A London Jewish man was subjected to antisemitic slurs twice in the span of an hour while riding public transportation on July 3.
According to video and audio of the incident posted to Twitter by the Jewish man’s brother, a man threatened to slit the Jewish man’s throat “for Palestine” and “f—ing beat the s— out of you” while on a bus. After the bus driver called the police, the man shouted, “He’s f—ing Jewish” at the driver before eventually getting off the bus. The man proceeded to bang on the door of the bus and shout “Free Palestine” and “I’ll shank your mum.”
Later, as the Jewish man was going down an escalator at a subway station, a group of men in front of him shouted, “Kill a Jew” and “there’s a Jew behind us.”
My brother [who is visibly Jewish] was attacked on the 113 bus, heading in direction of Oxford Circus, London at 11:33PM and threatened to "slit his throat for Palestine".
Will anything be done about this rampant #Antisemitism @tfl @CST_UK @antisemitism pic.twitter.com/iCKV62rA8b— Shlomie Liberow (@Shlibness) July 4, 2021
Audio threatening to slit his throat and shank himhttps://t.co/xy6II1ZWza
— Shlomie Liberow (@Shlibness) July 4, 2021
Shocking moment Jewish man threatened and abused twice in an hour in London pic.twitter.com/Hg2EIf1srZ
— The Sun (@TheSun) July 5, 2021
The Jewish man’s brother told Sky News that he looked “obviously Jewish” at the time when he was subjected to the slurs and that he was “very shaken” after enduring the verbal abuse.
British Transport Police said in a statement to Sky News, “We take such incidents extremely seriously and are investigating. We believe everyone has the right to travel on the rail and underground without fear or intimidation.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the incidents in a tweet, declaring that “hate crime will not be tolerated here in London” and vowed that the “perpetrators will face the full force of the law.”
Hate crime will not be tolerated here in London, and I’ve been in touch with the Met about these awful anti-Semitic attacks. The Met and BTP are investigating, and my team continue to work closely with @CST_UK . Perpetrators will face the full force of the law.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 5, 2021
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted that Khan’s statement was “belated right words” and now “must be backed by action.”
Belated right words, must be backed by action. @TracyAnnO @metpoliceuk @Twitter https://t.co/ZlqWKz3uvI
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) July 5, 2021
Jewish groups also denounced the incidents.
“It is absolutely intolerable that a Jewish passenger travelling on public transport should be subjected to disgusting racist threats and abuse in the UK in 2021 not once but twice on the same day,” Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl said in a statement to CNN. “Those responsible should be, must be tracked down and prosecuted.”
Stop Antisemitism also tweeted, “This is life in… London for Jews in 2021.”
“Will slit your throat for Palestine” – this is life in the London for Jews in 2021. https://t.co/xh4WI6jsBr pic.twitter.com/O9nkN14FRJ
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) July 4, 2021
