Rabbi 'beaten up' by men shouting antisemitic abuse in London

The attackers allegedly shouted anti-Semitic abuse: 'Kill Jews, f**k Jews'

Kate Ng
Monday 02 December 2019 19:44 GMT
Comments
Protesters hold placards as they demonstrate in Parliament Square, London, against antisemitism.
Protesters hold placards as they demonstrate in Parliament Square, London, against antisemitism.

A visiting rabbi was left “bleeding and dazed” after being beaten by men shouting anti-Semitic abuse in London, said a neighbourhood watch group.

Shomrim, a neighbourhood watch group for largely Jewish neighbourhoods, said the rabbi was subjected to an unprovoked assault by two men who shouted “kill Jews, f**k Jews”.

According to the group, the assault took place near Amhurst Park, Stamford Hill, on Friday evening.

Police have confirmed that a report was made and told the Independent they are attempting to contact the victim for a full account.

The victim is a prominent rabbi and was reportedly in London to attend a wedding. He returned to Israel following the attack.

The Hackney Gazette reported that the attackers repeatedly punched the rabbi and threw him to the ground while shouting anti-Semitic insults until a passer-by shouted at them to stop.

Shomrim chair, rabbi Herschel Gluck, wrote on Facebook: “A rabbi on a visit to London was beaten up in a totally unprovoked attack by two youths, on Friday night.

Diane Abbott, Labour candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, condemned the assault as “horrific”.

She said: “It has shaken our Hackney community to its core. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Stamford Hill and across the UK.”

Benjamin Obese-Jecty, Conservative candidate and Abbott’s opposition in the area, condemned the attack and took a dig at Labour, saying: “We must ensure that these incidents aren’t allowed to take root and instil a culture of fear owing to the inaction of leaders to stamp it out. #LabourAntisemitism”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in