A relative of an Israeli man taken hostage by Hamas has criticised the Metropolitan Police for removing posters calling for the release of captives. The posters were taken down in Edgware, north-west London, to 'avoid any further increase in community tension', the force said.
Adam Ma'anit, whose cousin Tsachi Idan was abducted during the 7 October attacks in which at least 1,400 Israelis were killed, said he felt a 'wave of despair' when he learned police had removed the posters. 'There is no hate on those posters, they are just being used to highlight the plight of the hostages,' he added.
The Met said it received two calls from residents about the posters being placed on a business's shutters. The callers believed the posters were a retaliation for social media comments about the Israel-Hamas conflict made by a person associated with the business. Printouts of those comments may also have been put up nearby, a spokesperson said.
Mr Ma'anit argued that those who tear down the posters are 'silencing' efforts to raise awareness. 'For the police to be party to that is deeply distressing,' he said. The Met said it did not wish to limit rights to raise awareness but had a responsibility to stop issues escalating.
