Shocking Incident of Anti-Semitic Abuse Towards Jewish Man on London Underground as Police Initiate Investigation

 

Disturbing video footage has emerged showing an incident on the London Underground where a Jewish man was confronted with the accusation “your religion is killing Muslims” by another passenger, who was smoking a vape at the time.

The incident, which is now under police investigation for anti-Semitism, occurred on the Northern Line between Chalk Farm and Belsize Park in the north of London on Thursday. The video captures the moment the offending passenger exhaled smoke from his red vape in the direction of the Jewish man.

Initially, the Jewish man, who was filming the exchange, questioned the other passenger about his behaviour, noticing that he had moved to sit directly opposite him in an otherwise empty carriage. He asked if there was a problem, to which there was a brief silence before he probed further about the nature of the staring.

The retort from the other passenger was that the Jewish man’s religion was responsible for the death of Muslims. Taken aback, the Jewish man could only respond with a bewildered “What?” The accuser, confirming his Muslim faith, reiterated the claim, “You kill Muslims.”

What followed was a heated exchange, sparked by the Jewish man’s objection to the other’s vaping on the underground, a point met with indifference by the Muslim man, who dismissed the complaint. The Jewish man tried to defuse the situation by stating, “I haven’t done anything to you, you’ve got an issue with me, I’ve got no problem with you.”

The Jewish man recorded the passenger sit opposite him and goad him ( Image: antisemitism/Twitter)The passenger responded, acknowledging the efforts of the Jewish man by saying, “You’ve done a lot… You’re wearing the hat.” This was in reference to the kippah or yamaka, a brimless cap traditionally worn by Orthodox Jewish men as a sign of their faith. Faced with what he perceived as anti-Semitism, the Jewish individual courageously addressed the passenger’s comments.

The situation intensified when the other individual, whose identity was obscured for legal reasons, retorted with, “But you kill Muslims.” To this, the Jewish man firmly stated, “I’ve done nothing… I’ve just been sitting here on the Tube. What you’re saying is anti-Semitic. You have no idea what I’m thinking.”

The altercation took a turn when the Muslim man noticed he was being recorded by the passenger on a mobile phone. In the aftermath of the event, the British Transport Police took to social media to announce their investigation, stating, “Good evening. I personally spoke with the victim yesterday and have filed a report about the incident. Should anyone have any information or have witnessed the event, please get in touch with us on 0800405040 or text 61016, referencing 677 28/02/2024.”

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism spoke to MailOnline, expressing dismay at the treatment of a man targeted simply for displaying his Jewish identity in public. This incident, however, might not come as a surprise to many. The lack of action against certain marches through London has emboldened extremists and antisemites, leading them to believe they can openly display their bigotry towards Jews with impunity, and all too often, they are correct.

The spokesperson pointed out that antisemitism is at an all-time high, yet legal actions and prosecutions remain scarce. On the rare occasions when these cases do go to court, the penalties imposed hardly serve as a deterrent. This has resulted in 69% of British Jews feeling more reluctant to wear symbols of their faith in public.

The British Transport Police, currently investigating this incident, have been commended for their more effective approach compared to the Metropolitan Police in recent times. Consequently, there is hope that the individual responsible will be held accountable. During the period from October 7 to November 7, 2023, amidst the conflict involving Hamas, the Metropolitan Police reported a total of 679 antisemitic offences. This marks a significant increase from the 50 incidents recorded during the same timeframe in 2022 and 81 in 2021.