Latest Information

Antisemitic Graffiti, London 15/16.01.09

The graffiti mostly states "Jihad 4 Israel" and "Kill Jews". It appears to have been daubed on the night of 15/16th January. There have been, unfortunately, many other instances of this graffiti appearing throughout the country over the last two weeks. This, however, is a new wave of daubings, concentrated in many Jewish neighbourhoods of North and East London.

Security Notice 13 January 2009
Risk of forced entry to communal locations

All Jewish communal locations should be aware of attempts by anti-Israel activists to gain entry into their premises, causing disruption and potentially provoking violence or intimidation of staff and visitors.

This security alert follows two cases in recent days in Central London, in which anti-Israel activists have entered an office and a shop; in both instances causing disruption and intimidation to staff and visitors. Thankfully, neither protest resulted in violence.

CST strongly advises that all communal locations take particular care at this time to ensure that only expected visitors enter their premises.

Unexpected visitors should be subject to close scrutiny and only admitted entry to premises if you are satisfied.

Unexpected visitors should be asked the purpose of their visit, why they are visiting at this time, and for proof of identity. If you are not satisfied, then you are under no obligation to admit them entry to your premises. If they request an explanation for your behaviour, then simply state that you are following required security measures due to an increase in antisemitic incidents and threats. Those who do not wish to co-operate should of course then be denied entry.

Security Notice
January 2009
Middle East Conflict - Security Implications for the UK Jewish Community

Summary
There have been a significant number of antisemitic incidents in the UK relating to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Southern Israel. These have included an arson attack against a synagogue, at least one violent physical assault and numerous examples of threatening messages and graffiti in Jewish neighbourhoods.

In addition to these incidents, there have been scores of anti-Israel demonstrations throughout the UK. These have featured extreme anti-Israel incitement, open support for Hamas and, in some instances, blatant antisemitism.

CST remains at its second highest level of alert and recommends that security procedures at all communal locations are reviewed and fully operational. This includes ensuring that existing security measures are strictly adhered to and implemented; checking that CCTV cameras are fully functional and recording; and reporting both antisemitic incidents and suspicious activity to CST or Police immediately. These measures will help CST and the Police to ensure that the community is able to conduct its activities in peace and comfort.

For further advice and guidance regarding your specific location, please contact CST.

Security Precautions - REMINDER

• Effective security focuses on observing outwards from the building – spot the problem before the problem comes to you. External security patrols should be implemented and/or increased
• Be alert for suspicious people and activities including parked cars and unattended bags
• Be aware of your surroundings when arriving and leaving communal buildings
• Search external then internal areas before fully opening up your building and remember to keep all external doors secured when the building is in use
• Challenge and question all strangers and visitors to your building even if they are accompanied by someone you know. Vehicle access should also be restricted to known vehicles only
• Pay special attention to the security of those outside your location. If you spot a suspicious person, object, bag, package or vehicle, immediately instruct people to move away. Either disperse them or take them inside the safety of the building. Call police on 999 and then CST without delay
• Try to prevent staff and visitors from congregating outside your building especially upon arrival and departure. Encourage people to disperse as quickly as possible, e.g. after services, at the end of the school day, or at the end of an event
• Ensure that all of your security equipment, alarm systems and CCTV equipment are working correctly. Check that lenses are cleaned and video equipment is recording
  

CST remains at its second highest level of alert and urges the community to report all antisemitic incidents and any suspicious activities immediately. This information will help CST and the Police to ensure that the community is able to conduct its activities in peace and comfort.

Security Notice
1st December 2008
TERRORIST ATTACKS IN MUMBAI

Please note that the information contained in this bulletin is correct at the time of production.

Introduction
A series of terrorist attacks began on Wednesday 26th November in the Indian city of Mumbai killing nearly 200 people and injuring many more. Heavily armed men arrived in inflatable boats and attacked nine separate targets including two luxury hotels, a hospital, a restaurant, a railway station and Nariman House, which contains the headquarters of Chabad Lubavitch. The attackers took a number of people hostage in the two hotels and at Nariman House. According to eyewitnesses the attackers were specifically looking for foreigners and asked for British and American passports.

