London kosher restaurant has glass shattered while Met Police boosts patrol

09 October 2023 , 20:01

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The scene at Pita, a kosher restaurant in north London (Image: Ben Cawthra/LNP)

A kosher restaurant in London has its glass shattered, and cash register stolen amid the most recent outbreak of conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The Pita restaurant in Golders Green, London, saw a window smashed in, and a cash register stolen this morning. Police are not treating the incident as a hate crime, and Jewish News reported that a bridge close by had ‘Free Palestine’ spray painted on it.

This comes as Israel has ordered a total siege of Gaza, ordering the area to be left with “no electricity, no food and no fuel” and reports warn that at least 1,200 people have died as intense fighting continues. Israel has restricted and controlled what goods are allowed in and out of the Gaza Strip since 2007 through its border crossings. It also controls the airspace above it.

This is a part of a decades long conflict that has raged in the region, between Israel and Palestine. Most recently, Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, launched an unprecedented incursion into Israel, catching the country by surprise. This in turn led to the latest outbreak of fighting between the two. In the UK, the Met Police increased patrols to reassure and protect communities.

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Police officers in Stamford Hill, north London to provide a visible presence and reassure Jewish communities (Dinendra Haria/LNP)

One incident went viral online, of a kosher restaurant in London having its windows smashed in. Many online said the incident was an anti-Semitic attack in light of the international conflict. But the Met police have said they are not treating it as a hate crime.

A spokesperson for the Met said: “Police were called at approximately 06:10hrs on Monday, 9 October to reports of a burglary and damage caused to a restaurant in Golders Green Road, NW11. It was reported that a cash register had been stolen. Officers have attended the scene and examined CCTV at the location. There has been no arrest and enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing. At this stage, the incident is not being treated as a hate crime.”

Touching on the wider increase in patrols and the “small number of low level public order incidents” across the capital, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine, in charge of policing London today, said: “We are aware that this conflict has a far reaching impact on communities around the world, and we extend our full support to those affected in London.

“We are listening and working with communities and partners to ensure people feel safe and protected. We ask that members of the public report anything concerning, such as threatening behaviour. We are aware that a number of demonstrations and protests are planned. We have spoken to the organisers and we expect these will pass off peacefully. However, we will take a zero tolerance approach to any activity which crosses the lines into criminality.”

Kieren Williams