A controversial Israeli minister has slammed "woke" London as the "most antisemitic place in the West."
Diaspora minister Amichai Chikli was warning about what he called "the dangers of open immigration allowing extremism to build up."
During a heated press conference with the Europe Israel Press Association, he called Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez an "anti Semite" and said US President Joe Biden caved into "political pressure" by criticising the Israeli campaign in Gaza.
Chikli also said a toxic mix of far-Left "wokeism" and Islamic extremism meant London was no longer safe for Jews.
Diaspora minister Amichai Chikli said antisemitism is "the worst since the 1930s"
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He told the press conference: "The antisemitism 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.
"[London] 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."
"Our enemies are Europe’s enemies. Our enemies are the enemies of Western civilisation...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."
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Protests have been held across the UK against the war in Gaza
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Chikli, who is a member of Israel’s ruling Likud party, has been controversial both in Israel and among British Jews. In September 2023 a scheduled visit to the Jewish community centre JW3 was cancelled because so many British Jews protested.
In February, he compared Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron to Neville Chamberlain for suggesting the UK may formally recognise Palestinian statehood.
The hard-line minister called on Britain and the West had to be "more alert to the dangers of immigration" as well as the radicalisation of people in mosques.
He said: "If you think that anyone who is coming now from Algeria or Iraq or Syria can be part of Western liberal society just by crossing the border, you need to understand that it is not that simple...it is extremely dangerous for Western countries to have this approach because many organisations can take advantage of it."
Diaspora minister Amichai Chikli has been controversial both in Israel and among British Jews
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The Israeli military that it killed more than 50 Palestinian gunmen over the past day in fighting around the Gaza Strip's Shifa hospital.
An IDF spokesperson said: "Over the past day, more than 50 terrorists were eliminated during exchanges of fire, and terrorist infrastructure and weapons storage facilities were located. Since the start of the operation, over 140 terrorists have been eliminated in the area of the hospital."
Meanwhile pressure is building on President Biden to put more pressure on Israel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where health authorities say nearly 32,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Smoke rises during an Israeli raid at Al Shifa hospital and the area around it,
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A spokesperson for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: - "Since the 7th October attacks we’ve seen an unacceptable rise in both antisemitic and Islamophobic hate in the capital. The police continue to take action again anyone breaking the law, including anyone committing hate crime offences.
"The Mayor speaks with members of the Jewish community regularly, and despite their ongoing and real concerns, most don’t agree with the extent of the language used by the minister.
"The Mayor continues to reiterate that with tensions running high all Londoners have to be conscious of the language we use and how our actions make others feel – not inflaming divisions, but bringing communities together."
