The "Blame Game" - Why just blaming Muslims or Leftists for the rise in antisemitism is dangerous

A cursory glance at social media posts from pro-Jewish/ Israeli pages will soon reveal how contributors are understating or oversimplifying the root causes of modern day antisemitism. Many blame modern hate against Jews as being the fault of  "the Left", without ever clearly defining who they really mean. For some it refers to those on the hard left (Communists, anarchists etc), while for others it includes liberals, social democrats or those who associate their ideas with the Democratic Party.

But there is another sizable group joining the "Blame Game" and these are those who broadly support the Radical Right and point a grubby racist finger at Muslims, despite evidence showing most hate crime against Jews has led to the arrest of White British or American citizens. This is not to say that some Muslims are not antisemitic, or that a disturbing number of incidents have occurred where some Muslims have used various techniques to threaten or intimidate Jews, but, I would argue they are a minority amongst the larger Islamic population who wish to live peaceably. For those Muslims perpetrating threatening behaviour I would argue our judicial system is capable of inflicting harsh custodial sentencing and I would urge this to be put into action.

In the UK there are currently approximately 4m Muslims accounting for roughly 6.5% of the overall  population. Of these, it is believed about 200,000 could be described as 'radical', though not necessarily criminal. Unquestionably this is entirely unacceptable and no society can, or should accept rule by a minority desiring the implementation of Sharia Law. Indeed, this writer would argue if you do not like the rules of a country the solution is very simple - leave or we should help you. But all this is an entirely different argument and for another time.

In the UK last year there were roughly 4,000 reported hate crimes perpetrated against Jewish people and there are signs this may be on the increase, BUT there is no evidence Muslims are the key perpetrators, suggesting accusations of Muslim created antisemitic violence against Jews is both fallacious and dangerous.

As for arguing the fault lies with the "Left" this is also problematic. In the UK there is sound evidence of antisemitism in the history of the Labour party, the trade union movement, as well as other socialist movements. Indeed, it was Marx he myself, one of the founders of modern socialism who said: "What is the worldly religion of the Jew? Huckstering. What is his worldly God? Money". He added, "The bill of exchange is the real god of the Jew".

                                             Karl Marx

Now we do know in the last few years the Labour Party in the UK has had a significant problem with internal antisemitism. We also know the far Left have consistently pilloried Israel and pushed many lies to further the 'Palestinian' cause, arguing anti-Zionism is not antisemitism despite this they have  continually pushed a range of anti-Jewish tropes to justify their actions.

It is clear these opinion are not universal across the entire Left. In the UK there are number of sizeable Leftist groups and individuals who work hard to eliminate antisemitism (eg Stop the Hate, Runnymede Trust, Antisemitism Policy Trust), while in the US groups like Combat Against Antisemitism, Shine a Light, and the Philos Project do they part to eradicate hatred.

So while acknowledging there is evidence of Leftist Antisemitism, it would be wrong to argue this is universal, or that all left wing politicians are, by definition antisemitic.

On the opposite side of the political spectrum both the UK and US have long and deep roots in both fascism and Nazism. In the UK early signs were visible with the British Fascisti in the 1920's then, from this grew  the antisemitic British Union of Fascists under the leadership of Oswald Mosley who achieved an active membership of 50,000; statistics that obscure a far larger public support that could have taken the party to government had there not been a war and/or Defence Regulation 18b.

Similarly in the US, the violent and virulently antisemitic Ku Klux Klan attained an estimated 8m members and secured a strong influence within the US government. Admittedly, in both countries the membership of fascist groups declined but, this writer would argue their ideological roots have persisted and are fundamentally embedded in the culture and social mores of both countries.

                           .   Ku Klux Klan parade in Washington D.C., 1926.

Even postwar we can see evidence of active far-right antisemitic engagement in the political system of both nations (in the UK there is an early postwar lineage going back to Mosley's Union Movement moving through to the BNP and NF and more recent Patriotic Alternative, New British Union and Britain First; and similarly in the US we see the far right continuation of antisemitism within large sections of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, as well as countless far right groups present in every state. Add to that a more violent and dangerous type of antisemitic hate group in the terrorist organisation, Atomwaffen.Division).

