Friday, April 19, 2024
Met apologises after ‘openly Jewish’ comment by officer near pro-Palestine demo
The Metropolitan Police has apologised after an officer used the term "openly Jewish" to an antisemitism campaigner who was threatened with arrest near a pro-Palestine march.
Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was wearing a kippah skull cap when he was stopped from crossing the road near the demonstration in the Aldwych area of London on Saturday afternoon.
The video clip showed one police officer saying to him: "You are quite openly Jewish, this is a pro-Palestinian march, I'm not accusing you of anything but I'm worried about the reaction to your presence."
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the officer's "poor" choice of words was "hugely regrettable".
He said: "The video posted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism will further dent the confidence of many Jewish Londoners which is the opposite of what any of us want.
"The use of the term 'openly Jewish' by one of our officers is hugely regrettable.
"It's absolutely not the basis on which we make decisions, it was a poor choice of words and while not intended, we know it will have caused offence to many. We apologise."
Mr Falter said he had been walking in the capital after attending synagogue and was not there to counter-protest.
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