Police in London are searching for a pro-Palestinian man who threatened to “cut off the heads" of Jews during a confrontation outside a mosque in the eastern part of the city in the latest incident in the wave of antisemitism that has swept the British capital, British media reported Saturday night.
According to a report by the BBC, the Metropolitan Police said officers were called on Friday to Whitechapel Road in the borough of Tower Hamlets after a video surfaced showing the suspect making antisemitic threats and insults against Jews and the State of Israel.
The Jewish community volunteer group Shomrim said it was “aware of the shocking video" and that police were treating it “with the utmost seriousness." In a post on X, the group said it would increase patrols until the suspect is located.
The video shows a man speaking to the camera while making the remarks, surrounded by passersby. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “We are aware of this video, which was reported to police earlier on Friday afternoon. Officers attended the scene and are carrying out an urgent investigation to identify the man involved."
The London police spokesperson added: “We understand that incidents of this nature cause significant concern, and we treat every report with the utmost seriousness. Hate crimes of any kind have no place in our communities."
Shomrim stated that the organization “is aware that the Orthodox Jewish community is exceptionally concerned by these threats." A spokesperson added that the group is working closely with police in the Hackney and Tower Hamlets boroughs. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Metropolitan Police.
Earlier this month, authorities announced that a dedicated team of 100 police officers would be deployed to protect Jewish communities in London. The move follows a series of arson attacks at Jewish sites in the city, as well as a double stabbing incident in Golders Green last month in which two ultra-Orthodox men were seriously injured.