Spat at, called baby killer, kidnapped – Panorama lays bare reality of being Jewish in the UK
Antisemitism: Why British Jews Are Afraid is on BBC1 on Monday evening
A hard-hitting Panorama documentary on BBC1 tonight looks at how intimidation and violence aimed at the Jewish community has become consistent, relentless and widespread.
Judith Moritz and Daniel Wittenberg’s well-researched documentary highlights the Yom Kippur attack on Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester and also the more recent attacks in London, leaving many British Jews feeling fearful and under threat.
Jonathan Hall KC, the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism and state threats legislation says there has been “undue caution in using the law” and that the police and the CPS need to see rising antisemitism, as a priority.
Laurence Taylor, head of counter terrorism policing, says: “We have seen a rise in antisemitic hate crime and a clear intent to target Jewish communities.”
There are chilling testimonies from individual members of the public. Amanda, 47, says: “I’ve been spat at, I’ve been called a baby killer, I’ve been called racist. I’ve had a death threat saying ‘you all deserve to die’ just for having my Star of David on while out and about in London.”
Midwife Laura, 62, says that she feels unsafe and unwelcome working in the NHS and that there has been abuse directed online to her and other Jewish birthworkers. University student Avital, 21, talks about anti-Jewish protests on campus with megaphones, and chalked message on the ground saying “get the Zionists off our campus”.
On the programme London-based Israeli record producer Itay Kashti relates a horrifying incident in 2024 when he was invited by a supposed record company to attend a songwriting camp in Wales. On arrival his taxi driver helped him in with his luggage and they were both attacked by three masked men. Believing him to be a ‘rich jew’ the intention had been to extort money from him but the plan failed.
Panorama says there is a bill going through parliament to give the police more powers to protect places of worship and monuments and also a review into public order and hate crime laws.
Rabbi Julia Neuberger recognises that it is hard for the police. She also laments the fact that interfaith work has become more difficult and since Oct 7 Jews are frightened of making relationships with Muslims.
Dave Rich, director of policy at CST, which reported that there were 3,700 antisemitic incidents last year, said: “We are now seeing it (antisemitism) in parts of society where it was never a problem before; we are getting hate in schools, hospitals and workplaces, so it feels like there’s no escape.
The programme states that despite the Muslim community being ten times the size of the Jewish community, Jews are on the receiving end of eight times as many hate crimes as Muslims.
Lord Daniel Finkelstein recently called out far right commentator Nick Fuentes and was then subject to a torrent of antisemitic abuse online. “Social media has become a hub for antisemitism, with little or no accountability,” he says. “There are no gatekeepers for the spread of racism and holocaust denial. It’s much easier for niche opinions to reach mass audiences.”
“The evidence is in now – there is open hatred on the streets,” says Jonathan Hall. “I think that hatred in the public sphere towards Jews has made them more acceptable as a target for terrorism.”
One in five Jews is thinking about making aliyah in the next five years but Heaton Park synagogue’s Rabbi Walker will not be among them. He tells Julia Moritz: “I feel positive that the good will do what needs doing and that society will become a better place.”
We can but hope he is right.
Panorama is on BBC One at 8pm tonight and is available on iPlayer now.
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