Rishi Sunak Condemns "Disgusting" Rise In Anti-Semitic Incidents In UK

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday condemned a "disgusting" rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the UK in the days following Hamas's bloody attack on Israel.

"There's been a quite frankly disgusting rise in anti-Semitic incidents over the past few days. That's not right," Rishi Sunak said, speaking to journalists at an international summit in Gotland in Sweden.

According to London's Metropolitan Police there has been a "massive increase in anti-Semitic crime and incidents".

The Met's deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said there were 105 anti-Semitic incidents and 75 anti-Semitic offences between September 30 and October 13, compared to 14 incidents and 12 offences in the same period last year.

"We have provided extra funding to the Community Security Trust to make sure that Jewish institutions -- whether that's synagogue or schools -- have all the protection they need and the police have all the support that they need to ensure that our streets are safe for people from all communities," Sunak said.

"Because we will absolutely not tolerate people inciting hatred, or violence or racist activity. Intimidating or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated.

"It will be met with the full force of the law," he added.

PM Sunak also called on Israel to take "every possible precaution to protect civilians" in its response to the Hamas assault, which killed more than 1,300 Israelis, with its militants taking about 150 more hostage.

Israel has killed more than 1,500 people in strikes on the Gaza Strip in response to the attack, and has cut off the supply of food, water and electricity there.

Rishi Sunak said Israel has "every right to defend itself" but stressed that the safety of civilians must be "paramount in our minds", adding that he had discussed this with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu in a call Thursday.

"Of course, Israel should take every possible precaution to protect civilians as they exercise their rightful ability to defend themselves against attacks like this," he added.

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