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Police probe London woman for torching Israeli flag while crashing private party

A small group had crashed a party held by Israel-supporting college students, chanting “Free Palestine” to disrupt the program.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A woman who crashed an event held by Israel-supporting students Tuesday night in a public venue in London set fire to an Israeli flag there, prompting a police investigation into the incident.

Some 250 university students had gathered for a private party in an area of the Hackney neighborhood that was still partly accessible by passersby, and a few anti-Israel protestors began disrupting the program by repeatedly shouting “Free Palestine.”

The venue’s management told them that they would be removed if they did not stop.

Witnesses said a woman then approached the DJ’s stand, which was decorated with Israeli flags, pulled out a cigarette lighter and set one of them alight.

The police came, spoke to her and ushered her out of the venue without arresting her.

According to a Metropolitan Police statement to the Jewish News, “An off-duty officer had detained a woman on suspicion of racially/religiously aggravated criminal damage. The incident followed an altercation between members of a Jewish student group who were holding an event at the venue and another group of customers.”

“The details of all involved were taken by the officers at the scene, who initially determined that no further action should be taken,” the spokesperson added. “The circumstances have since been reviewed and a decision taken that the investigation will remain open so that the matter can be fully investigated.”

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The authorities just closed an investigation involving an imam who had called for the destruction of Jewish homes and called on Allah to “curse the Jews” two weeks after the October 7 Hamas invasion of Israel in which the terrorists massacred 1,200 people.

The Jewish Chronicle reported Wednesday that a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said that despite the fact that “many people found the content upsetting,” the imam’s comments do “not meet the threshold of a crime.”

Israel advocacy group StandWithUs, which said the flag in question belonged to them, condemned the perpetrator’s actions.

“StandWithUs UK are appalled by the actions of the individual who felt that they could burn the emblems of the only Jewish State in the world during a party for Jewish students,” the organization said.

“We appreciate the support of the Police and the CST and are cooperating with the investigation into this incident.”

CST is the Community Security Trust, a British charity whose stated mission is to provide safety, security, and advice to the Jewish community in the UK.

StandWith Us UK Executive Director Isaac Zarfati said the party was a “resounding success” despite the “hateful actions” and that the group “will not be intimidated by the actions of a few to deter support for Israel.”