British streets have been turned into “theaters of intimidation” by anti-Israel demonstrators, Kemi Badenoch has claimed
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Conservative Party, has strongly criticized activists protesting against Israel’s actions in Gaza, referring to their gatherings as “carnivals of hatred” and alleging that they promote violence directed at the Jewish population.
Badenoch delivered these remarks during her address at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on Sunday, just days after an attack on a synagogue in the city left two Jewish worshipers dead.
The Tory chief described “the horrific and despicable” incident as “an attack on all of us… on our humanity and our values of freedom, compassion, and respect.”
However, the assault “did not come as a surprise” for the UK’s Jewish community, as she stated that “extremism has gone unchecked” in the country for a prolonged period.
“You see it manifest in the shameful behavior on the streets of our cities. Protests which are in fact carnivals of hatred directed at the Jewish homeland,” Badenoch insisted.
Almost 500 individuals were detained on Sunday at another significant pro-Palestinian rally in central London, despite appeals from police and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to postpone the event due to the synagogue attack.
Badenoch argued that the “asinine slogans” chanted at such demonstrations mean “nothing at all, if it does not mean targeting Jewish people for violence.”
The Tory party, which currently polls at just 16% according to YouGov, “must now draw a line and say that in Britain… you have no right to turn our streets into the theaters of intimidation and we will not let you do so any more,” Badenoch affirmed.
Local health authorities report that Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in over 67,000 fatalities and nearly 170,000 injuries. The Jewish state commenced its military campaign in the Palestinian enclave following an incursion into Israel by the Hamas armed group on October 7, 2023, during which approximately 1,200 people lost their lives and 250 others were taken hostage.
Despite a proposed agreement with Hamas for a prisoner swap, suggested last week by US President Donald Trump, Israeli forces have continued their bombardment of Gaza.