Quite clearly, we see how postwar fascist or Nazi groups were forced out from the traditional political ingroup to a seemingly unwelcome outgroup - it became no longer politically acceptable to espouse race hate, but let us also never forget that previous members of these far right groups did not lose their sympathy for virulent antisemitism, they simply learned to remain silent, or find a way to sanitise it. Indeed, we have seen how a number of extremist far right politicians sanitised their past by later appearing moderate and mainstream.

The first action these 'hidden' fascists chose was to show how the US and Europe had learned from the Nazis and become civilised continents where hatred of Jews was in the past.

One effect of this pastification of antisemitism is that if people say that there is antisemitism in the air today or that they themselves are victims of antisemitism, they must either be mistaken, over-sensitive, delusionary or worst of all dishonest. Those who complain about antisemitism, or fight against antisemitism, or even wish peacefully to study antisemitism, cannot be right since it is already established that antisemitism no longer exists except on the fringes of right-wing extremism. The secret agenda some people see behind the ‘charge’ of antisemitism is that of defending Israel against its critics. We are told that the charge of antisemitism is abused in order to defend the indefensible. In this way, antisemitism appears as a ploy designed by Zionists to let Israel get away with murder. 

One dodgy presumption behind this argument is that Israel cannot be defended openly, so that its defenders have to resort to underhand tactics.  Another is that criticism of Israel is not ‘as such’ antisemitic or more strongly that no criticism of Israel can under any circumstance ever be antisemitic. A moment’s thought should disabuse us of this prejudice. It’s a bit like saying that no criticism of, say, India or Zimbabwe can ever be racist. If we criticise governments in India and Zimbabwe for being authoritarian or for abusing human rights, there might indeed be nothing racist about such criticism. But if we were to say that Indians and Africans are incapable of ruling themselves, we would be right back at ingrained notions of the superiority of the white race or of European civilisation.  

We must therefore come to the dangerous conclusion these 'hidden modern-day fascists', both left and right, have a vested interest in denying any existence of  antisemitism, for to do so would assume some kind of personal responsibility. When the data showed a rise in violence against Jews they were forced (as we saw being done by Leftist Jew-haters) to obscure their hate agenda by redefining antisemitism and their first port of call to achieve this is always Israel. They do it by arguing anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. Put quite simply, the circle is then complete and both Left and Right are united in their hate.

What makes this disturbing in my mind is how elements within "our side" (ie Jews and our supporters) water down, or use sophistry or obfuscation to identify the genuine causes of antisemitism to suit their own political ends - and so,  the "right" blame the "left", or the "left" blame the *right", while, racists can blame it all on Muslims, thus preventing anything being done, so nothing changes, scapegoats keep being found and, as has happened for two thousand Jews continue to live in fear waiting with heads bowed for the next pogrom.

Political comment

If anything has become clear in the last two thousand years it is that an understanding of the 'oldest hate' will not come from a single explanation. Social scientists have worked for many years to do that and without success beyond a final realisation - there are many possible reasons.

When dealing with such a critical issue as the hatred of the Jewish people, there can be nothing more dangerous, more cruel and more heartless than to encourage reductionism. It excuses some of the offenders and people who perpetrate this reductionism protects those who are guilty, ignored or remain unidentified. 

It was Aristotle who said: “Not being of the same tribe is a cause of strife until they “breathe in sync” for just as a state does not develop from an accidental mob, so too it does not come together at an accidental time.”

Transparently antisemitism is one of the biggest 'strifes' society  has ever seen compounded by reductionists refusing to see the big picture and taking a deeply flawed 'blame a single bad guy' approach. In doing so they excuse hatred and harm those who fight to end antisemitism - and to those reductionists both left and right, I can only say one thing - for obscuring, justifying and minimising the hatred of the Jewish people, a plague on all your houses.

Wake up and smell the coffee - antisemitism is on the rise and our politicians are doing nothing

Since October 7th the world has seen a huge surge in antisemitism reminiscent  of Germany during the early stage of the Nazi regime. In response a number of political leaders across Europe and the United States have called for action to protect Jewish communities from race hate. However despite these efforts, where they exist, the statistics show that far from being a decline, there remains a significant problem.

Today's blog will explore some of these efforts and will argue the majority are fundamentally tokenistic and do little to reduce race crime.

