Police have released pictures of two women they want to question after a video shot at yesterday’s pro-Palestine rallies in London which one of them appears to be carrying an effigy of a blood-soaked baby while chanting “slaughter the Jews”.
The brief clip shows the pair apparently singing “Khaibar Ya Yahud”, a reference to a massacre in Saudi Arabia in the 7th century in which an entire Jewish settlement was wiped out.
It is generally regarded as a call to kill Jewish people.
Other members of the crowd appear bemused, with one man appearing to challenge the pair.
Journalist James J Marlow tweeted the footage, commenting: “This one was caught on camera but undercover officials & journalists reported hearing this chant in many sections of crowd in London and elsewhere.
“For those who don’t understand Arabic, it’s the famous line shouted in Arab countries & Palestinians areas: ‘Slaughter the Jews’.”
Shocking images produced by the Israeli government earlier this month showed babies who had been murdered by Hamas thugs on the day of the attack. Multiple Palestinian children have also been killed in Israeli airstrikes.
The Metropolitan Police shared a video still, commenting: “Officers investigating a hate crime incident in Trafalgar Square would like to speak to these two women.”
Anyone who can help them should call 101, giving the reference 6576920/23.
Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Other video clips showed people bouncing more effigies of dead babies on a large Palestinian flag.
Police have faced criticism about the perceived leniency of their approach, with ex-Met detective Peter Bleksley claimed officers should have stepped in at the time.
He told the Sun: “This is sick behaviour. The Met said they would crackdown on this sort of thing and quite simply they haven’t. It’s appalling.”
David Hirsch, founder for the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism, added: “Some Londoners on the demo were thrilled by the 1,400 Hamas murders, like football fans are when their team wins.
“The joy of their victory lit up their faces. They taunted Jews with a religious certainty that there would be more Jew-killing soon.”
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove is understood to have ordered officials to draw up a new official definition of extremism in a move designed to counter hate, including antisemitism.
The Whitehall department is considering definitions published in 2021 as part of a report Sir Mark Rowley, now head of the Met, was involved with.
The report urged ministers to do more to eradicate extremism, with the official watchdog, the Commission for Countering Extremism, concluding then that gaps within current legislation had left it harder to tackle “hateful extremism”.
Separately, the Home Office is examining potential changes to terrorism legislation, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
In total nine arrests were made at yesterday’s march, in which an estimated 100,000 people took part.
Seven were detained for public order offences, and two for assaulting police officers.
