Sadiq Khan fears rise in UK hate crime linked to Middle East violence

Sadiq Khan has warned of a potential increase in hate crime in Britain triggered by the rise in Middle East violence, as a leading British Jewish group warned of the danger of “reprisal” attacks here.

The London mayor’s warning comes after a series of Israeli airstrikes against targets in Lebanon, which have killed Hezbollah’s top leaders as well as its followers, and it is feared, scores of civilians. Khan is pumping extra emergency funding into groups in London countering hate.

Tensions have been heightened since Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel, followed by the sustained attacks on Gaza with large loss of civilian life. British officials also fear tensions remain high after this summer’s far right-led riots.

The Metropolitan police assistant commissioner Matt Twist said: “As the situation in the Middle East becomes less certain once again, we know that fears and tensions will rise here at home too. Together, we are determined to demonstrate that there will be no tolerance for hate crime in London.”

Jewish communities suffered large increases in hate crimes after the 7 October attacks on Israel, as did Muslims in Britain. Israel’s clashes with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah are leading to concerns the group designated as terrorist by the British government may launch attacks against Jewish targets overseas as a way of seeking vengeance against Israel.

The Iranian regime is feared to have targeted dissidents in the UK, showing it is prepared to operate on British soil.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which spearheads Jewish security efforts in Britain, said: “Hezbollah and Iran have a long record of terrorism against Jewish and Israeli targets around the world, especially as a form of reprisal.

“It is certainly possible they may look to do something overseas to avenge [the assassinated Hezbollah leader] Hassan Nasrallah’s death, and this is something that forms an important part of our security planning.”

The CST issued a warning over the weekend about the risk of the heightened Middle East tensions triggering fresh antisemitic attacks and terrorist attacks against the Jewish diaspora.

Khan said: “We know that an escalation in conflict in the Middle East often leads to an increase in hate crime here in London. We have seen an abhorrent and completely unacceptable rise in hate crime over the last year – particularly antisemitism and Islamophobia – which has profoundly impacted our Jewish and Muslim communities in London.

Khan said he was already spending £15m to “support victims of hate crime and tackle hate and extremism in London”. The Lebanon crisis, which may escalate further if a feared Israeli ground invasion takes place, is prompting another £875,000 of spending on tackling anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hatred, including online.

It will go to “grassroots community projects to tackle hate, intolerance, extremism, radicalisation and terrorism”, a spokesperson for the London mayor said.

The Met recorded a 286% rise in antisemitic hate crime in the 12 months from September 2023 to August 2024, compared with the same period last year, and a 67% increase in anti-Muslim hate crime in the same period.

Khan said: “At a time of rising tension and online hate, this scheme will continue to build bridges across communities, embrace what we have in common and help ensure Londoners of all backgrounds and faiths feel welcome [and] safe and can thrive.”