Gaza Crisis Spills On To UK Streets
The fallout from Israel's anti-terror operation in Gaza spilled onto the streets of London this week as hundreds of protestors joined demonstrations against the military action, while communal leaders warned that "anti-semitic incidents throughout Britain are likely to rise".
Just four days into Israel's military response response to the ongoing rocket fire against the Jewish state, the Community Security Trust said it had already received a number reports, mainly from the capital and Manchester, of verbal abuse and attacks on property "that appear to have been in relation to Gaza".
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In an advisory sent to communal institutions this week, the CST said it "remains at its second highest level of alert" and urged the community to report all incidents and any suspicious activity immediately. Recipients were asked to encourage people to disperse as speedily as possible after shul services and at the end of school days and ensure all security equipment was working. The advisory said anti-semitic incidents in the UK are "likely to rise as tensions increase relative to the ongoing conflict."
It added: "Volatile anti-Israel demonstrations have taken place or are due to take place in many British towns and cities, increasing the potential for incidents to occur."
The most high-profile of the protests took place outside the Israeli embassy in London and saw ugly scenes of protestors clashing with police. A total of 17 demonstrators were arrested for various public order offences on Sunday and Monday alone.
On Monday, around 600 protestors descended on the area, with some brandishing placards saying "Stop the Holocaust in Gaza" and "Stop starving the Palestinians" while an Israeli flag was also burned. Hundreds also gathered in other major cities including Manchester and Glasgow, while more demonstrations are planned in numerous other locations this weekend.
On its website, the Stop The War Coalition also calls for people to mobilise in large numbers for "a national emergency demonstration" starting at the Embankment this Saturday. "Gordon Brown needs to be reminded that Tony Blair's support for Israel's attack on Lebanon in 2006 lead to him being forced from office," says a message on the site.
Lior Ben Dor, spokesman for the Israeli Embassy, said: "Neither this week's demonstrations or others will dissuade our embassy in London from continuing to do what we have done in recent days vis a vis all the media outlets - radio, television and written press - in order to make our point that the Hamas regime in Gaza is a tragedy for the moderates and peace-seekers in the Middle East. The embassy is fully prepared for the hasbara campaign in order to present the Israeli case to the British public".
Embassy officials from the Ambassador down had given more than 30 interviews to various outlets by Tuesday.
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