There is nothing new about Situational Crime Prevention. It was originated by Ronald V. Clarke in the 1970s and became a broad policy approach led by the British Home Office Research Unit and exported in various forms abroad. The approach is underpinned by a core belief that offenders, particularly perpetrators of antisemitic crime act rationally, weighing risks (getting caught) against the satisfaction of upsetting or harming the victim.

                                               Ronald V. Clarke

With this theoretical underpinning of crime prevention against Jews as a base, let us dissect the actions taken by several countries and analyse its effectiveness, starting with the US and the efforts of President Trump 

United States

In the United States, President Donald Trump has enacted the following:

• Executive Order 14188 (2025): Shortly after his 2025 inauguration, President Trump issued a new executive order, “Additional Measures to Combat Antisemitism,” which vowed to vigorously use legal tools to prosecute and remove perpetrators of antisemitic harassment and violence.
• Federal Funding Pressure: The administration has indicated a willingness to withhold federal funds from universities, such as targetting funding for institutions like Columbia University over the way they handled campus protests.
• Targeting Campus Antisemitism: The administration launched investigations and lawsuits against institutions like Harvard, accusing them of allowing anti-Israel protesters to operate "with impunity" after the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
• Use of IHRA Definition: The Department of Education under Trump has applied the IHRA definition of antisemitism to include anti-Zionism and certain criticisms of Israel as actionable discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
• Immigration and Visa Controls: Executive actions in 2025 directed federal agencies to review foreign student visas, allowing for the potential deportation of students who "advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats," which the administration tied to campus antisemitism.

In essence these look like promising moves, albeit a little overstating the significance of campus antisemitism rather than looking at Jew-hate in the wider community. However this may be being unfair because it is action. So how have these approaches panned out in practice?

Well, in fairness, it is early days, but initial indicators from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) are not good. According to their research, antisemitic incidents in the US. reached record highs in 2024 and have continue to surge throughout the whole of 2025, driven by post-October 7, tensions. According to ADL data, 2024 saw 9,354 recorded incidents, with 2025 data showing a rising, more brazen trend, particularly in high-density areas, with a 21% rise in physical assaults reported.

Furthermore, by the end of 2025 over 30% of American Jews reported feeling unsafe in professional or social settings and 18% experienced direct physical or verbal threats. Meanwhile, on social media platforms 73% of American Jews experienced antisemitism online during 2025, specifically on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

The evidence also shows little significant change in the number of hate crimes prosecuted and/ or convictions resulting in over 90% of American Jews feeling unsafe. Consequently and based on data available, early indications are that the Trump initiative isn't working or, if it is the change required to make America safe for Jews is happening too slowly.

United Kingdom

But before we start pillorying Trump for doing too little it would be worth comparing US efforts to address endemic antisemitism compared to other nations. Let us take the UK as an initial example. The UK has a long history of Jew hatred that goes back to Hugh of Lincoln in 1200 and the resulting Jewish expulsion in 1290. They did not return until  l 1656 during the Interregnum under Oliver Cromwell. Since then Jews were largely able to go about their daily business in peace, though antisemitic attacks continued.

It was only really after October 7th that attacks became more prevalent, though signs of antisemitic behaviour became more prevalent among the hard  Left when Corbyn became leader of Labour and the EHRC ruling against the party in 2020.

More recently, the Community Security Trust  "Antisemitic Incidents Report 2025", , showed 3,700 instances of anti-Jewish hate across the UK in 2025, the second highest annual total ever, and a 4% rise from the 3,556 antisemitic incidents in 2024, and second only to the 4,298 antisemitic incidents logged in 2023. CST recorded 1,662 antisemitic incidents in 2022, and 2,261 in 2021.

Broadly speaking UK government action against antisemitism appears to lie primarily with providing financial support to the Community Security Trust who have been allocated £28 million in 2025/26 through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant. This includes additional emergency funding of £10 million. In addition, the government have prioritised interventions in the following areas: 

1. Security: Providing better support to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities. 
2. Education: Tackling antisemitism in schools, colleges, and universities and ensuring that we raise children and young people who embrace people from all backgrounds and faiths.
3. Institutional Action: Tackling antisemitism in key institutions, particularly the NHS, and the culture, sport, and voluntary sectors.

