A Kosher restaurant in a popular Jewish area of London was vandalized on Sunday evening and pro-Palestine graffiti was sprayed on a nearby bridge following the attacks on Israel co-ordinated by the military wing of Palestinian terror group Hamas.
The restaurant in Golders Green, north London, had its windows smashed, while the phrase “Free Palestine” was sprayed in graffiti on a bridge just meters away.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan took to X, formerly Twitter, to condemn the attacks, insisting that “there is no tolerance for hate” in the U.K. capital.
“I remain in close contact with the Met Police. Whoever did this will face the full force of the law. I stand with Jewish Londoners, today and always,” he added.
The antisemitic attacks come just hours after thousands of Muslims took to British streets to celebrate the surprise breach by Hamas militants into Israeli territory and the subsequent indiscriminate slaughtering of civilians, including 260 attendees at the Supernova music festival held in the Negev desert, not far from the contested Gaza Strip.
A Kosher restaurant in Golders Green, north London, vandalised and a bridge metres away branded with ‘Free Palestine’.
As in previous conflicts involving Israel, British Jews are being targeted amid a rise in antisemitic attacks pic.twitter.com/gdobqD9yAR
— Jewish News (@JewishNewsUK) October 9, 2023British Jews have feared a rise in antisemitic attacks following the events over the weekend on the Israeli-Palestinian border, and the Metropolitan Police issued a statement on Sunday announcing it would increase its presence on London’s streets to provide further protection for the community.
Acton, half an hour ago.
Popped into a cafe for some baklava with the kids and our Ukrainian friends.
People have been brutally murdered, kidnapped and there are people in London dancing.
Just had a reassuring call with the police, if anyone is scared, please call them. https://t.co/fYjXn4zEDF pic.twitter.com/dQjcAsRyDS
— Rachel Riley MBE ? (@RachelRileyRR) October 7, 2023“We are aware that this conflict has a far-reaching impact on communities around the world, and we extend our full support to those affected in London,” it wrote.
“We are listening and working with communities and partners to ensure people feel safe and protected. We ask that members of the public report anything concerning, such as threatening behavior.”
The Jewish community is bracing itself for further attacks, as is customary after an outbreak of violence in the Middle East.
“When there’s a big outburst of conflict in Israel, and in Gaza in particular, we get a spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes here in Britain,” said Dave Rich, director of policy for CST, a charity advising Jewish organizations on security in Britain.
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The events in the Middle East only show signs of further escalation, with Israel expected to retaliate for what its leaders have called “by far the worst day in Israeli history.”
Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), described the attacks as Israel’s “9/11 and Pearl Harbor wrapped into one,” and announced that the Israeli military had dealt a “fatal blow” to Hamas’ capabilities with multiple airstrikes targeting Gaza overnight.
Israel has called up 110,000 reservists in preparation for further combat.