A group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack, which indicates the involvement of a local Islamic group. The attackers may be linked to other groups like the Indian Mujahideen, who started a bombing campaign a year ago, or the al-Qaeda-linked Lashkare-Taiba.

Nariman House
A group of gunmen commandeered a police vehicle which allowed them to approach the building containing Chabad Lubavitch. They threw a grenade at a gas pump nearby before gunmen carrying AK-47s stormed the building killing at least three people. The Rabbi, his family and a number of other Jews and Israelis were reportedly held hostage in the building.

Early on the morning of 28th November, Indian security forces stormed Nariman House in an attempt to free the hostages. When the building was finally secured after many hours of attempting to end the siege, six jews were found dead inside. Four of those killed were Israelis including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah, who ran the Chabad Lubavitch centre.

Analysis
Jews and Israelis continue to be regarded as highly valuable targets by Islamist groups. Nariman House was different from the other targets selected, which were popular tourist destinations. The building is lower profile, located off the main road and a distance away from the other targets. Despite this it was still considered to be a worthy target by the terrorists. The use of firearms and the taking of hostages signal a change of tactics from previous Islamic terrorist attacks, which have consisted of vehicle bombs or rucksacks containing explosives.
Islamic terrorist groups continue to use multiple, co-ordinated and simultaneous attacks as a means to maximise casualties and impact.

Impact on the UK
CST remains at its second highest level of alert. The attacks provide a reminder that Jewish institutions around the world continue to face a real threat and urge the UK Jewish Community to remain vigilant and ensure that security continues to be a priority.

Please note that the information contained in this bulletin is correct at the time of production.
Security Precautions - REMINDER
Be aware of your surroundings when arriving and leaving communal buildings.
Remember to keep all external doors secured when the building is in use.
Be alert for suspicious people and activities including parked cars and unattended bags.
Effective security focuses on observing outwards from the building – spot the problem before the problem comes to you.
Challenge and question all strangers and visitors to your building even if they are accompanied by someone you know.
Pay special attention to the security of those outside your location. If you spot a suspicious person, object, bag, package or vehicle, immediately instruct people to move away. Either disperse them or take them inside the safety of the building. Call police – 999 and thenCST – 07659 101 668.
Try to prevent staff and visitors from congregating outside your building especially upon arrival and departure. Encourage people to disperse as quickly as possible, e.g. after services, at the end of the school day, or at the end of an event.
Ensure that all of your security equipment, alarm systems and CCTV equipment are working correctly. Check that lenses are cleaned and video equipment is recording.

CST urges the community to report all antisemitic incidents, and any suspicious activities - such information can help us, together with the Police, make more sophisticated assessments when analysing the risk and threat our community faces.

Antisemitic hate incidents still on the rise
Violent assaults fall, but campus antisemitism almost doubles

CST has recorded 266 antisemitic incidents in the first six months of 2008, a 9 per cent rise from the 244 incidents recorded in the same period last year. This rise is based in smaller Jewish communities beyond the main centres of London and Manchester, and may reflect improved reporting from those areas. There is also a significant increase in the number of reported incidents involving students, both on and off campus.

The number of violent antisemitic assaults has fallen by 24 per cent compared to the first six months of 2007, from 54 to 42 incidents. 2007 had seen the highest ever total of violent assaults since CST began recording antisemitic incidents in 1984. The number of incidents of Abusive Behaviour, which includes verbal abuse, hate mail and antisemitic graffiti on non-Jewish property, rose in the first half of the year by 21 per cent, from 137 to 166 incidents.

There were 49 incidents reported to CST that involved Jewish students, student bodies or academics, almost double the 26 incidents of this type reported to CST in the same period last year. Of these incidents, 31 were on campus and 18 were off campus.

The number of incidents reported in London and Manchester was similar to last year. However there has been a significant increase in incidents reported from smaller Jewish communities beyond the main urban areas. This is partly explained by CST’s efforts to improve contact with smaller Jewish communities and goes some way to explain the overall rise in incidents.

CST spokesperson Mark Gardner said: “These figures reflect the fact that antisemitism can affect British Jews in the smallest communities as well as the largest. The rise in antisemitic incidents affecting Jewish students is of particular concern and we will work with the Union of Jewish Students, university authorities and the government to tackle what is clearly a growing problem.”

