A number of tweets posted by Jewish volunteer watch group Shomrim have recorded a spike in antisemitic crimes in London over last week.
Two incidents occurred on November 18, according to the posts. The first involved a brick being thrown through a synagogue window during evening prayers in Stamford Hill, a neighborhood known for its large hasidic Jewish population.
#HateCrime #Antisemitism#Synagogue on Cazenove Road #N16 attacked❗Evening prayers were abruptly disrupted when a #Racist male threw a brick through the double glazed #Synagogue window@MPSHackney Ref 4632068/22 pic.twitter.com/kmom9mGeFH
— Shomrim (Stamford Hill) (@Shomrim) November 18, 2022
The second reported hate crime, also in Stamford Hill, was described as three Jewish girls being confronted by attackers running towards them while screaming "Jew."
Another antisemitic incident in east London took place last week, when a minicab driver told a pregnant Jewish woman after picking her up from a hospital on November 15 that he would no longer transport Jews because of Israeli action against Palestinians, the Stamford Hill Shomrim claimed, citing a Hackney Police report.#HateCrime #AntisemitismAmhurst Park #N163 #Jewish girls walking home from school confronted by two #Racists who ran towards them seemingly to attack them whilst screaming "Jew"@MPSHackney Ref 4632070/20 pic.twitter.com/W3ECxa5DyZ
— Shomrim (Stamford Hill) (@Shomrim) November 18, 2022
"This is the last time I am taking Jews as you kill Muslims in Israel," the driver reportedly said after noticing she was Jewish.
#HateCrime #Antisemitism@TFL Heavily pregnant#Jewish lady called a local minicab to pick her up from @NHSHomerton#Racist driver noticed she is jewish & then shouted at her "This is the last time I am taking Jews as you kill Muslims in Israel"@MPSHackney CAD 8112 15/11/22 pic.twitter.com/yURutKPKeQ
— Shomrim (Stamford Hill) (@Shomrim) November 16, 2022
Previous antisemitism in Stamford Hill
On October 28, also in Stamford Hill, a London Jewish male was ambushed by a male on a bicycle, who punched him and knocked off his yarmulke. Several other incidents involving a man on a bike targeting visible Jews followed later that same day, according to reports from the Stamford Hill Shomrim chapter.
“I tried but didn’t manage,” the assailant lamented after failing in his attempt to knock a second Jewish victim’s yarmulke off. While this victim was left unscathed, others were not. Another unnamed victim was similarly ambushed by a man on a bike, who successfully knocked his yarmulke off and punched him in the face, leaving him bleeding and bruised.
Combatting antisemitism in Stamford
“London is an incredible and diverse city and it is completely unacceptable for certain sections of our communities to be subjected to deplorable abuse and harassment."
Police Detective Chief Inspector Yasmin Lalani
Not all of the recent assailants have gotten away free of consequence. Earlier this month, a man named Abdullah Qureshi, who is responsible for a spate of August 18 Stamford Hill antisemitic assaults, was convicted of hate crimes. His sentence is to be decided at Snaresbrook Crown Court on December 8.
“London is an incredible and diverse city and it is completely unacceptable for certain sections of our communities to be subjected to deplorable abuse and harassment,” said Hackney Police Detective Chief Inspector Yasmin Lalani in response to Qureshi’s arrest.
Michael Starr and Boaz Edidin contributed to this report.