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Jews told Hamas attack was 'karma' as posters of kidnapped Israeli children torn down
‘This is for Palestine,’ one woman shouted at a British-Israeli student
October 13, 2023 15:26
‘This is for Palestine,’ one woman shouted at a British-Israeli student
October 13, 2023 15:26Posters of missing Israelis, including children and babies, have been ripped down across London while Jews have been told they "brought on [Hamas's terror attack] themselves" and that is was an act of "karma".
In once instance, in footage shared online, two women can be seen tearing down posters outside Mornington Crescent Tube station, shouting “This is for Palestine,” and “What about Palestinian children?”
London - women removing posters of those missing in Israel. 💔 pic.twitter.com/Ufa4u5AXtD
Israeli Londoner Neta Fibeesh, 23, had been putting up the posters with her mother when a group of three people started tearing them down, she said.
Although Fibeesh replaced all the flyers, she has since been informed that there are no posters left up at Mornington Crescent .
Fibeesh also told the JC that, while flyering she was approached by a man who blamed Hamas's attack on Jews.
"[He was] shouting that this is karma for the Jewish people and they brought this on themselves," she said.
Another video shows a man and woman tearing down posters of kidnapped Israeli citizens on Oxford Street. Footage shows the man later telling a British-Israeli citizen there is “no evidence” Hamas committed atrocities.
Fibeesh said everyone putting up posters of the missing was told to be careful: “We were given guidelines... Don’t make eye contact with anyone, and work quickly and quietly."
She added that she held the posters face down "so no one could see them”.
Commenting on the abuse she received, she said it was not surprising but it was "upsetting”.
“It’s outrageous that you can’t commemorate victims of war without worrying what will happen to you… I have friends who wear kippot who are wearing hats," Fibeesh said.
A student at Tel Aviv University, Fibeesh flew back on one of the last flights out of Israel. Her friend’s grandmother was kidnapped in the attacks – they learnt of this via a Hamas broadcast and have not heard from her since.
“It’s devastating and I don't know how to help,” Fibeesh said. “I don’t even have the words to describe it”.
Earlier this week, Community Securities Trust (CST) said reports of antisemitic incidents in the UK have trebled since the Hamas attacks began on Saturday.
The government has pledged an additional £3 million for CST to provide extra security for the UK’s Jewish population.
CST said: "It's difficult to fathom how heartless somebody has to be to rip down a poster of a kidnapped child. We hope the police will be able to identify the culprits".