Following the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, Britain has witnessed a significant spike in antisemitic attacks in its capital.
By Susan Tawil
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7th, the London Metropolitan Police Service has recorded a 1,300% jump in antisemitic crimes.
According to a statement released on Friday, reported antisemitic offenses rose from 15 in the same period last year, to 218 since the war began. Islamophobic crimes in London rose from 42 to 101 in this same period, a 140% increase.
Twenty-one people have been arrested for hate crimes since the war broke out, for crimes ranging from defacing posters of Hamas-held Israeli hostages, to anti-Muslim graffiti at bus stops, to personal abuse, both physical and via social media.
Police visits to 445 parochial schools and 1,930 synagogues and mosques have been largely ineffective in putting a damper on the rise in hate crime.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, met with police, Muslim and Jewish leaders, and community groups on Friday to discuss the situation. He stressed the importance of unity against hate.
London’s estimated 1.4 million Muslims now comprise over 15% of the city’s population. The Jewish population of London is approximately 145,000, or 1.6% of the population.
Over 1,000 police kept control of a pro-Palestinian rally of about 100,000 attendees on Saturday. Ten arrests were made, with five officers sustaining minor injuries. Police also blocked the area around the Israeli embassy.
A Jewish organization, called Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, wanted to display billboards of abducted children held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, near a pro-Palestinian gathering last week, but London police prevented this. Police said they try to keep groups with “strongly opposing views” apart from each other.
Antisemitic crimes are up in the US, France, Italy, Spain, and other countries. Numerous cities around the world have been host to raucous anti-Israel rallies. Many Jewish college students, even those at Ivy League university campuses, report feeling unsafe, or intimidated by Muslim or other antisemitic students.
Israel at War with Hamas. Support Israel Today!
The people of Israel need your help at this most critical time. Please make a donation to help protect and defend Israelis against unprecedented Hamas terror.
Rockets are falling. Sirens blare, with seconds to run for cover. IDF soldiers risk their lives battling terrorists inside Gaza. Thousands forced to abandon their homes in southern Israel.
To fight terror and save lives, UWI provides bomb shelters, anti-terror vehicles, protective gear, security equipment, medical assistance, relief to victims and much more. Help Israel fight and win this war against Hamas. The time to act is now!