London’s silence about anti-Semitism is deafening
On December 2 2020, a knifeman stormed a Marks & Spencer in Burnley. Munawar Hussain, 58, went for the manager’s neck before moving onto a customer – he was prevented from killing her only because the blade of the kitchen knife got stuck in her handbag strap.
Following his arrest, a note was found on him. “O Israel”, it began, “you are inflicting atrocities on Palestinians and Marks Spencer helping you financially [sic].” In other words, this was an act of anti-Semitic terror, though reported only very quietly. This happened again last week, as Hussain went before Manchester Crown Court. Tellingly, there was not a peep from the usually racism-obsessed Guardian.
Of course, this is part of a much broader picture of neglecting antiSemitic attacks, especially in London. Following reports last week of an open-top bus travelling past a Stamford Hill synagogue with speakers blaring “Yiddos go home”, the Met Police could only summon the risible response: “Officers are aware of the video and are making enquiries. There has been no arrest at this stage.”
Meanwhile, on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day, two Orthodox Jewish men were taken to hospital after reportedly being punched to the ground. The Jewish Chronicle related that another ultra-Orthodox man had been assaulted, a boy spat at, a family’s windows smashed, while a group of people drove past a synagogue shouting: “Free Palestine”.
The Jewish community says it has often requested patrols and quicker response times for Stamford Hill, where many ultra-religious Jews live, and been ignored. Priti Patel has accused Mayor Sadiq Khan of ignoring the problem, too.
Last year, after a convoy of cars drove through north London yelling Goebbels-grade anti-Semitic abuse from a megaphone, the GLA passed a motion calling for a coordinated action plan to tackle the problem. The action plan has yet to emerge.
Indefensible, but unsurprising, it is an enduring feature of our times that the fight against racism, which is taken very seriously indeed, excludes one minority and one minority only: Jews.