fbpx

Anti-Semitic incidents double in Britain since start of Gaza op

Anti-Semitic incidents in Britain have risen since the start of Israel’s operation in Gaza.
[additional-authors]
July 28, 2014

Anti-Semitic incidents in Britain have risen since the start of Israel’s operation in Gaza.

The Community Security Trust told the Jewish Chronicle that 70 anti-Semitic incidents had been reported in the period between the start of the operation on July 8 and Friday.

The Daily Mail reported Sunday that more than 100 hate crimes have been recorded by police and community groups so far in July, more than double the usual number.

Among the reported incidents were the physical assault last week of a rabbi in Gateshead, attacks on synagogues and an attack by an Arab woman wearing a niqab on a Jewish boy riding his bicycle in northern London.

“We are sending out emails to schools, shuls and Jewish organizations reminding them of safety protocols. We are determined to do all we can to allow Jewish life to continue as normal,” Mark Gardner, director of communications at the Community Security Trust told the Jewish Chronicle.

The Muslim Council for Britain said in a statement that the Gaza conflict should not disrupt interfaith relations in the UK. In a statement posted on its website, Shuja Shafi, Muslim Council for Britain secretary-general, urged Jews and Muslims to “remember the importance of civility and courtesy between each other.”

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Letter from Los Angeles

A Jewish Angeleno looks back several decades and wonders whether the golden age of LA Jewry is behind us.

Dear England: Don’t Cry for Thee Argentina

When England took a 1-0 lead early in the second half, I felt a sense of cosmic justice. Sixty years is a long time. Argentina won it the last time. Maybe it was England’s turn.

The Story This Moment Needs

In this moment of rising antisemitism, I’ve noticed that the way I remember, and retell, my own childhood has changed too.

Capping the Fire Hydrant

For close to 30 years, we forked up whatever we could afford and were happy to do it. It was now time for them to experience the exhilaration of staring at a pile of bills, not knowing where the money would come from.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.