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A Thameslink supervisor has been accused of denying Hamas’s responsibility for the 7 October massacre and threatening to throw a Jewish passenger out of a London railway station.
The confrontation allegedly took place at Farringdon Station on Friday after the passenger questioned why a member of staff was wearing a pro-Palestinian badge while working.
According to UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), the badge featured a Palestinian flag, the words “Palestine Solidarity” and the initials for the RMT rail union.
Another employee, who identified himself as “Simon” and said he was in charge, reportedly defended the badge as a “human rights badge”.
He allegedly told the passenger he did not support Israeli human rights because Israelis were “busy slaughtering civilians”.
The supervisor then claimed that most Israelis killed during the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023 had actually died at the hands of Israeli forces under the “Hannibal Directive”.
He also alleged that Israel’s prime minister had received advance warning of the attacks but deliberately failed to act.
The passenger, who found the comments deeply offensive, said the supervisor subsequently tried to remove him from the station.
A Transport for London employee later intervened and told the passenger that staff should not be displaying political badges, according to UKLFI.
The passenger also filmed part of the exchange.
UKLFI has now written to Thameslink chief executive John Whitehurst demanding an investigation into both employees and asking whether political badges are permitted under the company’s uniform rules.
The legal group warned that the alleged behaviour could amount to harassment under the Equality Act 2010, which protects passengers against certain forms of discrimination and harassment.
A UKLFI spokesperson said: “Jewish passengers should be able to travel on Britain’s railways without being subjected to offensive conspiracy theories about the massacre of Israelis on 7 October, or threatened with expulsion from a station for questioning a political badge.
“Railway staff are there to serve passengers, not to promote political causes or subject customers to hostile political lectures.”
The organisation has also called for disciplinary action if misconduct is established and wants Thameslink to explain whether managers have allowed staff to wear political badges.
Jewish News has approached Thameslink and TfL for comment.
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