Man seen in London wearing shirt invoking historic massacre of Jews, police hunt underway🤬
London police are investigating after a man was photographed in a heavily Jewish area wearing a shirt bearing an antisemitic slogan invoking a 7th-century battle involving Jews.
The incident was reported by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) after a Jewish man shopping with his children at a Sainsbury’s in north London contacted police.
The shirt read “Khaybar Khaybar yaa Yahud.” The words are part of the well-known Arabic chant, “Khaybar, Khaybar ya Yahud, Jaish Mohammed Sauf Ya’ud”, which means “Watch out Jews, remember Khaybar, the Army of Mohammed is returning”. It refers to the 7th-century Battle of Khaybar, when Muslim forces fought Jewish tribes near the oasis in what is now Saudi Arabia. The slogan has been widely condemned as antisemitic and used as a threat against Jews.
The Metropolitan Police said officers received a report around 3:35 p.m. last Friday about a man inside a supermarket on Williamson Road in Haringey. Officers initially did not know the slogan’s meaning or historical context, but obtained a translation and consulted specialists before recording it as a suspected racially aggravated public-order offense.
“Officers are in contact with the victim and inquiries to identify the individual involved are ongoing. No arrests have been made at this stage,” police said.
The CAA called for the incident to be handled forcefully, saying antisemitic hatred is increasingly being displayed openly in everyday public spaces. It said Jews are facing intimidation and abuse in daily life and that such incidents will continue unless offenders face consequences.
The CAA urged anyone who recognizes the man or has information to contact the organization confidentially.
