Britain’s Chief Rabbi has blasted London police commanders for endangering Jews after authorities refused to block pro-Hamas demonstrators from massing near synagogues.
Concern over anti-Israel protest routes has intensified following the announcement of a January 18 Palestine Solidarity protest targeting the BBC’s Broadcasting House for its “biased coverage” of the Israel-Hamas war. Metropolitan Police do not plan to divert demonstrators away from Central Synagogue and Western Marble Arch, two prominent synagogues located near gathering points designated for the demonstration.
In a statement, the Met Police claims the efforts they are making to contain antisemitic protests have been “proportionate and reasonable.”
“Police have repeatedly imposed conditions on form-up locations, routes and start times to limit disruption precisely because we’ve listened to concerns raised. Often we’ve done so in the face of strong objections from protest groups. The measures we’ve taken aren’t seen by everyone as being enough, but we believe they have been proportionate and reasonable. We will continue to engage in good faith with all parties.”
However, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim counters that this misses the Jewish community’s core concerns as congregants must navigate through crowds of often violent protesters while trying to attend services.
“The Metropolitan Police are responsible for upholding the right to peaceful protest, and for ensuring that Jewish Londoners feel safe. There can be no justification for not making a clear commitment that the routes of pro-Palestinian marches will not come anywhere close to local synagogues,” Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis tells Jewish News.
“It is hard to see the absence of such a commitment as anything other than a failure of the Met’s duty to members of Jewish communities who no longer feel safe walking to and from their synagogues on the Sabbath.”
As for Britain’s Jews, they are adapting to a new reality marked by unprecedented levels of fear as the war in Gaza nears 15 months. Recent data from the Community Security Trust reveals a staggering surge in antisemitic incidents across the UK, with more than 5,500 cases recorded between October 7, 2023 and September 30, 2024. Most involved abusive behavior while hundreds more escalated to threats and physical assaults.
