still angry and upset, he told us: “He was clearly antisemitic. He has no right to say these things to a person in a public place.”
If anybody has information that could assist the investigation into this incident, they should notify the police by dialling 101.
The victim contacted Stamford Hill Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol, which referred the case to Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Crime Unit for assistance.