Two Jewish schools in north London have been targeted by vandals as the effects of the deadly conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas continues to be felt in the capital.
Scotland Yard says it is treating the two incidents as hate crimes, while neighbourhood watch group Shomrim said the attacks “have sent shockwaves” through London’s Jewish community.
A CCTV clip circulated on social media on Monday appeared to capture the moment a hooded, balaclava-clad vandal targeted one of the schools.
The first incident came shortly before 7am on Thursday, when a vandal threw red paint across the entrance to a school in Lordship Road, Stoke Newington.
A Jewish school in London was disgracefully vandalised with red paint last night.
— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) October 16, 2023
Since Saturday's attack by Hamas, Jewish communities worldwide have faced a wave of antisemitic acts.
There must be zero tolerance for antisemitism or any glorification of terrorism on our streets pic.twitter.com/605ylarAOY
An identical incident took place at Beis Chinuch Lebonos Girls’ School in Woodberry Down Road, Finsbury Park, on Monday.
Red paint could be seen on the gates of the Jewish primary school, while officers patrolled the area outside, searching through the contents of a nearby bin.
“The brazen acts of vandalism have sent shockwaves through our community,” Shomrim told the Standard.
“The fear and anxiety are palpable, especially among the students and their families, who are forced to confront the harsh reality of hatred that has literally stained the walls of their educational sanctuaries.”
Meanwhile the European Jewish Congress slammed the incidents on Twitter, formerly X, as “disgraceful”.
Shimrom’s Stamford Hill branch said on X: “We condemn these acts of #Hate & intimidation.
“In response, @Shomrim is escalating its patrols & collaborating with @MPSHackney and local authorities to enhance the safety of our community. We’re advocating for an increased police presence & reassurance patrols.”
The Met Police said: “We are investigating incidents at two Jewish schools and treating these as hate crimes.”
“Police are aware of a second incident at a school in Woodberry Down N4, in which paint was also thrown onto the school building,” a spokesperson added. “We are investigating whether these two incidents are linked.”
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, who leads policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets said: “We have had extra police patrols in the area since the attacks in Israel to provide reassurance. We are working closely with our partners in the Community Security Trust, the Shomrim, Hackney Council and other key local partners.
“These incidents will be robustly investigated and we have been clear that we have a zero tolerance for hate crime.”
It comes after the Met Police said London has seen a “massive increase” in anti-Semitic incidents since the latest Israel-Hamas conflict erupted last weekend, from the playing of German military music to intimidation outside synagogues.
This is CCTV of a person throwing red paint over a Jewish school in London last night, presumably in the hope that red paint may succeed where the Nazis failed pic.twitter.com/zNBPwPOGs5
— Jake Wallis Simons (@JakeWSimons) October 16, 2023
Between September 30 and October 13 there were 105 anti-Semitic incidents and 75 anti-Semitic offences in the capital, compared with 14 incidents and 12 offences in the same period last year, according to figures from Scotland Yard.
Jewish shools have ramped up security measures in response to the rise in hate crime.
On Friday, four Jewish schools in north London closed their doors amid fears of anti-Semitic attacks.
Torah Vodaas and Ateres Beis primary schools in Edgware, and Colindale and Menorah High for Girls in Neasden informed parents they would not reopen until Monday “in the interests of the safety of our precious children”.
A fourth school also cancelled lessons ahead of planned protests across the capital at the weekend, Sky News reported.
Jewish students at some schools in London are being allowed by schools to disguise their uniform because of a fear of retaliatory attacks.
Others have ramped up searches at entrances to their sites, and have cancelled after-school detentions so pupils are able to get home safely by school bus.
The Met’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said on Friday: “[There has been] a massive increase in anti-Semitic crime and incidents.
“In balance, we have seen an increase in Islamophobic incidents, but nothing like the scale of the increase in anti-Semitism.
“The context is really challenging for us, we are seeing behaviours that are provocative, that are inciteful, we’ll address those whilst recognising the emotion and the activities and the incidents that are taking place overseas.”
Israel has blockaded the water, electricity and food supply across its border with Gaza after the Hamas terror attack which has killed more than 1,400 Israelis to date, since it was launched last Saturday.
The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,670 Palestinians have been killed and 9,600 wounded.
