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Anti-Semitic attacks in Britain rise

January 7, 2009

LONDON (JTA) -- Britain has seen a sharp rise in attacks on Jews since the start of Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Incidents include an arson attempt on a London synagogue, a physical attack on a Jewish man in North London, anti-Semitic graffiti scrawled in Jewish neighborhoods and hate mail sent to synagogues.

Israel's ambassador to London, Ron Prosor, condemned the acts and promised to work with the police and Jewish community to stop them.

In the attempted arson, the door to a synagogue in North London was burned and there was external damage to the building.

In the attack on the Jewish man, three young Middle Eastern-looking men got out of a car and assaulted him, according to reports.

In another case, a group of 15 to 20 young men who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent ran riot along the main street of the Jewish neighborhood Golders Green in North West London, shouting anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli slogans.  They entered a few of the Jewish restaurants along the street and disturbed the diners.

Since the Gaza operation began, there have been many incidents of graffiti in Jewish neighborhoods in London, including “Jihad 4 Israel” and “Kill the Jews,” according to Mark Gardner, spokesman of the Jewish Community Security Trust, the organization in charge of security in Britain's Jewish communities.

Many Jewish organizations also received threatening e-mails including some which read “they should have killed you.”

 

 

 

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