Pro-Israelis Attacked In London
According to a video released by Channel 12 news, a group of Israelis who were hanging posters of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza on the streets of London were attacked twice on Thursday. In the first incident, a woman confronted the group while hanging posters in the Camden Town market area in north London.
Her vocal support was against the terrorist organization, Hezbollah, headquartered in Lebanon. She accused the group of spreading misinformation or falsehoods about the ongoing conflict.
As tensions escalated, they opted to depart from the scene, and Channel 12 reported that a bystander joined the woman and started filming the unfolding situation. The posters displayed by the group featured the names and images of over 120 individuals who are still held as hostages by Hamas in Gaza.
The initial incident on October 7 involved a harrowing terrorist attack by Hamas militants, resulting in the loss of approximately 1,200 lives, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of around 240 hostages. Fortunately, over 100 hostages have been released since then, yet the fate of those still held remains a grave concern.
Another Confrontation In Chalk Farm
As they were putting up posters later that day at a location adjacent to Chalk Farm, northwest London, they experienced another violent confrontation. Two young people were filmed by Channel 12 approaching them and asking, “What about the Palestinians?” among other questions and accusations.
One of these young people started acting aggressively towards the Israelis, saying, “If you film me as well, I’ll slap you as well,” as soon as they noticed they were being filmed. The man can be heard screaming and kicking a woman in a hazy video, and he can also be seen tossing the phone to the ground.
Following this attack, one of the women required medical attention on the spot. One of the Israelis told the media outlet that the police were investigating the incident.
Rising Antisemitism Amid Ongoing Conflict
One of the fallouts of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is that there has been a significant surge in antisemitic incidents across the globe. This increase in hostility and discriminatory behavior has been observed in various regions, reflecting a concerning trend linked to the ongoing conflict.
Over 20,000 Palestinians are reported to have died in the offensive, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. However, Israel claims that over 8,000 of those killed were Hamas operatives.
These estimates cannot be independently verified and include combatants and civilians killed by misfired Gazan rockets. Since the start of the conflict on October 7 till December 7, the CST, a Jewish community security organization, estimated that there have been over 1,500 incidents of antisemitic acts in the UK.
This huge number marks the highest volume of reported occurrences within such a time frame. Coincidentally, ongoing weekly protests in London advocating for a Gaza ceasefire have faced backlash after attendees displayed antisemitic signs and chanted slogans that could trigger offensive attacks.