In short, most would agree the UK government have done next to nothing to eradicate antisemitism but Starmer continues to spout meaningless soundbites to appease the Jewish community. Take for example his recent meetings with Birmingham university students who itemised some of the problems associated with being a student on campus. He listened but offered no suggestions as to how a Labour government might help bring change.

France

Meanwhile, in France, Antisemitism has surged dramatically since October 2023, following the Hamas-Israel conflict, with reported incidents increasing by nearly 400% in 2023 to 1,676, compared to 436 in 2022. This includes a spike in physical assaults, school incidents, and acts of vandalism. The sharp rise continues a trend, with 2024 maintaining similarly high levels of anti-Jewish acts.

In response, the government elevated the domestic security alert to the highest possible level (Vigipirate), increasing security around Jewish schools and places of worship. 

President Emmanuel Macron vowed that perpetrators would be punished, prompting a strong crackdown on vandalism and violent attacks. In 2024, the government recorded 9,400 racist crimes and incidents, with the interior ministry emphasizing "total commitment" to tracking down attackers of Jewish individuals and properties.

Noticeably in the immediate period after October 7th over 1,000 antisemitic crimes were recorded but within that same period (post-October 7, 2023), 486 (less than half) were arrested for antisemitic offences in France.

Sadly, most of Europe reveals the same picture with Germany in particular showing a disturbing number of antisemitic crime and a poor conviction rate.

Political comment

The data clearly demonstrates that throughout much of the 'free world' not enough is being done to reduce or even eliminate antisemitism and without a clear strategy to deal with the problem it will continue to grow and prosper - our children will be frightened in their schools, our teenager boys will fear muggings, or girls will be unsafe on our streets, as will our elderly. Going to synagogue will no longer a joy but will become a weekly and dangerous period in our lives.

We cannot allow this to continue.

- and there is an alternative way. All it needs is for government to be willing to invest in our Jewish communities.

In particular:

Legislation - enact a law where antisemitism is viewed as a hate crime and, if convicted in a court of law a perpretrator would receive a custodial sentence of no less than 12-months for a non-violent crime and no less than 5 years for a violent one. Children under 16 would receive a detention and training order of no less than 12 months, or juvenile detention centre in the US,

• A visible and active police presence in local Jewish communities. Demonstatrors attempting to enter Jewish communities or near synagogues will be subject Dispersion orders or Anti-|Social behaviour orders. Police currently have this authority already but must use them far more to protect local residents.
• Holocaust education to become a core part of the curriculum for all schhol children over 13 years of age.
• The USSA, local college student unions, or NUS should be denied authority to require student unions from preventing college/ university Jewish societies from discussing Zionism or Israeli issues. Any attempt to do would be deemed a denial of free speech.
• Any Imam or Muslim from a foreign country who calls for Jihad or globalising the intifada will be subject to immediate repatriation. If the perpetrator is a UK or US national they will face terrorism charges for inciting violence.
• Legislation should be prepared to stipulate Anti-Zionism is racism and that expression of such by a public servant is subject to disciplinary charges,

Now I would be the first to agree there are significant issues with many of these points, but they offer an initial discussion base that could ultimately lead to feeling safer and a substantial decline in race crime

Whatever we do, one thing is transparent - we must do more!

Jews are more predisposed to colorectal cancer but there is a shortfall in funding and a lack of desire to change

As someone who two years ago was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and who, by the grace of HaShem and an outstanding consultant and surgeon was cured, I feel an overwhelming moral responsibility to urge people to look out for symptoms of colon/ bowel cancer before it is too late. It is a vile disease and each year we lose far too many good people. Yes the treatment is unpleasant but the alternative is far worse. The reality is those who seek treatment early can recover, even if, like me you delay for a while before going to your doctor. A  diagnosis is not an automatic death sentence.

So, let's look at the facts:

Good news and bad

First, the good news, among Americans under the age of 50, the overall cancer mortality has plummeted by 44% over the last quarter of a century and better diagnostic tools, along with a sharp reduction in smoking, help to explain why deaths from leukaemia as well as lung, breast and brain cancer are falling so dramatically.

