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Security guards evacuated Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom Tzipi Hotovely from an event at the London School of Economics (LSE) following a large protest staged by anti-Israel activists. Video footage shared online showed Hotovely being rushed away after calls by student groups to smash her car windows and “make her shake.”
The Israeli diplomat had been invited by the student union of the university to take part in a forum. The planned LSE debate was one of a series of events on the future of the Middle East, with a Palestinian offical set to address students on November 11.
Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotolevy is rushed out of LSE by security this evening after students called for her to be deplatformed pic.twitter.com/axsxHxZOc2
— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) November 9, 2021
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who spoke with Hotovely after the incident, condemned the “violent and antisemitic bullies” at LSE and praised the ambassador’s strength in the face of intimidation.
In the run-up to the event, some anti-Israel pressure groups on campus had shared calls for violence on Instagram, while accusing the student union of “platforming racism.”
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The Biden Administration is reportedly spearheading efforts to create a Palestinian unity government that would include the US-designated terrorist group Hamas, in addition to members of Fatah, the ruling faction of the Palestinian Authority, and independent economic professionals. According to local media, Washington seeks to end the rift between the West Bank-based PA and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.
The last Palestinian elections in January 2006 saw Hamas win a majority in the now-disbanded Palestinian Legislative Council and resulted in a bloody civil war between the rival parties.
The Israeli government has reportedly not yet assumed a position on the American plan.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian Authority official said it would not respond to any US initiative “as long as there is no decision regarding the opening of the consulate.” The comment referred to US President Biden’s intention to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem that previously serviced the Palestinians in Israel’s capital.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s governing coalition opposes the proposed move, which requires Jerusalem’s permission.
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The European Union recorded a surge of cases of antisemitism, especially online, since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new report by Brussels’ Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). The report noted that “existing antisemitic discourse has been revived, and new antisemitic myths and conspiracy theories that blame Jews for the pandemic have come to the fore.”
The EU report (PDF), which incorporated data from 25 of its member states — along with Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia — declared that “online hatred – including antisemitism – has firmly taken root in European societies.”
At the same time, it noted, incidents are consistently underreported, making it harder to tackle Jew-hatred.
“The inadequate recording of hate crime incidents, including those of an antisemitic nature, coupled with victims’ hesitance to report incidents to the authorities, contributes to the gross underestimate of the extent, nature and characteristics of antisemitism in the EU,” the FRA report said.
“To tackle antisemitism effectively, relevant stakeholders need to be able to rely on robust data on antisemitic incidents to enable more efficient targeting of interventions.”
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While a Supreme Court decision on several disputed homes in the Sheikh Jarrah/Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem is still pending, another Arab family living in the area has reportedly reached a deal that acknowledges the ownership of a Jewish organization of the property. Under the terms of the compromise, the residents can remain in their homes for a decade.
In the meantime, the family has pledged to pay rent to the legal owners.
Although the family in question is not part of the much-debated trial that Palestinian terror groups used as a pretext for starting a war in May this year, some say the case could serve as a precedent.
While Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups were in May firing over 4,000 rockets towards Israeli civilian centers, HonestReporting noted threats from the Palestinian Authority (PA) against Sheikh Jarrah residents willing to accept a compromise. Furthermore, Hamas boss Ismail Haniyeh in October instructed occupants to refuse every proposal for a peaceful settlement “as it [Israel] is an illegal entity on our land.”
Following a visit by PA officials last week, the families of Sheikh Jarrah promptly issued a joint statement saying that they “stand firm” in their opposition to what they called an “oppressive agreement.”
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Every Wednesday, HonestReporting uploads special content for its followers to share on social media to help generate international impact. We upload images, infographics, trending news stories, petitions and tweets that help spread the word that Israelis are also involved in global conversations! Check in every #IsraeliWednesday to see what’s new and be sure to tag us when you share!
Recommended Reading
- Increased Antisemitism in the United States Following Operation Guardian of the Walls: Permanent or Short-Lived? (Shahar Eilam & Tom Eshed, Institute for National Security Studies)
- J Street and ‘New York Times’ Revise the English Language (Stephen M. Flatow, Jewish News Syndicate)
- In UK Poll, Most Respondents Don’t Know How Many Jews Perished in the Holocaust (Cnaan Lipshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
- The 4 Fields That Israel Is Investing Heavily in Promoting (Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c)
