Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a strong condemnation of planned pro-Palestinian protests scheduled to mark the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks. In a letter published in The Times, he described the rallies as "un-British," urging students across the UK not to participate in what he referred to as "hate rallies." Starmer expressed deep concern that these demonstrations could reignite vitriolic antisemitism, particularly in the wake of a recent synagogue attack in Manchester that has deeply shaken the British Jewish community.

The anniversary marks the onset of a violent Hamas assault in which 1,300 Israelis were killed and numerous hostages were taken, followed by an extensive Israeli military response. Official reports suggest the death toll for Palestinians has risen to nearly 70,000 amidst ongoing conflict and bombardments. Thousands of students are reportedly preparing to march on university campuses across the UK, holding events themed around "resistance" and remembrance of what they see as the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Some events are described as commemorations to "honour our martyrs" and mark "two years of resistance."

Sir Keir warned that while some participants exercise their right to protest Israel’s actions, others exploit these occasions as a "despicable excuse to attack British Jews," emphasising that Jewish citizens in the UK bear no responsibility for the conflict in the Middle East. He decried the "total loss of empathy and humanity" exhibited by those calling for violence against Jewish people, condemning chants of hatred allegedly heard at earlier demonstrations.

The timing and tone of these protests have sparked significant backlash from Jewish community leaders and university officials. The Board of Deputies of British Jews condemned the hate-filled nature of recent campus protests, highlighting an urgent need to "drive out anti-Jewish incitement at all levels of our society." Keith Black, Chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, described protests planned for October 7 as a "disgraceful and deeply upsetting strategy" intended to inflict maximum pain on Jewish students and predicted these events would contain anti-Semitic rhetoric inciting violence.

University campuses in major cities including London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Sheffield have seen organised events ranging from rallies demanding divestment from Israel to vigils mourning Palestinian lives lost. Some groups, such as the Revolutionary Communist Party at the University of Sheffield, have refused to reschedule protests despite calls from Jewish organisations to alter dates to avoid exacerbating tensions. Protest organisers assert their intention is not to celebrate the Hamas attacks but to highlight the Palestinian suffering caused by the subsequent conflict.

The political response has included calls from Conservative politicians for swift disciplinary actions against students who attend these protests, with Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick advocating for expulsions to counter "virulently anti-Jewish hatred." Meanwhile, Isaac Zarfati, executive director of StandWithUs UK, denounced the scheduling of these events on the anniversary of the Hamas attacks as "particularly grotesque," stressing the growing severity of antisemitism on campuses. Louis Danker, president of the Union of Jewish Students, while affirming support for free speech, pleaded for peace and sensitivity, noting many Jewish students will be commemorating those lost to Hamas violence.

In the midst of this controversy, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting has also highlighted concerns over antisemitism within the NHS, announcing plans to overhaul the General Medical Council to better address racist and antisemitic conduct by medical professionals.

Adding to the tension, pro-Palestinian activists confronted Sir Keir Starmer in Glasgow on October 7, with the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign praising what they termed the "remarkable gains made by the Palestinian resistance" during the Hamas attacks. The group accused Starmer of facilitating Israel’s actions, reflecting the deeply polarized nature of opinions surrounding the conflict and its reverberations within the UK.

This unfolding situation highlights the complex challenge of balancing the right to protest with the imperative to combat hate and promote community cohesion, particularly given the sensitive context of recent violent incidents and ongoing conflict abroad.

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Source: Noah Wire Services