Unfortunately, but inevitably there is also bad news - cancer mortality rates in the UK for those under 50 show a concerning trend and while overall cancer deaths are falling, incidences in under-50s have risen by 24% since 1995. Approximately 6,000 younger adults die from cancer annually in the UK, with early-onset bowel cancer mortality projected to rise significantly. In addition, colorectal cancer has risen 1.1% annually since 2005  advancing it from the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the early 1990s to second place today, 

Of even more concern is the fact the data shows how Jews, in particular should be especially alarmed as the research has shown how people of Ashkenazi, or Eastern European Jewish descent are likely to be two or three times more likely to develop colorectal cancer than nearly any other ethnic grouping.

According to the Norton and Elaine Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics, "Individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry have among the highest rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) of any ethnic group. In the general population, the lifetime risk of CRC is about five percent. In the Ashkenazi Jewish populations, this risk is two to three times greater than the general population.

About 10 percent of colorectal cancer is hereditary and within these two known cancer syndromes account for a significant proportion of hereditary colorectal cancer. However, having a cancer gene mutation does not mean a person will definitely have cancer, but it does increase their cancer risk. 

                   Alan Herman , National Executive Director of ICRF and a cancer survivor

According to  Alan Herman, the executive director of ICRF, which is the largest non-governmental funding resource for cancer research in Israel. “Colorectal cancer is rising at an alarming rate among young adults, challenging long-held assumptions about who is at risk ... These realities make research more urgent than ever.  By funding Israel’s most promising cancer scientists, the ICRF is driving discoveries that could lead to earlier detection, better treatments and ultimately save lives.”

Indeed, Israel has been very much at the heart of research into colorectal cancer. For example, Irit Ben-Aharon, is a medical oncologist specialising in gastrointestinal cancers and is Director of the Fishman Oncology Centre at Haifa’s Rambam Health Care Campus and also heads the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer task force for young-onset gastrointestinal cancer.

“There’s been an increase in the past three decades of early-onset colorectal cancer, and we don’t really know the reason,” she said. “Only 15% to 20% of these cases are hereditary; the rest came out of the blue.”

There has long been a belief that eating red meat and, in particular highly processed meats such as hot dogs and sausages is a major risk factor in early-onset colorectal cancer. However, Ben-Aharon remains unconvinced. "I don’t think it’s diet only — it’s multi-factorial,” she argues. “When you look at the data, if it would have been only diet, you’d not see the incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer rising all over the world. Diets are different in the U.S., Japan and Scandinavia, yet you see this increasing trend everywhere, and we probably would have seen a much higher incidence, as many people eat ultra-processed food and don’t develop colorectal cancer.”

Of major interest is her belief that bacteria may play a part in causing colorectal cancer., “Some toxins from specific bacteria have been shown to have increased levels in cases of early-onset colorectal cancer, implying these bacteria may induce cancer. Also, there is evidence linking increased risk due to exposure to specific pesticides.”

With regard to prevalence of colorectal cancer amongst Jews she has argued it is more common because Ashkenazi Jews are genetically predisposed to the disease, though not necessarily to the early-onset form of CRC.

“Environmental factors such as diet and other exposures like plastic and pesticides — and the combination with specific predisposition and host features such as microbiome and other pathways — may underlie this trend,” she said.

“Elucidating the interplay between environmental factors and unique features of patients predisposed to developing cancer at an early age would allow us to delineate the high-risk population,” she added. 

Irit Ben-Aharon is a medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers. (Courtesy)

Hope for more effective and less toxic treatment

Drug discovery expert Professor Nir London works at Rehovot’s Weizmann Institute of Science as well as being the president of the Israel Chemical Society’s medicinal chemistry section.

                                                              Professor Nir London

“Many cancers are driven by specific mutations, which we call driver mutations. They tend to appear in the same types of cancers,” argues Professor London, “If a particular cell gains this mutation, it has a high propensity to transform into a cancerous cell. Such cancers get addicted to the mutation, so if you inhibit a protein with this mutation, you’ll have a way to mitigate the cancer’s growth. It’s a soft spot.”

“Not all colorectal cancers are the same,” London said. “We are focusing on developing drugs that are specific to a vulnerability found in about 13% of CRC patients. If successful, this could bring hope to hundreds of thousands of patients.”

In other research, Gilad Bachrach, who teaches at Hebrew University-Hadassah’s Institute of Dental Science in Jerusalem has focussed  on oncobacteriology — the study of bacteria as a treatment for cancer.

