GB News star Josh Howie has hit out at the "unbelievable" arrest of a Jewish man at a pro-Palestine demonstration after allegedly "antagonising" protesters with his Star of David necklace.
Speaking on The Weekend, Josh told host Dawn Neesom that the idea that "wearing any religious symbol is a provocation" or leads to arrest is "insane".
A Jewish lawyer was held in police custody for nearly ten hours after officers arrested him at a pro-Palestine demonstration on August 29.
Police interview recordings revealed detectives questioning him about the Star of David pendant he wore on a silver chain, which could cause "offence".
GB News star Josh Howie has hit out at the 'insane' arrest of a Jewish man who allegedly 'antagonised' protesters by wearing a Star of David necklace
|PA / GB NEWS
The officer said that police had received reports that the Star of David was "antagonising" protesters, despite the demonstration being organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN).
Expressing his outrage at the arrest, Josh told GB News: "First of all, I just thought it was unbelievable.
"Whether you're Jewish or not, the idea that wearing any religious symbol is a provocation or could be any kind of factor in a legal case and then some kind of arrest is insane.
"I wear my Star of David, particularly since October 7, I've been wearing it out and proud. And the idea that I could be arrested for doing so, because someone might be offended that I'm a Jew?"
Asked by Dawn if he personally feels safe wearing his Star of David necklace in London, Josh admitted that he has experienced hostility on a number of occasions.
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A Jewish lawyer found himself in police custody for nearly ten hours after officers arrested him at a pro-Palestine demonstration | GETTYHe recounted: "You just have to be aware, and it's sad that that's the case, and it just means I have to be hyper-vigilant. I wear it very prominently for a reason when I'm out and about, not to provoke, but because it's my faith, and I'm proud of being a Jew.
"But also I feel that I should be able to live in this country. I'm a British Jew, and I should be able to live here safely with a symbol of my ethnicity."
"There have been a few incidents over the last couple of years, some people shouting at me on the tube and various incidents like that.
"Even last week, two guys were just absolutely staring me down in a cafe, and I guarantee they would have come over if I hadn't happened to have been next to a massive guy myself."
Highlighting the recent ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from attending an Aston Villa game, Josh said: "We're blamed by anti-Semites, that's the key.
"So you just see a huge campaign out there trying to sort of argue that the Maccabi is some sort of insane, thuggish team. I'm sure it has thuggish elements like all football teams do.
Josh told GB News that he has faced hostility himself for wearing the Star of David in London
|GB NEWS
"But the fact is that recommendation came through because it was to protect the Maccabi fans, and actually what happened in Amsterdam in 2023 was a pre-organised Jew hunt. And again, it was the same thing that people say 'oh no, it was because they chanted some chants in Hebrew that no one would have understood'.
"I'm not condoning that, I don't agree with that, but the fact that the idea that that led to any violence is ridiculous."
A Met Police spokesman said: "The claim that this man was arrested for wearing a Star of David necklace is not true. He was arrested for allegedly repeatedly breaching Public Order Act conditions that were in place to keep opposing protest groups apart.
"The conditions required protesters from the pro-Israel group, Stop the Hate, to remain in one area while protesters from the pro-Palestinian group, IJAN, were required to remain in a separate area.
"Over the course of an hour, the man is alleged to have continuously approached the area allocated to IJAN, getting very close to protesters to film them and in doing so, provoking a reaction.
"Officers had to intervene on at least four occasions to ask the man to return to the Stop the Hate area. When he failed to do so after multiple warnings, he was arrested. He was released on bail and the investigation continues."
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