The Israeli Embassy was repeatedly targeted this week by demonstrators, who accused Israel of carrying out a “Holocaust in Gaza”.

On Sunday, more than 700 people blocked Kensington High Street. Nine people were arrested, four of them under the Public Order Act, three for suspicion of violent disorder, one on suspicion of assaulting police personnel and one on suspicion of obstructing police. All were released and eight were bailed to return. On Monday, the embassy received an envelope in the post containing white powder and police were called to investigate. The powder was found to be harmless.

Similar demonstrations took place this week in Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Halifax, Brighton, Sheffield and Belfast.

A separate demonstration was organised on Monday by the radical Islamist movement Hizb ut-Tahrir outside the Egyptian Embassy, protesting against what it claimed was Egypt’s cooperation with Israel over the Gaza operation.

The Community Security Trust has so far received only a small number of reports of minor acts of antisemitic vandalism and verbal abuse connected to the situation in Gaza.

It has sent a bulletin to all community institutions warning of the security implications and a likely rise in antisemitic incidents throughout Britain.