Haim Bresheeth: UK police arrest Israeli for “hate speech”
Jewish academic Haim Bresheeth has been arrested by UK police following a speech at a pro-Palestine demonstration in London, during which he said Israel “cannot win against Hamas”, according to MiddleEastEye.
Bresheeth, a child of Holocaust survivors and founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine, was arrested on November 1st during a demonstration outside the residence of Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely in north London.
According to London’s Metropolitan police, he faced accusations of supporting a proscribed organisation.
A video recording of Haim Bresheeth’s arrest shows a police officer telling him he is being arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for “making a hate speech”.
However, after spending a night in custody, he was released without charge.
Police say he still remains under investigation.
In his speech at the demonstration Haim Bresheeth said: “Israel has not achieved any of its declared aims, either in Gaza in Lebanon in, in Iran or anywhere else.”
“What has it achieved? Murder, mayhem, genocide, racism, destruction, this is what they’re good at.”
“They cannot win against Hamas, they cannot win against Hezbollah, they cannot win against the Houthis. They cannot win against the united resistance to the genocide they have started.”
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The Jewish academic’s arrest follows a series of raids and arrests targeting pro-Palestinian activists and journalists under anti-terror legislation.
In October, counter-terrorism police raided the home of journalist Asa Winstanley as part of an investigation under the Terrorism Act into his social media activity.
Journalist/activist Richard Medhurst was detained on August 15th under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act on arrival in the UK.
Less than two weeks later, pro-Palestine journalist Sarah Wilkinson was arrested during a dawn raid on her home over allegations relating to content she had posted online.
MiddleEastEye and Agencies
