“Provocative behavior”, “anti-Semitic comments”, acts of “intimidation”… British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak denounced this Friday “the disgusting increase” in the number of anti-Semitic acts in recent days in the United Kingdom after the Hamas attacks against Israel. “We absolutely will not tolerate people who incite hatred, violence or racism,” the head of government told British television channels, speaking from Sweden, where he is participating in a summit with allies of ‘North Europe.
The British government announced Thursday that it had recorded 139 anti-Semitic acts in four days, five times more than last year over the same period.
1,000 agents assigned to patrols to reassure the population
London police stressed during a press conference on Friday that the British capital had seen a “massive increase” in the number of anti-Semitic acts since the start of the new conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to figures provided every 15 days by Scotland Yard, and which also cover the week preceding the assault by the Palestinian Islamist movement, 105 incidents and 75 anti-Semitic crimes were recorded in London between September 30 and October 13, compared to 14 incidents and 12 offenses during the corresponding period in 2022. Deputy Commissioner Laurence Taylor spoke of “provocative behavior”, “anti-Semitic comments”, acts of “intimidation outside synagogues”, as well as other more serious offenses.
London police say they have assigned 1,000 officers to patrols to reassure the population. More than 1,000 agents will also be deployed on Saturday for a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for midday in the capital, in which thousands of people are expected to participate.
Jewish schools closed
Three Jewish schools in north London were closed this Friday as a security measure on the eve of these demonstrations, although there was no “immediate risk”, David Landau, the director of the ‘one of these establishments. The Community Security Trust (CST), an association campaigning against anti-Semitism against British Jews, however, said schools in the country should remain open.
The British government announced Thursday that it would allocate an additional three million pounds sterling (3.5 million euros) to the organization responsible for ensuring the security of the Jewish community “so that Jewish institutions – whether synagogues or schools – benefit from all the protection they need.