Antisemitic Leaflets in London and Rising Hate Crimes in New Zealand Highlight Global Trend

Recently, disturbing antisemitic leaflets were distributed in Hendon, a Jewish-populated neighborhood in London. The flyers, which contained the message “Zionists leave Britain or be slaughtered” written in Hebrew, also included the phrase “Zionist free zone” in English. The hateful messages have drawn widespread condemnation and highlight a troubling rise in antisemitism across the globe.

Stand With Us, an organization that works to combat antisemitism, has already been alerted to the incident. Isaaz Zarfati, the executive director of Stand With Us, expressed serious concern over the growing trend of such threats, urging decisive action to prevent these statements from turning into real-world violence.

This incident is part of a larger pattern of rising antisemitism in London. The number of reported antisemitic hate crimes has more than doubled in the past year, according to the London Metropolitan Police. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has condemned the rise in hate crimes, calling them "criminal offenses" that "have no place in London."

In New Zealand, antisemitism has similarly been on the rise. Despite Jews making up only 0.2% of the population, a new report from the New Zealand Jewish Council (NZJC) reveals that Jews are disproportionately targeted by hate crimes. In Auckland, 13% of reported hate crimes were against Jews, and in other areas like Tasman and Wellington, 10% of all reported hate crimes targeted the Jewish community.

The NZJC's findings also show a dramatic increase in the number of antisemitic incidents, with over 220 incidents recorded in the year following October 7, 2023—a significant rise from previous years. These incidents include assaults, threats, and an alarming number of antisemitic messages, including death threats, vandalism, and even acts of arson.

The report highlights an especially worrying trend of antisemitism in schools, with nearly 40% of reported antisemitic assaults taking place in educational settings. Additionally, many Jewish students face verbal abuse and physical threats, including swastikas drawn on their personal property and insults such as "Hitler was right."

The NZJC is calling on the New Zealand government to take stronger action against antisemitism by increasing security at Jewish institutions, updating threat assessments, and providing better education on antisemitism in schools. They also urge the government to proscribe organizations like Hamas, which has been linked to antisemitic rhetoric and violence.