“Cancer has been treated by surgery and then by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and, most recently, immunotherapy. We believe bacteria therapy can be the next potential option in cancer treatment,” Bachrach said.

“We know bacteria are involved in cancer promotion, as well as anti-cancer activities,” he added. “Now the challenge is to harness bacteria for cancer detection and therapy.”

Ultimately, he said, “surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are established cancer treatments. My hope is that using bacteria to identify and target cancer will become the next major breakthrough in the field.”

Now, I cannot speak for other people who have experienced treatment for cancer, so here I can only speak for myself. Chemotherapy felt like being hit by a bus and while after only six weeks my cancer was substantially reduced, the treatment process was debilitating and unpleasant with symptoms that, in my case included extreme exhaustion, loss of appetite, inabillity to stand cold weather, nausea and quite severe anaemia. In addition, as a diabetic, glucose levels that had once been previously stable suddenly went out of control resulting in an urgent trip to the A&E department.. 

So any new treatment offering a significant improvement to general wellness can only be of benefit to the patient.

Political constraints

While scientific discoveries like those shown above give us all hope, all is not well in the implementation of cancer healthcare delivery. In the USA, there are clear budget shortfalls, exacerbated by projected reductions in federal funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI), resulting in delays in colorectal cancer treatment and stalling research,  forcing clinical trial cuts across the USA. These fiscal constraints have resulted in treatment delays of four weeks or more for patients, allowing tumours to spread.

Furthermore, chemotherapy costs in the USA typically range from $1,000 to over $12,000 per month for drugs alone, with total annual treatment often exceeding $100,000. As a result total costs for the patient, including administration and supportive care, can lead (depending on insurance plans) to high out-of-pocket expenses of anything from $5,000 to $10,000+ annually) even with insurance. 

Meanwhile, in the UK, cancer cases are increasing, and cancer care could add £14.4bn to UK health spending annually by 2050, according to the latest OECD modelling. Add to this a lack of trained staff resulting in an NHS unable to deliver timely, high-quality care and diagnostic services. All these issues are further complicated by budgetary constraints that have led to the removal of some drugs from the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), sparking concerns about access to innovative treatments., 

So while we have outstanding breakthroughs happening across the world and I have only concentrated today on Israeli innovation, we have neither the practical facilities or the budget to implement these developments and until there is a willingness to bring about significant change across health provision internationally people will die unnecessarily.

So, should we be concerned? Well clearly any illness affecting Jews more than the rest of the population and more needs to be done to protect us but I'm not calling for armed rebellion or revolution her. The solution is much simpler and in our own hands.

A commercial FITT test is available to buy through your pharmacy or you csn ask your doctor. They only cost £60 or so, making them.reasonably affordable

 In addition, my US readers have the additional benefit of being urged to have occasional colonoscopies that can detect this form of cancer.

The bottom line is don't sit by and do nothing - the price of peace is eternal vigilance.

 

 

 

An Iranian spy-ring on the heart of London?

According to reports, an Iranian spy recruitment ring is operating openly in London and the Islamic Republic is exploiting Britain’s “permissive environment” as a base for its Western intelligence-gathering and propaganda campaigns, according to the newspaper.

It seems the UK's permissive environment is common knowledge at this point, with charitable organisations linked to the antisemitic regime operating freely here, repeated glorification of the terrorist IRGC and regime leadership on our streets, propagandistic events on campuses and vigils for assassinated terrorist figures that run absolutely counter to our values. Iranian state television still operates in the UK, and the regime itself continues to enjoy a diplomatic foothold.

British authorities have been warned that an Iranian spy recruitment network is operating openly in London, with the country’s state broadcaster, Press TV, reportedly serving as a front to identify and cultivate intelligence assets, according to reporting by The Telegraph. The network is said to exploit Britain’s permissive environment to gather information on Western targets and propagate Tehran’s interests.

Press TV, the English-language channel of Iran’s state broadcaster, maintains a studio in London and is alleged to have produced programming that effectively created a “target list for terrorists” by highlighting Jewish charities, schools, and community organisations, officials told The Telegraph. Concerns have risen following a recent anti-Semitic arson attack in north London, where two men were arrested after ambulances owned by a Jewish charity were set alight outside a synagogue. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation, amid fears the incident could be linked to Iran.

