Who are the Campaign Against Antisemitism?

The Campaign Against Antisemitism, led by Gideon Falter, was founded in response to the 2014 Israel-Gaza offensive by a group of activists concerned about rising antisemitism and who believed some Jewish communal organisations, such as the Board of Deputies, were not doing enough to robustly combat antisemitism at protests and in the media.

The group has organised several protests against antisemitism as well as counter-demonstrations during the pro-Palestinian marches following Israel’s offensive in Gaza in the wake of the 7 October attacks. Politicians including Boris Johnson attended a CAA-organised march against antisemitism last year, with thousands of participants, amid an increased number of antisemitic attacks.

Na’amod, the Jewish group campaigning for a ceasefire in Gaza, said it would not take part in the march saying it was “pitting Jewish safety against Palestinian freedom”.

How did the group rise to prominence?

CAA was a key organiser against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour party and campaigning on the handling of antisemitism complaints during his tenure, organising many demonstrations outside Labour HQ.

The group also uses the courts to pursue convictions for antisemitic hate speech, including a private prosecution of the Holocaust denier Alison Chabloz.

Is it a political group?

CAA has worked with MPs from different parties and is a registered charity, but some MPs and external groups have expressed concern about its political activity. It has continued to forcefully criticise Labour under Keir Starmer’s leadership, including his visit to the Holocaust memorial in Berlin.

Two prominent Jewish parliamentarians, Margaret Hodge and Ruth Smeeth, have criticised CAA’s approach. “I’m fed up of CAA using antisemitism as a front to attack Labour. Time to call them out for what and who they really are,” Hodge tweeted after Starmer’s memorial visit.