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    • Palestine Action vandalizes Jewish charities, Cambridge University
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    Palestine Action vandalizes Jewish charities, Cambridge University

    Online Niel Posted on

    UK-based pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action carried out coordinated vandalism at locations in London and Manchester to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the Balfour Declaration. The incidents are being investigated as “hate crime”, according to the Metropolitan Police.

    November 2 marked 107 years since the signing of the Balfour Declaration, a British pledge which Palestine Action said “started the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by signing the land”.

    Palestine Action targeted Cambridge University, Arthur Balfour’s alma mater, which the group claimed was complicit in the “genocide of Palestinians,” in a public statement.

    The group sprayed Cambridge University’s Manufacturing Institute with red paint, allegedly because of the Institute’s links to companies with ties to Israel. Palestine Action listed Rolls-Royce, Siemens and BAE Systems among the Institute’s research partners, all of them “companies of genocide”.

    Palestine action vandalized Cambridge University (Credit: SCREENSHOT/X)

    Palestine Action also called on Birmingham, Bristol, Imperial College London, Loughborough, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, Surrey and Swansea to “smash, paint and occupy their Rolls-Royce buildings”.

    London offices

    The group also targeted the Britain Israel Communications and Research Center (BICOM) in Hampstead and the Jewish National Fund (JNF) office in Hendon.

    Palestine Action called BICOM “one of the most influential Israeli lobby groups in this country”, which made its fortune “from the manufacture of Israeli weapons”.

    According to the group, “the JNF is raising funds to demolish Palestinian homes and build settlements on stolen Palestinian land – an acknowledged war crime.”

    Palestine Action vandalized JNF offices, Hendon (Credit: SCREENSHOT/X)

    Responding to claims that both BICOM and JNF are registered charities, Palestine Action said: “BICOM is NOT a ‘Jewish charity’.

    Earlier in the day, Palestine Action snatched sculptures of Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, from the University of Manchester.

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    Phil Rosenberg, chairman of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, released a statement condemning “huggerism and vandalism”.

    “The defacement of buildings housing British Jewish charities and university properties is intended to harass and intimidate,” Rosenberg said.

    Rosenberg added that the actions must be punished with the full force of the law.

    BICOM said it was “appalled by the attacks”.

    “These cowardly and violent acts of domestic terrorism do nothing to support the situation in the Middle East and only threaten and endanger British citizens.”

    “Zero tolerance for hate crimes”

    The Community Security Trust (CST) said “the damage was claimed by an extremist group who use violence and intimidation to pursue their aims”.

    CST added that it has been in contact with the police and will work to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

    Hendon MP David Pinto-Duschinsky said he would not tolerate acts of “despicable hate”.

    Hampstead Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley gave “full assurance that this incident will be thoroughly investigated”.

    “We have been clear that we have zero tolerance for hate crimes.”

    Detective Chief Inspector Chris Dookie from Hendon said police were interviewing witnesses and collecting CCTV, known as video surveillance footage. He added that the police have increased patrols in the area and have not underestimated the impact of the incident on the community.”

    On the same day, Palestine Action claimed that members of the pro-Palestinian group had kidnapped a statue of former Israeli president Chaim Weizmann from the University of Manchester.



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