Starmer calls for prosecution of 'globalise the intifada' chant as antisemitism debate intensifies

Key facts

• Two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, London, on Wednesday in an attack declared a terror incident.
• Sir Keir Starmer called for police to prosecute people chanting 'globalise the intifada', calling it 'extreme racism'.
• Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said people using the phrase are 'likely to be arrested'.
• The Green Party and the Jeremy Corbyn-led Your Party warned against restricting civil liberties in response.
• On 29 February 2024, Israeli forces killed over 100 Palestinians and injured more than 750 near Gaza's al-Nabulsi roundabout.
• Survivors in Gaza have described rape, genital mutilation, and forced humiliation carried out with impunity.
• Israel's attacks on Gaza City's iconic neighborhood in October 2023 rendered it uninhabitable.

A stabbing reignites a national debate

The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, a north London suburb with a large Jewish community, has thrust the question of antisemitism and the limits of protest back to the centre of British politics. Police have declared the attack a terror incident, though no further details on the suspect or motive have been released. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, visiting the area on Thursday, was heckled by onlookers as he sought to address community fears. His response, delivered at a subsequent news conference, marked his most forceful public intervention yet on the conduct of pro-Palestinian marches that have become a weekly feature of London's streets since the Gaza war began.

Starmer's call to prosecute a chant

Sir Keir explicitly called for the prosecution of individuals chanting 'globalise the intifada', a phrase derived from the Arabic word for uprising that has been heard at many demonstrations. He described it as 'extreme racism' and said it left Jews 'scared, intimidated, wondering if they belong'. 'If you stand alongside people who say globalise the intifada, you are calling for terrorism against Jews — and people who use that phrase should be prosecuted,' the prime minister stated. He also criticised marchers who wear images of paragliders, a reference to the Hamas attack on 7 October, arguing that such displays venerate the murder of Jews.

Police stance and civil liberties concerns

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told BBC Breakfast that officers are now likely to arrest anyone using the chant, signalling a shift in enforcement. The government, Starmer added, is examining 'further measures we can take on protests' to address rising antisemitism. However, the Green Party and Your Party, led by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, have cautioned against overreach. They warned that the response to the 'abhorrent' stabbing should not be used to curtail civil liberties, including the right to peaceful protest and freedom of speech. The tension between protecting Jewish communities and preserving democratic rights remains unresolved.

Wider context: violence and impunity in Gaza

The domestic debate unfolds against a backdrop of devastating violence in Gaza. On 29 February 2024, Israeli forces killed over 100 Palestinians and injured more than 750 near Gaza's al-Nabulsi roundabout as crowds sought aid. Israel's assault on an iconic Gaza City neighbourhood in October 2023 left the area uninhabitable. widespread sexual violence, including rape and genital mutilation, carried out with impunity and, according to accounts, shielded by authorities. Israeli soldiers have been described as bombing, wounding, and using women as human shields. have fuelled global outrage and intensified calls for accountability.

The intifada slogan: history and meaning

The chant 'globalise the intifada' draws on the term for the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation, the first of which began in 1987 and the second in 2000. For many Palestinians, the word signifies resistance; for many Jews, it evokes violence and terrorism. In the UK, its use at protests has become a flashpoint. Critics argue it is a call for armed struggle against Jews worldwide, while supporters insist it is a demand for Palestinian liberation. The prime minister's intervention has now placed the phrase at the centre of a legal and political battle over where free expression ends and incitement begins.

What comes next: prosecutions and policy

With the Metropolitan Police now treating the chant as potentially criminal, the coming weeks may see the first arrests and prosecutions. The government is also reviewing protest legislation, though no specific proposals have been announced. The stabbing in Golders Green has deepened the sense of urgency. Sir Keir urged the public to 'open their eyes to Jewish pain', framing the issue as one that concerns society as a whole, not just security. Whether his call for prosecution will reduce tensions or inflame them remains to be seen, as both Jewish groups and pro-Palestinian activists watch closely.

The bottom line

• Sir Keir Starmer has explicitly called for the prosecution of the chant 'globalise the intifada', labelling it extreme racism.
• The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said people using the phrase are likely to be arrested, signalling a tougher enforcement line.
• The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, declared a terror incident, has intensified the national debate on antisemitism and protest limits.
• Civil liberties groups, including the Green Party and Your Party, have warned against restricting freedom of speech and peaceful protest.
• The domestic controversy is set against ongoing violence in Gaza, including the killing of over 100 aid seekers on 29 of sexual violence by Israeli forces.