IHRC holds British politicians and media directly responsible for attack on our London offices earlier this week.

In the attack on 30 October paint was maliciously sprayed on our shop front in Wembley, causing significant damage to both our shutter and shop window.

We are under no doubt that the environment of hate that has been whipped up against pro-Palestine advocates in Britain by the likes of the Home Secretary Suella Braverman is fuelling acts of Islamophobia across the country.

The constant government and media vilification of pro-Palestine activists and symbols of Palestinian identity such as the flag has effectively legitimised violence and criminality against them.

In recent weeks, IHRC itself has witnessed a disturbing escalation in targeted incidents, ranging from passive-aggressive actions, such as throwing copies of the Jewish News into our store in an aggressive fashion, to more malevolent actions, including false complaints to the police alleging that we display flags associated with proscribed groups.

While each of these acts may appear minor or inconsequential individually, they have collectively culminated in this assault on our property and the increasing stress, trauma and distress to staff, volunteers and the vast majority of the local Community.

We also find it quite perverse that at the same time that organisations like ours are being targeted the government has decided to award £3m in funding to the Communities Security Trust, an organisation that claims to exist to protect British Jews but which is itself behind much of the demonisation of pro-Palestine groups.

IHRC chair Massoud Shadjareh said: “The disgraceful rhetoric issuing from this government is designed to silence pro-Palestine advocates. But no amount of harassment or intimidation will force us to keep quiet while the terrorist state of Israel wages a genocide in Gaza. To the contrary, we wear the attacks as a badge of honour and they only spur us to work harder to help achieve justice for the Palestinians.” (ENDS)

For more information or comment please contact the Press Office Press Office on (+44) 208 904 0222  or (+44) 7958 522196 or email media@irhc.org