The UK’s Israel embassy has accused an ad firm of “playing into the hands of terrorists” after it dropped a digital campaign about hostages on “community cohesion grounds.”
The Israeli Embassy to the UK has reacted with anger after it tried to run a two-week digital campaign alongside the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in London to show the images of those kidnapped by Hamas and still being held hostage in Gaza.
‘Further Steps’
Writing on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday, the embassy accused London Lites of caving to the “threats of an extreme minority.”“We regret that the ‘London Lites’ company caved to the threats of an extreme minority in the UK, which forcefully tries to limit freedom of expression. The Embassy is considering further steps against the company. The embassy will continue to raise awareness for the 137 Israeli hostages that remain as hostages by Hamas in Gaza,” it wrote.
It said that there “should be nothing controversial about raising awareness for innocent civilians being held hostage by a terror organisation. This is a humanitarian cause.”
The Embassy added that “this breach of contract plays into the hands of terrorists by actively ignoring the war crimes of Hamas and also by succumbing to intimidation and threats in London.”
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen waded into the row, calling the decision a “disgrace.”
The Epoch Times spoke to London Lites, who said they would get back for comment.
“London Lites previously carried advertising for the Campaign Against Antisemitism and supports freedom of speech. However, we received an unprecedented number of concerns from the public in response to the advertising campaign last week, and the safety of all members of the local communities where we advertise is paramount.”
The Epoch Times asked the Met Police if they were part of London Lites’ discussions.
A Met Police spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email that at “no point” has it “advised the advertising company to remove these billboards.”
“Our only contact with them was between a local officer and a representative of the company about a single billboard in Wandsworth,” she said.
The Met said that that billboard had “been the subject of a number of complaints but when officers went to carry out further enquiries, it had already been switched off.”
Campaign Against Anti-Semitism
In October the Met defended its approach after a campaign group alleged officers shut down mobile billboards showing the faces of kidnapped Israeli children.Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), at the time alleged officers told van drivers to turn off the digital billboards on Wednesday instead of taking actions against pro-Palestinian protesters who allegedly intimidated CAA volunteers filming the vans.
He described the incidents on Wednesday evening as “the most disturbing experiences in nine years of campaigning against anti-Semitism” and accused police officers of protecting “the sensibilities of people who sympathize with terrorists.”
The Met later issued a statement, saying officers had been “keen to avoid the billboard vans becoming a point of tension or conflict” as pro-Palestinian demonstrators were nearby.
Mr. Twist said that what we’re “seeing in London is the biggest convergence of threats we’ve seen” and that “the impact of major global events being felt on the streets of London.”
“The effects of the appalling terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7 and subsequently the military response of the Israeli government is resonating on the streets of London and in our communities,” he said.
