Police patrols in Jewish areas of north London were significantly increased this week after antisemitic graffiti was daubed on shops, cafes and a synagogue across Belsize Park and Hampstead over Chanukah.
The vandalism that targeted South Hampstead Synagogue referenced “9.11”, which is assumed to refer to the conspiracy theory of Jewish or Israeli involvement in the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers and Pentagon.
The graffiti was widely condemned by Conservatives. Conservative Candidate for Mayor of London Shaun Bailey AM said: “Antisemitism is disgusting at any time of year, but it’s particularly vile during Chanukah. I want to assure our Jewish brothers and sisters that this hate will never be tolerated in London”.
Newly elected Conservative MP, Siobhan Baillie, said: “This is so distressing. Hampstead & Belsize residents must feel desperate about such appalling hatred there. They are strong community focused areas and all will stand with our Jewish communities”.
Conservative Councillor for Hampstead and leader of the Camden Conservatives, Oliver Cooper posted photos of the graffiti on Twitter and said he was “sickened” by it, underlining: “All decent people across Britain stand with our Jewish community – and we must move heaven and earth to eradicate this racist hatred, which was unimaginable just a few years ago”.
The Community Security Trust (CST) tweeted that the “disgusting antisemitic graffiti was clearly the work of someone determined to spread their hatred as widely as possible,” before urging authorities to fully investigate the matter.
In the US, a man burst into a rabbi’s house in a suburb of New York and stabbed five Orthodox Jews over Chanukah. CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Lords) Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles said that the attack was “both shocking and depressing”, adding: “Antisemitism is an assault on civilised values, which seeks to undermine decent values and ultimately leads to violence”.
