A group of men targeted an open-top bus in London filled with a group of Jewish teenagers celebrating the first night of Hanukkah with spitting and obscene gestures, among other things.
The Jewish Chronicle (JC) and Jewish News reported that the men were also pointing their middle fingers at the bus and started hitting the bus; one of the men also shouted, “Free Palestine!” As the bus drove away, the men started hitting the bus with their shows and one banged on a window with his fist.
Video has emerged of a group of men spitting at a bus full of Jewish teenagers in Oxford Street where the group were celebrating the first night of Chanukah. pic.twitter.com/orOrA9kJEu
— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) December 1, 2021
Chabad Israeli Centre Golders Green Rabbi Shneor Glitsenstein told The JC that it “not something you expect to see in the middle of London” but added that the incident would not deter them from openly celebrating Hanukkah. “The mission of Israel is to bring light and goodness,” Glitsenstein said. “We don’t want to let them win by being intimidated.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the incident in a tweet. “Antisemitism has no place whatsoever in society and I utterly condemn these disgusting acts,” he wrote. “No one should have to experience this.”
Antisemitism has no place whatsoever in society and I utterly condemn these disgusting acts. No one should have to experience this.
If you have any information about this incident, I urge you to report it: https://t.co/lYMHGztbwi https://t.co/HTmRJ0XRuB
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) December 1, 2021
Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl said in a statement, “We are appalled by the horrifying footage of Jewish people targeted on Oxford Street. We note that besides attempts to spit at them, at least one of the perpetrators appears to be performing a Nazi salute. We hope the police will swiftly identify and arrest those involved in this disgusting incident.”
“We are appalled by the horrifying footage of Jewish people targeted on Oxford Street… We hope the police will swiftly identify and arrest those involved in this disgusting incident.” – @bodpres https://t.co/zQ5NWGDmcx pic.twitter.com/GegjMW7mDj
— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) December 1, 2021
British journalist David Collier tweeted, “The UK will wake up one day and find their Jews have fled. It is no good just making statements when the hate is caught on camera. It is not even hiding anymore. It is there in the heart of our capital. Those Jew hating thugs are confident because they have been allowed to be.”
The UK will wake up one day and find their Jews have fled.
It is no good just making statements when the hate is caught on camera.
It is not even hiding anymore. It is there in the heart of our capital.
Those Jew hating thugs are confident because they have been allowed to be.
— David Collier (@mishtal) December 1, 2021
Other Jewish groups also weighed in.
“Shocking to see these blatant acts of #antisemitism, including the Nazi salute, directed at Jews on their way to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah,” the Anti-Defamation League tweeted. “We hope this incident will be investigated as a hate crime.”
Shocking to see these blatant acts of #antisemitism, including the Nazi salute, directed at Jews on their way to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. We hope this incident will be investigated as a hate crime. https://t.co/tTliGXZMGu
— ADL (@ADL) December 1, 2021
The American Jewish Committee tweeted that the video was “horrifying” and called “on authorities to investigate this vile display of hate and prosecute those responsible.”
Horrifying: a group of men on Oxford Street in London harassed a bus of Jewish teens celebrating Hanukkah, banging on windows and performing what appear to be Nazi salutes.
We call on authorities to investigate this vile display of hate and prosecute those responsible. https://t.co/tvfjhL6puu
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) December 1, 2021
The Simon Wiesenthal Center wrote that the incident was an example of “antisemitism unleashed.” “Assaults, insults, spitting, physical attacks against Jews in the UK are regular occurrences,” they added.
.#Antisemitism unleashed. Assaults, insults, spitting, physical attacks against Jews in the UK are regular occurrences. https://t.co/L1iyxP2fkR via @MailOnline
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 1, 2021
Scottish journalist and Zionist activist Eve Barlow tweeted, “The people being attacked here are not Israelis in Jerusalem, no. These are Jews on a bus in Oxford Street, London. If this got worse, in the Diaspora we don’t have the protection we’d have in Israel. That’s a fact.”
She added in a subsequent tweet: “If this was a group of Jews spitting and punching the windows of a group of [Black, Indigenous and People of Color] people, or Muslims, it would go viral. But good luck finding it because it will never exist.”
The people being attacked here are not Israelis in Jerusalem, no. These are Jews on a bus in Oxford Street, London. If this got worse, in the Diaspora we don't have the protection we'd have in Israel. That's a fact. https://t.co/EU1yZhb4CV
— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) December 1, 2021
Also taking the opportunity to remind you that if this was a group of Jews spitting and punching the windows of a group of BIPOC people, or Muslims, it would go viral. But good luck finding it because it will never exist.
— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) December 1, 2021
