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Boris Johnson led the condemnation after cars displaying Palestinian flags drove through London with a man shouting obscene anti-Jewish abuse through a megaphone. Hours earlier, in Chigwell, Essex, Rabbi Rafi Goodwin needed hospital treatment after he was beaten and robbed.

The attack happened on Sunday against a background of the conflict in Gaza and on the eve of the festival of Shavuot – the holiday commemorating Moses receiving the 10 commandments.

Mr Johnson said: “There is no place for anti-Semitism in our society. Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britain’s Jews who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen.” Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “Anti-Semitism, misogyny and hate have no place on our streets or in our society. There must be consequences.”

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told the Commons yesterday: “We must ensure this is a country in which our Jewish friends and neighbours feel safe.”

Mr Jenrick said the Community Security Trust had reported “a steep rise in anti-Semitic incidents, a 320 percent increase in a week”. He added that the Government was committed to tackling online anti-Semitism to ensure it and other hate speech was taken down quickly and action “taken against the perpetrators”.

COMMENT by STEPHEN POLLARD

We have been here before.

When Israel last took military action to defend itself from terror in 2014, anti-Semitic incidents doubled.

We know that if Israel has to fight, there will be a sharp increase in the attacks on Jews here.

It was the same in 2009 and 2006 when Israel took action.

So the despicable incidents at the weekend will not have surprised a single British Jew.

We have grown used to racism when Jewhaters are on the march.

Yes, many on the pro-Palestinian protest were peaceful. But, as always, there were also anti-Semitic banners, caricatures and chants.

Many pro-Palestinians say they are anti-Zionist, not anti-Jew.

But no one has explained how shouting “F*** the Jews, rape their daughters” isn’t anti-Semitic. Or how the people who assaulted Rabbi Goodwin were protesting about Gaza.

But what starts with Jew hate ends with all-purpose hate.

Stephen Pollard is a Daily Express columnist and editor of the Jewish Chronicle.

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