Pro-israeli Tory minister to quit after death threats

A TORY minister has announced he will step back from frontline politics at the general election over death threats and intimidation he has received because of his pro-israel views.

Mike Freer, a justice minister, said he was “lucky to be alive” after narrowly escaping a meeting in 2021 with Ali Harbi Ali, who later murdered fellow MP Sir David Amess.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the 63 year-old said he had been subject to a decade of intimidation, culminating in a suspected arson attack on his constituency office in December.

His family were so concerned by the incident that Mr Freer decided over Christmas to step down, he said.

His husband, Angelo, had become “incredibly jittery” over his safety, and he was advised by police to wear a stab vest during events in his constituency, he added.

“Obviously your husband or your family’s views have to carry a lot of weight. And when someone worries that, are you going to come home at night? you have to take that seriously,” he said.

Mr Freer’s move comes amid rising concern over threats made towards MPS. Sir David Amess was stabbed to death at his constituency surgery in Leigh-on-sea, Essex, in October 2021 by Ali Harbi Ali, who was later sentenced to life in prison.

It came five years after Labour MP Jo Cox was killed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, where she had been set to hold a constituency surgery.

Mr Freer is not Jewish but has voiced strong support for the Jewish community, and his constituency of Finchley and Golders Green has a large Jewish population.

“I’m a strong supporter of the twostate solution,” he told the Daily Mail. “I’m not completely Israel, come hell or high water. But yes, I do support the Israeli government on the eradication of Hamas, very firmly and very robustly.”

Mr Freer said many of his constituents have faced anti-semitism after the Oct 7 Hamas attacks. “I know of no other schools that need security other than Jewish schools,” he said.

“I don’t know places of worship that need security. I don’t know shops – shops might have security for shoplifting, but not to stop their shoppers being attacked.”