Two Jewish men wearing kippahs were 'interrogated' about their views on Israel and Gaza in a shocking exchange in Greater Manchester. The incident occurred last Wednesday in Bury when the men were entering a property and were stopped by two other individuals.
The Incident
CCTV footage captured the moment the two Jewish men were asked if they were 'Zionist' or 'for Palestine' before being labelled a 'problem' by one of the men. The exchange began with a voice asking, 'You Zionist?' followed by 'or Orthodox?' prompting the men to pause and look around. One of the men in the street called out, 'You two for Palestine?' One Jewish man responded by asking whether it 'makes a difference'. The second man in the street then appeared to backtrack, saying there was 'no problem' and 'no fight'. A third man joined the group, with one appearing to refer to the Jewish men as 'the problem'.
Police Response
The incident was reported to Greater Manchester Police, but the force reportedly told the pair that the footage 'does not clearly evidence any criminal offences' and closed the report. The force added that the local neighbourhood policing team was made aware and would factor the incident into safeguarding and patrolling plans. One of the men said he felt 'unprotected' and 'vulnerable' in public, fearing the situation could escalate into violence.
Broader Context
The Bury incident occurred on the same day as the Golders Green terror attack, where two Jewish men were stabbed. Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, were attacked by a knifeman in broad daylight. Essa Suleiman, 45, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder. This follows a series of antisemitic incidents, including arson attacks on synagogues and Jews being targeted with racist abuse. Earlier this month, a former synagogue in Whitechapel was set ablaze in an arson attack, with police treating it as intentional and Counter Terror Police leading the investigation.
Government and Community Response
The Campaign Against Antisemitism described the incident as part of a 'national emergency' for British Jews. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged a tough response, stating, 'Security is essential, but that is not enough. We must also deal with the forces that drive this hatred in the first place.' He noted investigations into whether a foreign state is behind some incidents and said legislation is being fast-tracked to tackle malign threats. A CAA spokesperson commented, 'The real 'problem' here is that people think it's acceptable to harass Jewish people over 'Palestine' and try to intimidate them. What is happening to Jewish people in Britain is a national emergency.'
