UK police arrest Jewish academic after speech at pro-Palestine rally
The British government has implemented a severe crackdown on academics and journalists who speak out against Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza
A Jewish-Israeli professor was arrested in the UK under an anti-terrorism law after speaking in support of Gaza at a pro-Palestine demonstration on 1 November in London.
Haim Bresheeth was accused of "hate speech" by the Metropolitan Police after calling for the deportation of Israel's ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely.
Bresheeth is a filmmaker, photographer, and film studies scholar at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.
In January, Ambassador Hotovely claimed on a radio show in the UK that "every mosque, every school, every second house" in Gaza has access to an underground tunnel that Hamas uses.
When asked if that meant destroying every building in Gaza, Hotovely said, "Do you have another solution?"
The International Jewish anti-Zionist Network organized Friday's demonstration.
In a video showing Bresheeth's arrest, a police officer can be heard saying: "Earlier today, you made a speech … so you are under arrest under the Terrorism Act 2000 for making hate speech."
Bresheeth then replies: "A hate speech? I made a hate speech?"
The academic then asked if the police were mistaken and whether the alleged hate speech occurred during the demonstration. The police officer continues to arrest Bresheeth without answering his question. "I don't understand why you are stopping me?" Bresheeth insists.
Activists surrounding Bresheeth can be heard accusing the police officers of "antisemitism" and demanding the officers to state what he had said that was considered "hate speech."
The professor is also the founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine (JNP), a UK-based NGO.
The JNP said that Bresheeth wants "everyone to know he is feeling resilient in the knowledge that Palestinians are enduring much worse."
Numerous journalists opposed to Israel's genocide in Gaza have been arrested or had their homes raided in recent months under UK terror laws.
On 17 October, UK counterterrorism police raided the home and seized several electronic devices of pro-Palestinian journalist and Electronic Intifada associate editor Asa Winstanley for social media posts allegedly “encouraging terrorism.”