London is the most anti-Semitic place in the West, a hardline Israeli minister claimed on Wednesday.
Amichai Chikli said a mix of far-Left “wokeism” and Islamic extremism meant the capital is no longer safe for Jews.
He was speaking weeks after the Standard revealed growing numbers of Jewish families are considering fleeing the city for abroad because of rising attacks as they demand tougher action to combat intimidation and hate.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Chikli told a press conference of European journalists in Jerusalem: “The anti-Semitism we see today in the West is the worst since the 1930s and it is because of a ‘red and green’ alliance – the combination of the radical Left and the radical Islam groups that work together.”
He alleged London had become the worst example of this, adding: “This is a centre of Western civilisation – the country of the Magna Carta and one of the leading democracies of the West with a rich legacy of freedom of speech, of human rights.
“But it seems what is happening now in Britain is that freedom of speech no longer exists.”
Speaking about the anti-Semitism found in London, Chikli said: “And this isn’t just a problem for the Jews but for the British people – when even the statue of Churchill needs its own security.
“Today in the UK, Jews are hiding their yarmulkes and their Magen Davids [stars of David].
“They know that if they speak Hebrew on the subway they might get hit. And this is the reality for Jews in Europe.”
Chikli, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, is minister for diaspora affairs and combating anti-Semitism.
The UK Government recently condemned a recent rise in reported anti-Muslim and Jewish hatred amid concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is fuelling division in Britain.
Ministers have made it clear they expect the police to fully investigate all hate crimes and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to bring perpetrators to justice.
Earlier this month, more than £117million of taxpayers’ money was pledged to protect mosques, Muslim schools and community centres from hate attacks over the next four years.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said the money, which will be spent on measures including CCTV cameras, alarms and fencing, would give “reassurance and confidence to UK Muslims”.
The announcement follows a £70m package for Jewish groups.
