Footage has captured the horrifying moment a man allegedly threatened to kill Orthodox Jews as Hannukah celebrations came to an end. Following the incident in north London, police are appealing for people to come forward to help find the suspect who was seen shouting at pedestrians in the Stamford Hill area on Wednesday evening.
The individual reportedly engaged in the act at around 7pm and is seen “shouting” at a female Jewish greengrocer before they spot a young Jewish boy on a bicycle. At this point, he appears to begin harassing the cyclist and then shouts at a mother and her young baby.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said the individual shouted: “You f***ing Jew, I will kill you.”
The same organisation shared another video which they claim shows a woman shouting that she’ll kill all Jews outside a synagogue and another man shouting “Heil Hitler”.
The Metropolitan Police have said they are investigating both incidents and are calling for people to come forward with any information. Speaking about the incidents, leader of Islington Council Kaya Comer-Schwartz said: “The festival of Hanukkah is a celebration of light and joy. This horrific antisemitic attack is completely unacceptable and doesn’t reflect the Islington we know and love.”
She added: “Hate crime has no place in Islington and we will work with the Metropolitan Police to find the culprit of this attack.
“Islington will not be cowed by hate crime and we will make sure replacement menorah lights are in place for the remainder of Hanukkah to make sure our community can continue to celebrate.”
A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism added: “If one is wondering why, according to our polling, nearly seven in ten British Jews feel afraid to express their identity in public, this is why. It is despicable that Jews now have to worry about their Chanukah decorations being desecrated.
“When antisemitism is on display in our urban centres week after week, the authorities need to understand that incidents such as this will become the norm until they take more forceful action.”
As Hanukkah comes to an end, there is growing pressure on both the Mayor of London and the Conservative government to do something about the dramatic rise in hate crimes against Jewish people since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
A recent survey conducted by the CAA found that 70 percent of all British Jews were hiding their identity.
They said: “69 percent of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism right now. Almost half of British Jews have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism, since 7th October.
“A staggering 90 percent of British Jews say that they would avoid travelling to a city centre if a major anti-Israel demonstration was taking place there. Our urban centres have become no-go zones for Jews.”
