Key facts
- British Jewish organizations will hold a vigil in London on Wednesday for victims of the October 7 attacks.
- The vigil is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street.
- The Board of Deputies of British Jews stated 1,200 people were murdered and 251 taken captive by Hamas.
- The Jewish Leadership Council called October 7 the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.
- Gaza's health ministry reported over 74,000 Palestinian deaths in the past three years.
- The Community Security Trust recorded 1,926 antisemitic incidents in the UK from January to June 2026.
British Jewish organizations are scheduled to hold a vigil in central London on Wednesday to honor the victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel. The event, set for 5 p.m. at Richmond Terrace, follows a day of tributes from politicians and community leaders.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews stated that Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, murdering 1,200 people, injuring thousands, and taking 251 captive. The Jewish Leadership Council described October 7 as "the deadliest day for our people since the Holocaust."
These attacks were followed by Israel's war in Gaza. Gaza's health ministry reported that the Palestinian death toll in the past three years surpassed 74,000 last month.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham assured British Jews that "we stand with you" against antisemitism. However, the Israeli embassy expressed "deep sadness" that the British government's position towards Israel has "changed so substantially" since the initial days following the attacks, claiming the "atmosphere for Jewish people continues to worsen" in the UK.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced last month an import ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism, reported 1,926 antisemitic incidents across the UK from January to June 2026, a fifth higher than the first half of the previous year and the second-highest total for that period. This figure was only surpassed by the 2,019 incidents recorded in the first half of 2024, which followed the 2023 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The prime minister described the rise in antisemitic behavior in the UK since 2023 as "disturbing" but pledged his government's commitment to protecting citizens from "vile hatred." Burnham also referenced a fatal attack on Yom Kippur just over a year ago at a Manchester synagogue, where two worshippers were killed. He reiterated that "an attack on Jewish people in Britain is an attack on all of us" and that antisemitism has "no place in this country."
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan police stated they had "imposed stringent conditions" on participants of a pro-Palestine student march in London on Wednesday afternoon. Similar rallies were planned at Edinburgh and Glasgow universities.