11 August 2006
British Jews are concerned that the uncovering of a Muslim extremist plot to attack planes from London's Heathrow Airport will increase animosity towards the Jewish community, already suffering from heightened anti-Semitism following Israel's attacks on Hezbollah. "There's no doubt that any increase in tensions brings with it an increase in pressure against the Jewish community at times like this," Mark Gardner of the Jewish Community Security Trust told the "Jerusalem Post", adding, "People look for scapegoats. Jews and Israel come near the top of the list. This will not help the situation." The CST has recorded a doubling in anti-Semitic incidents in Britain since the fighting in Lebanon began. Gardner said that it was advising Jewish institutions to stay on "an unusually high level of alert" - already in place due to existing Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah threats - but that no activities were being changed or curtailed due to the revealed terrorist plot. However, Jews were reassured by police that they faced no specific threat after the plot to explode various bombs on flights from London to the US was thwarted. Authorities informed Jewish community leaders that they had no intelligence suggesting that UK Jews were targeted, though the situation was still being monitored.
