Police in London reported a major surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic crimes amid Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, based on a press release on Friday.
The Met, the U.Ok.’s largest police pressure, stated there had been 218 anti-Semitic offenses in London between Oct.1 and 18, in comparison with 15 in the identical interval final 12 months.
The pressure added that Islamophobic crimes had elevated from 42 to 101 throughout the identical interval.
Police boosted patrols throughout elements of London and deployed officers to non secular colleges and locations of worship following the flareup of the Israel-Palestine battle on Oct. 7.
“Regrettably, despite the increased presence of officers we have seen a significant increase in hate crime across London,” the Met stated, including it had made 21 arrests for such offenses.
The arrests included a person detained on suspicion of defacing posters of lacking Israelis. Another man is accused over 10 incidents of Islamophobic graffiti on bus stops.
The British authorities has stated there ought to be “zero tolerance for anti-Semitism or glorification of terrorism” on Britain’s streets. The similar sensitivity has not been displayed for Muslims or Palestinians, which led many to criticize Western international locations, together with leaders and media retailers for hypocrisy and provocation towards Palestinians.
Last week it introduced 3 million kilos ($3.7 million) of additional funding to assist defend the Jewish neighborhood from anti-Semitic assaults.
Tens of hundreds of individuals rallied final weekend in London and different U.Ok. in assist of Palestinians.
Another pro-Palestinian march is organized for London on Saturday. More than 1,000 officers are to police the occasion, the Met stated.
The pressure reiterated that whereas supporting Hamas is a criminal offense, common expressions of assist for Palestinians, together with flying the Palestinian flag, will not be prison offenses.
Previously, U.Ok. Home Secretary Suella Braverman issued a warning to police chiefs concerning the show of Palestinian flags on British streets.
In a letter to chief constables in England and Wales, she prompt that waving the flag “may not be legitimate” whether it is seen as a present of assist for terrorism.
Source: www.dailysabah.com