Antisemitic attacks across London designed to 'instill fear'

One attack early Saturday morning saw a brick scrawled with swastikas and antisemitic messages thrown threw the window of a Jewish household in the north London district of Edgware.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: JANUARY 23, 2017 16:48
Flags are seen above a souvenir kiosk near Big Ben clock at the Houses of Parliament in central London (photo credit: REUTERS)
Flags are seen above a souvenir kiosk near Big Ben clock at the Houses of Parliament in central London
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A series of antisemitic attacks carried out across northern London over the weekend has been described as "cowardly" and "disgusting" by multiple Jewish groups in the UK, The Jewish Chronicle reported Sunday.
Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish civilian organization setup to combat antisemitic attacks in the US and Great Britain, told The Chronicle that the attacks were designed to "instill fear" in the Jewish community.
All of the incidents were concentrated in north west London, the organization added.
One attack early Saturday morning saw a brick scrawled with swastikas and antisemitic messages thrown threw the window of a Jewish household in the north London district of Edgware.
Personal property belonging to one Jewish resident of Watford Way in Mill Hill was also defaced with swastikas on Saturday.

Those incidents were preceded by a Friday evening attack in which Jewish pedestrians were pelted with eggs as they returned home from Shabbat evening services.
 
According to The Chronicle, police have open investigations into each of the antisemitic events.
“These cowardly antisemitic attacks targeted Jews when they were asleep in their homes or walking with their families after dinner,"  Shomrim north-west London chief executive Gary Ost told The Chronicle.
“These attacks are intended to instill fear in London’s Jews. The best response to these disgusting acts is to ensure that the perpetrators are caught,” he added.
The last of the attacks culminated in a movie poster promoting the film "Denial," about Holocaust denier David Irving's legal case against Deborah Lipstadt, being vandalized in north London.
 
"Whilst there is no evidence at this stage to suggest that these offenses are linked, it is of great concern that members of our local community are being targeted in this way," local police inspector Justin Zitver told the Jewish daily.
"The Met is committed to working with our partners, to tackle all types of hate crime including the use of antisemitic language."
"We will have a number of ongoing reassurance patrols in the borough and I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of crime, or who has any information that will help our investigations to speak with officers. Together, we can make every effort to hold the offenders to account," the police inspector added.
The UK's Board of Jewish Deputies also said in response to the attacks: “The low-lives who think it big or clever to menace Jewish families over the weekend deserve nothing short of our contempt.
"The perpetrators should face the full force of the law,” they added.