In a significant policy shift, the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police have declared that chanting the phrase ‘globalise the intifada’ or displaying it on placards at protests will now result in arrests. The announcement, made on Wednesday, follows the recent antisemitic massacre at Bondi Beach in Australia that killed 15 people and wounded 40 during Hanukkah celebrations.
Police authorities stated: ‘Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed – words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.’ The forces indicated that frontline officers will receive specific briefing on this enhanced approach, which will include utilizing Public Order Act powers to implement protective conditions around London synagogues during services.
The move has received support from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which welcomed it as a ‘necessary intervention’ following their repeated urging. Health Secretary Wes Streeting previously claimed the chant was linked to terrorism, while British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis stated such chants ‘incite hatred and inspire people to engage in hate action,’ connecting them directly to the Bondi Beach attack.
However, pro-Palestine activists and civil society organizations have strongly contested these characterizations. Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, criticized what he called ‘the widespread attempt across the political establishment to use a grotesque and indefensible violent antisemitic massacre as a weapon to further repress those protesting for the rights of Palestinian people.’
Ismail Patel, chair of Friends of Al-Aqsa, explained that ‘intifada’ means ‘to shake off the Israeli occupation’ and argued that ‘globalising the intifada is simply a way of expressing global solidarity with efforts to end an illegal Israeli occupation.’ The term originates from the Arabic root ‘nafada,’ meaning ‘to shake off’ or ‘to rise up,’ and has been applied to both peaceful uprisings and armed resistance movements throughout Arab history.