John Mann MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism said “ Every antisemitic attack is a blight on society.  The 2008 Interim report figures show that reporting is better with students and smaller Jewish communities. 

The work that CST and UJS have done together is excellent.  By knowing the scale of the problem we can deploy strategies to combat antisemitsim from our streets and our campuses. Jewish students have a strong voice through UJS and in Parliament though our committee.

 The incidents were in the following categories:
• 42 Assaults, none of which were serious enough to be categorised as Extreme Violence
• 31 incidents of Damage and Desecration of Jewish property
• 16 Threats
• 166 incidents of Abusive Behaviour
• 11 incidents of mass produced antisemitic Literature

In addition a further 158 potential incidents were reported to CST that, on investigation did not appear to be antisemitic and are not included in these figures.

Antisemitic incidents Jan 2008 - June 2008

Antisemitic violence nears record level

By Emily Dugan
The Independent, Saturday, 17 May 2008

The number of anti-Semitic attacks in Britain has reached its second-highest level ever, MPs have been told. Figures from a charity show 547 such incidents were recorded last year, of which a record 114 were violent assaults.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which works to protect the Jewish community from persecution, collated the figures by counting every recorded anti-Semitic assault, threat, act of abuse, mass-produced literature and damage and desecration of Jewish property across the country.

For full article please click below:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/antisemitic-violence-nears-record-level-829984.html

Antisemitic graffiti, north and east London 14th May 2008

Antisemitic graffiti reading “Jihad is the only solution for Israel” has been stencilled on pavements and walls in the visibly orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of Stamford Hill, North London. Its location shows that this anti-Israel message is clearly intended to intimidate Jews.

The graffiti appears to have been daubed on the night of 13/14 May. It has been quickly removed by council clean up teams. Police forensics have also been in attendance. Community liaison is ongoing between Police, local Jewish community and CST.

At least eight instances have occurred in Stamford Hill, reading “Jihad is the only solution for Israel”. Other instances are reported from Bethnal Green, Walthamstow and other parts of East and North East London.

If you see any examples of this graffiti please make a note of its exact location and contact CST and the Police.

Jewish community welcomes Government's first progress report after All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism

“Best Practice” Task Force Given Extended Life

London - (12 May 2008) – The Government today issued its first progress report one year after issuing its first Command Paper in response to the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism.

This report details progress to date in implementing the recommendations of the 2006 Inquiry, and Jewish community leadership bodies have warmly welcomed the opportunity to work with Government and others to comprehensively tackle antisemitism in Britain today.

The Response charts the establishment and work of the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Antisemitism, a unique government taskforce that brings together nine Government Departments, law enforcement agencies and key Jewish Community NGOs: the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jewish Leadership Council and CST. 

The Chief Executives of those three organisations attend Working Group meetings as equal partners to support the important follow up work that is being done and challenge Government where recommendations are not being implemented. 

Many challenges remain, especially regarding antisemitism around university campuses, but the commitment shown over the last year by those such as the Government, Police and DCLG is a source of comfort for the Jewish community in what are difficult and sensitive times. 

Jon Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: “We welcome this report, which is unprecedented in its detail and extent to which the Government has chosen to engage with this most tenacious form of racism. The commitment to work with the Jewish community has been especially appreciated, as have the partnerships with all groups who understand the corrosive effect on daily life of antisemitism, every bit as much as other forms hatred.  This approach accords with the best traditions of British tolerance in recognising that sadly that tolerance is not always universal.”

Jeremy Newmark, Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council said: The original report and initial Government response represented a milestone in the struggle against antisemitism. This year on response contains evidence of real momentum and significant progress. It dispels any fears that this report would be left to gather dust on bookshelves in Whitehall. We particularly welcome the Government’s decision to continue the work of the Task Force beyond the first year.  This body has been cited as a global exemplar of best practice in government cooperation with a Jewish community to fight antisemitism”.

Richard Benson, Chief Executive of the CST expressed CST’s satisfaction saying, “CST welcomes this report which again demonstrates the Government’s commitment to addressing and tackling antisemitism today. It is a multi agency approach that requires trust and commitment from various partners and we look forward to building upon the progress that has already been made in many areas.”