Exhibition that shows 'Jews eating babies' deemed NOT abusive or insulting by police

The artist behind the exhibition, Matthew Collings, said the aim of the artwork was "raising consciousness about hell” and that "Israel is the pure encapsulation of it" through its ongoing offensive actions in Gaza.

Now, Kent Police has said the exhibition has not reached the threshold to be considered either a hate crime or a non-crime hate incident.

In a letter to the complainant, a spokesman for the force told The Telegraph: "The artwork is critical of the Israeli state and its actions but does not include content that is directly abusive or insulting toward Jewish people as a group.

"There is also no indication of an intent by the artist to stir up racial or religious hatred, which is a specific requirement within the legislation."

One of the pieces of artwork depicted two auctioneers at Sotheby’s, which is owned by French-Israeli businessman Patrick Drahi, eating babies.

Mr Collings, 70, denied that it showed Jewish people, saying "nothing in the drawing says 'Jews' or claims Jews eat babies".

He adding the artwork makes a comment that the "owner of Sotheby’s is a Zionist" and "the message is that Zionism is a brutal ideology".

Another artwork in the exhibition shows a soldier wearing an IDF helmet with a foot on top of a skull with the caption "New Order Forever Now", with multiple depicting Israelis as devils with horns with messages including "we love death".

Others featured Labour politicians with speech bubble saying "I am paid by Israel."

Labour Against Antisemitism has now written to Kent’s chief constable Tim Smith, calling on him to to re-examine the assessment.

The letter said: "It lacks any real understanding of contemporary antisemitism and empathy for a community experiencing record levels of anti-Jewish racism that include a deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue, and now the burning of Jewish ambulances.

"A number of terror plots aimed at the Jewish community have been uncovered only recently. These do not happen in a vacuum.

"Exhibitions such as Matthew Collings’ incite hatred towards our community. They increase community tensions and create a hostile environment for Jewish people.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised Kent Police's decision, saying: "Freedom of expression should of course be protected, but these pictures are clearly full of sickening antisemitic tropes.

"It is exactly this kind of appalling imagery that leads to attacks on our Jewish communities like the events in Golders Green.

"Our forces must step up efforts to protect the Jewish community from vile hate crimes. Kent should reopen this investigation immediately."

In response to the letter from Labour Against Antisemitism, a spokesman from Kent Police said: "This is because the content is political in nature, focuses on a nation state rather than a protected group, and is part of artistic expression, which is afforded protection under freedom of expression laws.

"There is no information to suggest hostility toward Jewish people as a group, nor any indication of risk of harm.

"I understand that this outcome may be disappointing, especially given the impact that viewing the images had on you.

"Please be assured that your concerns were taken seriously and the decision was made only after a thorough assessment of all available information."