Earlier this month, two Iranian nationals were charged with spying for Tehran after allegedly conducting surveillance of the Israeli embassy in London and Britain’s oldest synagogue, the Westminster magistrates’ court was told. Experts have long cautioned that Iranian intelligence services routinely target Jewish communities, Israelis, and Iranian dissidents, often using criminal intermediaries.

Police stand outside the scene of an antisemitic arson attack in the Golders Green Bneighbourhood of north London, on March 24, 2026. (AFP)

“From an Iranian perspective, London is a permissive environment,” Jonathan Hackett, a former American intelligence officer with two decades of experience in Marine Corps intelligence, told The Telegraph. He said some Press TV journalists were tasked with spotting and assessing potential recruits, using their professional credentials to gain access to both private and governmental circles. Hackett explained that the journalists would develop assets before transferring them to more experienced Tehran-based handlers.

Hackett noted that Press TV’s London office has assumed a “more significant” role in recruitment efforts as the broadcaster has been sanctioned in other Western countries. In recent years, Press TV has faced restrictions in the European Union, Australia, Canada, and the United States, with the latter citing the airing of forced confessions and the channel’s use by Iranian intelligence to recruit sensitive assets, including U.S. nationals, according to the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The recruitment of Monica Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counter-intelligence specialist with access to top-secret defense files, was highlighted as a high-profile example. Witt was allegedly groomed by Press TV presenter Marzieh Hashemi, initially “spotting, assessing and handling” her before transferring the case to a Tehran-based officer, Hackett said. Witt defected to Iran in 2013, a development described by Hackett as a major intelligence victory for Tehran.

Press TV has also faced scrutiny for broadcasting content considered anti-Semitic. The Community Security Trust (CST), a U.K.-based Jewish charity, has criticized the channel’s programme Palestine Declassified for depicting numerous Jewish organisations and individuals as “genocidal Zionist extremists.” The CST spokesman said the programming raises safety concerns for the targeted individuals and organisations, requiring extensive monitoring and security measures. Episodes reportedly named 14 Jewish charities and criticized Jewish schools and leaders for alleged pro-Zionist activities.

Two prominent U.K. presenters of the programme include Chris Williamson, a former Labour MP now deputy leader of the Workers Party, and academic David Miller, who was dismissed from Bristol University over anti-Zionist claims but later won a workplace discrimination case. Both are noted for presenting Palestine Declassified and contributing to Press TV’s English-language output.

In response to the growing concerns, a group of Members of Parliament urged the U.K. security minister to impose financial sanctions on Press TV. David Taylor, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, called the broadcaster the “international mouthpiece for Iran’s murderous regime,” highlighting its alleged role in targeting Jewish communities and propagating anti-Western narratives. Discussions at Downing Street and among officials at the Foreign Office, Home Office, and Treasury have reportedly considered measures to further restrict the channel’s operations in the U.K.

Press TV’s broadcast licence in Britain was revoked by Ofcom in 2012, and it has been banned from YouTube, yet it continues to operate via social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and X, with over one million followers. Roger Macmillan, a former director of security at independent Farsi-language broadcaster Iran International, described Press TV as operating in a “grey zone,” noting that while it may not violate broadcasting regulations, it continues to disseminate pro-regime content and anti-Semitic material.

                                                 Marzieh Hashemi, a Press TV presenter, is accused of recruiting spies for Iran 

A U.K. government spokesperson said, “We are clear-eyed about the threats posed by Iran, and our first priority is protecting British interests and British lives both in the U.K. and overseas. We have introduced a comprehensive set of additional measures aimed at countering threats posed by the Iranian regime.”

The network’s activities in London, including the alleged use of Press TV to recruit intelligence assets, remain under scrutiny amid broader security and counter-terrorism efforts.

At a time when Jewish institutions, synagogues, schools and individuals are being targeted by Iranian assets and extremist cells, we are in desperate need of a crackdown, however Starmer and his pseudo-liberal buddies seem reluctant to tackle issues that not only affect the Jewish community, but the UK as a whole,

The possibility of an Iranian spy ring will be no great surprise to most of us, but the fact it is to Starmer is a matter of deep concern.