“I am absolutely horrified by the appalling attack on two Jewish Londoners,” said Jeremy Corbyn on hearing the news that two Jews had been stabbed in an apparently anti-semitic attack in Golders Green. The Metropolitan Police have now detained a man with a "history of serious violence and mental health issues". The suspect in the double stabbing has been identified as a British national who was born in Somalia and came to the UK legally in the 1990s.
Corbyn, the former Labour leader, who now heads the Independent Alliance bloc in the House of Commons, said “my thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and Jewish communities across the UK. We must stand united against racist attacks - and defend a society that embraces the common humanity of us all”. But attempts by others to connect a series of anti-semitic attacks in north London with the marches in solidarity with Palestine are false.
The Stop the War Coalition has been proud to be part of organising these mass marches in support of the people of Gaza and against the genocide of the Israeli government. In a statement issued this week the anti-war movement said “we have campaigned for justice for Palestine since our founding 25 years ago, because we recognise that this question is inextricably linked to the wars throughout the Middle East which continue today in Iran and Lebanon.
“We believe that the statements by Jonathan Hall KC, suggesting that the Palestine marches should be subject to a ‘moratorium’ because of the series of antisemitic attacks in North London, are unacceptable.
“We condemn unequivocally these attacks, as we do all forms of antisemitism and racism. No one should be attacked for their race or religion.
“However, the attempts by Hall, sections of the media and some politicians to connect such attacks with the Palestine marches are wrong. Our marches are against the treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza, against the killing of up to 200,000 people in the past two and a half years, the destruction of most of the Gaza Strip, and the targeting of hospitals and other civilian sites. They are in protest at the role of the Israeli government, and the complicity of the British government in these attacks.
“These marches are supported by many Jewish people who attend. They are not the ‘hate marches’ described by right wing politicians but expressions of solidarity and support for those under attack. The aims to criminalise the protests, which reflect majority public opinion in this country, or worse to connect them with racist or terrorist attacks being carried out against Jewish people, are scurrilous and should be rejected. They appear to be part of a wider agenda to clamp down on protest more generally, and to limit our rights. In a democracy, we have the right to peaceful protest and we will continue to exercise it. We will be marching on 16th May for the Nakba”.
