Britain’s ‘Unprecedented Antisemitism’ Sparks Protests
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
LONDON (Worthy News) – Britain’s government was under pressure Monday to tackle growing hatred towards Jews in the country after a report and tens of thousands of protesters noted “unprecedented levels of antisemitism” at university campuses and beyond.
University-related antisemitic incidents increased by 117 percent over the last two academic years, according to figures released by the Community Security Trust (CST) on Monday.
The CST findings came less than 24 hours after organizers said 32,000 people marched through London against” unprecedented levels of antisemitism and growing extremism in British society.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), which organized the protest, said “the government dragged its feet” on tackling anti-Jewish attacks.
Jewish alumni of the prestigious Oxford University testified to hatred being leveled toward them and two Arab colleagues while defending Israel against a union motion that the Jewish state is committing both apartheid and genocide.
Broadcaster Jonathan Sacerdoti, the son of a Holocaust survivor, maintained composure and politeness while delivering his carefully researched speech despite the vocal and aggressive hostility filmed in the university chamber.
“The experience at the Oxford Union,” a debating society in the English city of Oxford with members mainly from the University of Oxford, “was deeply unsettling,” he recalled.
AGGRESSIVE HOSTILITY
“The chamber was filled with an aggressive hostility that undermined any chance of reasoned debate, with interruptions and abuse aimed at pro-Israel speakers throughout.”
He added, “This wasn’t just a failure of the Union to uphold its standards. It was a stark reminder of how bigotry and hatred are creeping into spaces that should champion open and respectful discourse.”
One of the speakers for the motion, Israeli-American activist Miko Peled, is being investigated by counter-terrorism police for calling the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, “acts of heroism,” Jewish sources said.
More than 300 academics signed an open letter to William Hague, the newly-elected Oxford chancellor, saying several speeches and lack of moderation during the debate violated the law.
Expressing support for a criminal organization is illegal under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, a point raised during the night by Sacerdoti in response to Peled: “I believe you should invite the police in. His depiction of the acts of Hamas on Oct 7 is, under UK law – the Terrorism Act 2000 – illegal.”
The union president and moderator of the debate, Egyptian student Ebrahim Osman Mowafy, who delivered an anti-Israel speech, responded, “I’m not legal enforcement.”
To illustrate the atmosphere in the room, Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a senior Hamas founder, asked the question: “How many people, if they had prior knowledge of Hamas’s crimes on Oct. 7, would have reported it to the police?” Witnesses said only around 5 percent of the crowd reportedly raised their hands.
BROADER TREND
It is part of a broader trend, with a total of 325 antisemitic incidents reported since 2022, the highest ever recorded about universities.
According to CST investigators, these include 53 incidents over the 2022-2023 period and 272 over the 2023-2024 time frame.
Jewish sources said these figures mark a sharp increase from the 150 incidents logged in the two previous academic years. They include incidents such as physical and verbal attacks against Jewish students and antisemitic slogans in toilets.
Ahead of the publication of the report, protesters on Sunday waved Israeli flags and placards and chanted, “Act against hate before it’s too late” and “Say it loud, Jewish and proud.”
Speakers said, “We owe it to future generations to raise our voices against this tide of extremism and bigotry and reject appeasement so that we might bequeath them the bright future that once was ours.”
A Government spokesperson said: “Antisemitism has no place in our society, and we are committed to tackling it in all its forms, working closely with policing and community partners to ensure the safety of Jewish communities.”
Yet, activists suggested the government is slow in tackling threats faced by Britain’s Jews.
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