The Jewish community of London will gather Sunday for a counter-demonstration as thousands of anti-Israel activists parade through the center of the city to mark International Quds Day, an annual event established by Iran to promote the destruction of Israel. The counter-demonstration is being organized by local Jewish organizations in partnership with the World Jewish Congress.
The local Jewish community and its supporters decided to organize the June 18 counter-demonstration after London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that he did not believe he held the authority to prohibit the march.
More than 6,000 people have signed a petition to ban Quds Day, citing the presence of Hezbollah and Hamas flags at previous events. While Hezbollah’s military wing is designated a terrorist organization in Britain, its political wing is generally allowed to operate freely throughout Europe. The group has carried out numerous attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in the past decades and is currently fighting alongside Syrian troops in that country’s civil war.
At last year’s London march, demonstrators carried signs proclaiming “we are all Hezbollah,” calling Israel a “cancer” and claiming anti-Zionism as a “duty.”
The counter-demonstration is a joint initiative of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, the World Jewish Congress, We Believe in Israel, Sussex Friends of Israel, North London Friends of Israel and the Israel Advocacy Movement.
The World Jewish Congress is lending its full support to the community efforts, and is assisting in the promotion of the organization to draw as many counter-protesters as possible. The WJC will also be sending a member of its Jewish Diplomatic Corps, Vladimir Bermant, to address the event.
“The World Jewish Congress stands in full solidarity with our communities in the United Kingdom and around the world as they contend with the threats and incitement that reign at Quds Day marches,” said WJC CEO and Executive Vice President Robert Singer. “Terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah must not be given reign to take to the streets and control public opinion on Israel.”
Quds Day events are held every year in cities across the globe. Demonstrators routinely call for boycott Israel and for a third intifada (armed uprising) against Israel.
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