The London office of a zionist Conservative Member of Parliament was torched in an arson attack.
The office of Mike Freer, a Conservative Member of Parliament serving as a representative for Golders Green and Finchley, had been torched in an arson attack, reports The Jerusalem Post.
Freer, who is openly Zionist, has been the target of antisemitic abuse and a number of extreme incidents in the past, although he is not Jewish. He got the news about his office on Christmas Day.
The office was unoccupied at the time of the attack; however, many fear that the arsonist may have been driven by antisemitism and was targeting the MP for reasons related to his support for Israel.
After the fire, Freer received many supporting messages; however, one email suggested that he was “the kind of person who deserved to be set alight.”
While the police have yet to declare the motive of the attack, antisemitism has increased by 1350% in the UK since the October 7 terrorist attack of Hamas against Israel.
Freer explained that Israel is a functioning democracy in the Middle East; therefore, despite the increased personal risk, he will continue to support the Jewish state since he was pro-Israel long before he represented a largely Jewish constituency.
Freer said he refused to give up his role in the wake of attacks on MPs because the people intimidating parliamentarians “should not win.”
Freer added that social media had a “polarising” influence, leading to radicalisation. He also claimed that people got their information in 10 to 30-second chunks and did not fact-check. Freer also emphasised the anonymity social media affords, which enables people to act with impunity.
Despite the growing number of antisemitic incidents, Freer insisted that the majority of antisemitism was coming from fringe pockets and that most Britons wanted a respectful society with religious freedom.
Photo credit: Mike Freer
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