Israeli President blames pro-Palestinian marches for creating ‘blood libels’ - The Jewish Chronicle

The President of Israel has sharply condemned the pro-Palestinian marches on London’s streets, blaming them for generating “egregious lies and …blood libels”.

Speaking to an audience of 550 people at the annual UJIA dinner in central London last night, President Isaac Herzog said: “The anti-Israel hatred, and the extremism that we see on the streets of London, threatening and intimidating - this is the extremism that generates poor editorial decisions, broadcasts egregious lies, and airs blood libels.”

He praised the UK Jewish community and its allies for standing up to the surge in antisemitism seen in this country since October 7, paying tribute to the recent CAA march against antisemitism, saying: “This is the antisemitism that you all marched to protest just this Sunday, proudly declaring ‘Enough is enough!’ We know this comes against the backdrop of a terrible rise in antisemitism that this community has suffered in recent years, facing threats, intimidation and hatred on the streets, in the media, and online. Yet you have stood up bravely, refusing to be silenced.”

The Looking at the Future dinner marked the first time that President Isaac Herzog had made an official visit to the UK since becoming Israel’s head of state in 2021.

He noted that the UJIA event coincided with the anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, telling the audience that the ideology behind the atrocity was “the same Jihadist extremism that butchered and raped and burned to death Israelis on October 7th; the same extremism that invited the savage massacre of our brothers and sisters in the Syrian Druze community; the same extremism that led gunmen to open fire on a bus in Jerusalem, killing six civilians and wounding dozens”.

He said that his country couldn’t ‘properly exhale while our hostages are in the dungeons of Hamas, and we will stop at nothing to bring our people home, every single one of them’

Challenging accusations from world leaders, celebrities and parts of the media that Israel’s actions were responsible for genocide and famine in Gaza, President Herzog said that in his role, he was “privy to the broadest range of intelligence and information on a daily basis. I want to clarify my position on Gaza: There is no genocide in Gaza and there is no famine in Gaza. Any contrary claims are absolutely false.

“Lest we forget - Hamas violently seized control of Gaza, turning it into a base of terror to destroy Israel. Thousands of rockets and launchers were concealed within mosques and nurseries, bedrooms and living rooms. Civilian structures were replaced by tunnels and shafts.”

Referring to the plight of the 48 hostages who remain in “these frightful tunnels” after 706 days, he said that his country couldn’t “properly exhale while our hostages are in the dungeons of Hamas, and we will stop at nothing to bring our people home, every single one of them”.

In the meantime, Israel was fighting not only for itself, he said, but “on behalf of the entire free world, on behalf of all peace-seeking nations…Israel is on the frontlines, combatting extremism and terror across the globe”.

Funds raised at last night’s dinner, chaired by UJIA trustee Hilda Worth, will go towards support UJIA’s projects in both the UK and Israel, including working with border communities directly impacted by the atrocities of October 7 and the ongoing conflict and enabling UK 16-year-olds to go on Israel tours.

Plans have been finalised for the new kindergarten at Kibbutz Be’eri, a UJIA project, and the organisation took a leading role in responding to needs on the ground as they developed during the Israel Iran War.

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