LONDON โ A senior member of the London Assembly has written an urgent letter to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, calling for immediate action over a poster displayed in a London shop window that he says incites hatred and violence against Jews.
Alex Wilson, the Leader of the Reform UK London Assembly Group, said the poster was brought to his attention by a Jewish constituent who felt threatened and distressed by its public display. The image, shown in the window of the Islamic Human Rights Commission shop on Preston Road in northwest London, features the words โIntifada Streetโ alongside artwork that Wilson said appears to depict a Hamas terrorist.
In a letter dated Dec. 24, 2025, addressed to Sir Mark Rowley, Wilson expressed concern that the Metropolitan Police Service declined to take further action after reviewing the complaint.
โI write to you concerning the disturbing experience of a Jewish constituent,โ Wilson wrote. He said the constituent contacted police in September and reported feeling that the poster โincited hatred towards Jews.โ
Wilson said that after what he described as a prolonged period of police inaction, the matter was only revisited following an email campaign. Even then, he wrote, the outcome left the constituent alarmed.
According to Wilson, an inspector from Colindale Police Station told the complainant that โIntifada Street,โ despite its meaning and historical context, was considered merely the artistโs company name and therefore not subject to further action.
Jewish community leaders say the term โintifadaโ is widely understood in the context of violent campaigns against Israeli civilians and Jews, including suicide bombings, shootings, and stabbings. They argue that its use in public messaging directed at Jewish neighborhoods or businesses cannot be separated from that history.
Wilsonโs letter points to what he described as a clear inconsistency in police enforcement. Only days earlier, the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police publicly stated that the โcontext had changedโ following the Bondi Beach massacre and that chants calling to โglobalise the intifadaโ would now be treated as potentially criminal.
โYet it appears your organisation is failing to take action on a poster on display using precisely the same language,โ Wilson wrote.
He further criticized what he called โmental gymnasticsโ by police in explaining away the term, comparing it to past controversies in which authorities suggested that words such as โjihadโ could have benign meanings despite common usage in violent extremist contexts.
โMy Jewish friends and colleagues point out to me that the word โintifadaโ has an unambiguous meaning,โ Wilson wrote. โIt means kill all the Jews.โ
The letter also references recent terrorism cases, including the convictions of Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein, which prosecutors said demonstrated how calls for intifada can translate into real world violence against Jewish targets.
Wilson said the Preston Road shop displaying the poster is located next to a Jewish bakery, a fact he described as particularly troubling. He warned that allowing such imagery to remain on display risks emboldening extremists and further alienating Jewish residents.
Jewish organizations in London echoed those concerns, saying the case highlights a broader pattern of perceived double standards in policing antisemitism. Community representatives stressed that antisemitism should be assessed based on how it is reasonably understood by those targeted, not solely on narrow or technical interpretations.
The Metropolitan Police Service has not publicly commented on the specific complaint. In general guidance, the Met says it assesses allegations of hate incidents and hate crimes based on evidence, context, and relevant law.
Wilson said he is not calling for censorship but for consistency and equal application of the law. โWhen police say context matters, it must matter for Jews as well,โ he said.
He urged the commissioner to review the decision and to take action โat the earliest opportunity,โ warning that continued inaction risks undermining confidence among Jewish Londoners.
As antisemitism remains a major concern across the United Kingdom, Jewish leaders say the case underscores the need for clear standards and decisive enforcement when language associated with violence is displayed in public spaces.
โThis is not an abstract debate,โ one community advocate said. โIt is about whether Jews can walk down the street without being confronted by messages that glorify or normalize violence against them.โ
Wilson said he expects a response from the Metropolitan Police and pledged to continue raising the issue at City Hall until it is addressed.
